Zotero

The first third of the Zotero window is used to organize your library. It is structured similarly to an operating system file explorer.

The folder icon  (on the left of the window) allows users to create new collections of references. Afterwards, you can also name it.

Right-clicking on a collection brings up a menu that enables you to:

1. Add a subcollection ;
2. Rename a collection ;
3. Delete a collection.

Removing a reference from a collection

When a reference is removed from the collection, it remains in the library. To delete a reference, see the next section.
To remove a reference from a collection, select and press Delete on your keyboard.

 Deleting references from a library

When references are deleted from a library, they will automatically be sent to the Bin folder.

To remove a reference from the library, simply select it and press Delete on the keyboard.

Note : Items deleted from the Bin folder cannot be recovered, so make sure that they will not be needed in the future before you remove them.

Bin Folder

Each library has its own Bin folder. It is possible to manage the documents in the Bin by clicking on each record, and choosing to either restore the record or to delete it permanently.

By right clicking on it, it is also possible to empty the Bin folder completely. It is emptied automatically every 30 days.

Zotero allows you to add reading notes, copy passages to be quoted with the page number, comments, etc. to references:

1. Select the document that requires a note.
2. Select the Post-it note icon and choose the second option, Add Child Note .
3. In the right column, a simple text editor will appear where you can add notes to your reference.

Notes can also be created automatically when you annotate a PDF with Zotero's PDF reader (more information here).

Document tags allow you to add relevant keywords to references that are not found in the title or abstract.

To learn more, consult the Zotero PDF guide (available in French only).

Zotero : Manuel d'utilisation (.pdf) (updated September 2023)

This manual explains how to optimize Zotero's primary features (available only in French).

When importing references from several different databases or doing the same search several times, your Zotero library may begin accumulating duplicates.

Zotero can identify duplicate references, even when the duplicates' bibliographic information is slightly different from one another.

1. Click Duplicate Items in the left column of the desired library.
2. From here, you can choose to merge references. If the references are slightly different, Zotero will ask you to choose which version to keep.
3. Choose the version you want to keep from the list of duplicates.
4. It is possible to choose which information is kept when merging, by clicking on the following icon: 
5. When the choices are complete, click Merge Items.

For more complex needs, the Duplicates Merger extension can be downloaded.

Saved searches allow you to make dynamic folders (which change over time) based on different criteria.

To create the saved search, click the magnifying glass icon at the top of the Zotero window.

A search form will appear, where you can create a complex query.

Check that the search produces the desired results, then click on Save Search.

The saved searches will be added at the end of the collections list, indicated by the folder icons with a magnifying glass.