Boxer Library
Message from the AVP
Welcome to the spring/summer newsletter. This issue is all about Zotero which is an easy to use tool for managing citations for your research projects. In the past when the library team taught techniques for citation management, we promoted the use of RefWorks which was available to members of the university via a paid subscription managed by the library. Faculty and students could use this tool when they were at RFUMS but lost access after graduation. During the past budget cycle, the library like many other departments was asked to trim our budget to help the university achieve long term sustainability. Since Zotero is a free and open source tool developed by a nonprofit organization, students and faculty are able to use it wherever they are, and a few used it at previous/past institutions. Taking this all into account, the library team has elected to not renew RefWorks and instead promote Zotero as the software we promote for citation management. Access to RefWorks through the Boxer Library will cease on July 31, 2024. For those who wish to use a citation manager, we urge you to transfer your citation library from RefWorks to Zotero prior to that date. This newsletter is meant to serve as an introduction to Zotero as well as to provide guidance to those who will make the transition between RefWorks and Zotero. If you are a faculty member who would like to incorporate the use of Zotero in your instruction, do not hesitate to reach out to members of the library team.
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All About Zotero |
Using Citation Managers for your research
A citation manager is a tool that can generate citations and references in many formats for research papers, literature reviews, annotated bibliographies and more. It can sort and make citations easier to review and share, making keeping track of citations simple, whether there are only ten or over a hundred of them. In this newsletter, we will be exploring
Cool Zotero Features
Getting Started With Zotero
To get started with Zotero, begin by downloading the application from Zotero's official website. Zotero is available both as a desktop version, for those who prefer offline access and more robust features, and as a web version, perfect for users who value accessibility across multiple devices. Once you've got Zotero installed, importing citations can be made easier by downloading the “Chrome Connector.”
If you want to explore more “getting started” topics, Zotero's help documentation and support forums are invaluable resources for navigating the platform's features and troubleshooting any issues that arise.
Transferring your citations
You can easily transfer your citations from RefWorks into a different citation manager. We recommend that you begin the process of transferring your citations as soon as possible so that you don’t miss the deadline of July 31, 2024. These instructions are specifically for Zotero, but you will be able to use a similar process of exporting and importing your citations to the citation manager of your choice.
To export your citations from RefWorks:
4. Click on Export References
5. In the pop-up box, make sure all of your references are selected and select either BibTex or RIS format. Zotero does not support TSV or XML files
To import your files into Zotero:
If you would like to maintain the folder structure of your RefWorks account you can follow these steps but for each folder you have in RefWorks. Select each folder you would like to export and follow the above steps.
Setting Up Your Default Citation Style
You can choose your preferred citation style to be the default for any references you create in Zotero. Zotero has many citation style options including American Medical Association, American Psychological Association and Vancouver. Follow these steps to select your default citation style:
You can change your default citation style at any time.
Downloading a Citation from the Library
Downloading citations from the library is easy as 1-2-3.
You can open it in Zotero by clicking File>Import and choosing your RIS file and it will be available immediately. This can also be done on many other websites by finding any link that says “Cite” and following their steps for saving the citation as an RIS file.
Events
Getting Started With Zotero (Student Session)
Thursday, May 30th from 12PM - 1PM
Join us for our student session, "Getting Started With Zotero" as we dive into the fundamentals of Zotero and learn how to efficiently manage your references and streamline your research process with this powerful citation management tool.
Getting Started with Zotero ( Faculty and Staff Session)
Monday, May 13th from 3PM - 4PM
Calling all faculty and staff members! Explore the functionalities of Zotero and discover how it can make collecting citations, annotating articles, and creating reference lists amongst multiple citation styles easy
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