Zotero: Add Items to Your Library

There are several ways to add items to your Zotero library. 

1. PDF files: If you have PDF files saved to your computer, you can drag them onto the desktop application to add them. 

2. Use the DOI or other standard identifier: From the Zotero toolbar, choose the "Add Item by Identifier" icon (). Copy and paste the identifier number associated with the item you're trying to add into the pop-up window. You can use identifiers like ISBN, DOI, PubMed ID (PMID), or arXiv ID. Press the Enter key to finish adding the item to your library.

3. Use the Zotero Connector (install in browser): Choose the Zotero icon in your browser to automatically import the citation information to your library. The Zotero browser icon changes depending on the type of item you are viewing (journal article, book, video, etc.), but will always display "Save to Zotero" when you hover over it. When looking at a journal article, the icon will appear as a white sheet of paper. When viewing a list of items, such as search results, the "Save to Zotero" icon will appear as a small folder and you can select and add multiple items from the search results.

If the full text of an article is available, Zotero should automatically save the PDF as an attachment. To see files that are attached to an item in Zotero, select the arrow next to the item:

4. Add an RIS/BibText file: UP Library Search and most databases will offer the option to export citation(s) in a particular file format that works with tools like Zotero. Open the exported file in Zotero to add it to your library. This is a good option for adding multiple items to your library. Note: This method does not include PDFs of articles.

5. Manually add a source: Click on the "New Item" icon and select the type of item you are trying to add (additional options are available under "More"). Then you can manually enter the information about the item (title, author, etc.).

After adding an item to your Zotero library, review the metadata and make any corrections if necessary. The metadata is the information about the item, such as the title, author, publication date, etc. You can edit an item's metadata in the "Info" pane on the right side of the screen. 

Click on any metadata field to edit it. You can right-click on the "Title" field to change the title capitalization to title case or sentence case, depending on the requirements of whatever citation style you will be using.