Zotero: for Legal Scholars

zotero: for legal scholars
Karen R. Schneiderman
Emerging Technologies Librarian
Brooklyn Law School Library
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what is zotero?
(zoh-TAIR-oh)
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zotero : an introduction
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top features
Automatically capture citations
Store pdfs, images, and web pages
Cite from within Word and OpenOffice
Uses Bluebook citation style
Instantly search your PDFs and notes
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minimum requirements
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versions
BLS Library recommends using Zotero 1.0
MAC users use Zotero 2.0 Beta for Word 2008 compatibility
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zotero: locating after installation
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zotero : what is “word plug-in”
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word processor plug-ins
To get started with these plugins,
check out the following link: http://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_integration
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zotero: bluebook style add-on
http://www.zotero.org/stylesadd-on
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other features
Store PDFs, images, and web pages
Free, open source, and extensible
Collaborate with group libraries
Organize with collections and tags
Access your library from anywhere
Automatically grab metadata for PDFs
Remotely back up and sync your library
Advanced search and data mining tools
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zotero installation primer
To download the plug-in:
http://www.zotero.org
To download the plug-in that lets you cite inside of MS Word:
http://www.zotero.org/documentation/microsoft_word_integration
To download additional style add-on for Bluebook:
http://www.zotero.org/stylesadd-on
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zotero: test drive
The left column shows your “library” of references, including any collection folders you’ve created.
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zotero: creating a library

Create a new collection using the button (top of left column). Name it.
Right-click on the title of your new collection.
When you select a folder in the left panel of Zotero, any new references you download will be added to it.

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zotero: test drive
The middle column shows all items in the collection you’re working with at the moment.
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zotero: test drive
The right column shows the details of any individual item you select. If you hide the Zotero window, Zotero is still enabled and you can still save references to your library.
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zotero: adding a reference
The icon has option of downloading some or all of the items listed on the page. You will get different icons depending on the type of resource
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zotero: remember

Your citations are stored in the hard drive of the computer where Zotero/Firefox is loaded, not on an online server, so it is only possible to access citations on the machine where they were originally stored
It is possible to download Firefox Portable on a flash drive along with the Zotero plug-in; this enables you to run Firefox/Zotero on any computer with a USB port and internet access. For more information, check out: http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable
Only works with Firefox 2.0, Netscape Navigator 2.0, and Flock 0.9.1; it will not work with earlier versions of these browser, and it will not work with any other browser, including Internet Explorer, Macintosh Safari, or Opera
To use Zotero to insert citations and bibliographies, Firefox must be open as well as MS Word

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zotero: the journey begins
Karen R. Schneiderman
Emerging Technologies Librarian
718.780.7980
karen.schneiderman@brooklaw.edu
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