handout for an intro to Zotero workshop for art and design graduate students

1. Getting started with Zotero
Graduate Student Workshop
October 15, 2009
Tara Robertson, Emily Carr Library
trobertson@ecuad.ca
Set up
1. If you don’t have Firefox on your computer, download it from
http://www.mozilla.com.
2. Download Zotero from http://www.zotero.org. Use the newest version 2.0b7.2.
3. Create a free account with Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/user/login This will
allow you to back up and sync your library with your online account. Also, this
will also allow you to use the social software functionality (creating a profile,
following researchers with similar interests, joining and creating groups).
4. Download the plugin for Word or Open Office: http://www.zotero.org/support/
word_processor_plugin_installation Ensure you download the plugin that
works with version 2.0 Beta. The Word or Open Office plugin will allow you to
insert citations into your thesis that can be easily reformatted to a different
citation style. Mac users might need to install some extra bits.
5. Download the plugin that will allow you to search the full text of PDFs in your
library. In Zotero in Firefox, go to Preferences > Search and click “Check for
installer”.
Adding citations
For the following tasks, add items that are relevant to your research area, or
thesis topic.
1. Search the Emily Carr library catalog and add at least 2 books.
2. Search at least 2 journal article databases and add at least 2 articles. If there
are PDFs of these articles, add them as attachments.
3. Add a snapshot of a website, and add at least one annotation.
4. If necessary, add relevant tags to your items.
5. Take a look at the search, and the timeline.