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SMU Libraries

Zotero: Citation management software

Creating folders/collections

  1. Click the folder icon at the top left of the menu bar.
  2. Name your Collection.
  3. If you already have documents in your library that you want to move to a folder, drag citations from My Library or other folders to the newly created folder.  Copies of the citations move to the new folder, but will also stay in the previous locations.
  4. Citations can be placed in many folders at the same time.

Attaching files

  1. Click the paperclip icon on the menu bar in the Zotero programme.
  2. Select the type of attachment you want to add.
  • Attach Link to URL: Paste URL of item from the internet.
  • Attach Stored Copy of a File: Once selecting a document, it will be stored within your Zotero library.  If you have your attachments synced, it will also be saved to the Zotero cloud storage.
  • Attach Link to File: This is a way for you to 'map' to documents on your computer or other cloud storage options.

 

Taking notes

The Notes feature allows you to create searchable notes in your Library or a particular collection (Standalone note), or for a particular citation (Child note).

  1. Click on the citation of interest in your Zotero Library.
  2. Select 'Child note' from sticky note icon in the menu

  1. Type your notes in the right-hand column.  Content in this field is searchable.

 

Tags

  • Use 'Tags' to help you categorise information in your Zotero library.  These can be keywords to help you find articles on a particular topic, or even indications of whether you read an article or not, 
  • Automatically generated tags (which are imported from databases or the web) are labelled yellow.  User-generated tags are blue.
  • All of your tags will be listed alphabetically below your Library in the left-hand column.

  • Tags displaying in the lower left-hand corner of your library can be clicked to find other items using that same tag.  You can also search for tags, and then click on them to see items with a particular tag assigned.

The use of electronic resources must comply with the Appropriate Use of Electronic Resources Policy and Singapore Management University Acceptable Use Policy