Embedded Files
Zotero
Prior to completing this assignment I had never used Zotero before. To be quite honest, I had not heard of it until fairly recently (within the last year or so). In my experience, getting Zotero set up was straightforward. I created an account, downloaded the application, and installed the Zotero Connector for Firefox. Simple enough. However, once I had the application installed I really didn’t know how to navigate it. Aesthetically, the application itself is far from modern, and there are icons that have no clear explanation for their purpose until you click around and see what appears.
To evaluate Zotero, I used the “Standard Functions of Reference Managers” criteria.
Zotero does have the capability to sync across different devices, though I am not sure how well it works. When I first installed Zotero it prompted me asking if I wanted to sync to existing references. There is also a browser extension called the Zotero Connector which allows users to save references directly from a browser. While the Zotero Connector requires connection to a browser for use, I was able to make changes to my Zotero library within the application offline.
One of the first things I tried to do was import a file to Zotero. I attempted to import a .pdf and was surprised when I got an error stating “The selected file is not in a supported format.” I selected the button that directed me to “View Supported Formats...” and the list did not include .pdfs or HTML. It’s a little confusing because in Zotero’s guide under “Adding Items” it states “To add a PDF or any other file from your computer, simply drag it to Zotero” and that was not my experience. However, I was able to add a .pdf by pulling it up online in a library database and saving it using the Zotero Connector extension.
Within the Zotero application, I was able to organize references by putting them into different folders or “collections” in my library. While I am able to add separate notes in Zotero, I was disappointed to find that I could not make annotations on articles. Instead, Zotero expects users to open .pdfs using other document readers such as Adobe Reader or Preview and make annotations using those.
Creating citations was very easy. I simply highlighted the references I wanted to create citations for, and then selected the Citation Style (i.e. APA 7th), the output mode (citations or bibliography), output method (Save as RTF, Save as HTML, Copy to Clipboard).
Connecting to other people or groups using Zotero was not very intuitive, and required some Google searches. According to Zotero’s website, groups allow users to “collaborate remotely with project members, set up web-based bibliographies for classes” and “discover other people with similar interests and the sources they are citing” (zotero.org). Setting up the collaboration with others is not a capability that works within the application, rather it’s something that has to be done online from zotero.org. After signing into my account, I navigate to “Groups,” and then either “Search for Groups” or “Create a New Group.” Some groups are closed or private so only specific people can join, but others are public so anyone can join. After joining or creating groups, users can continue to use the Zotero application as long as there are frequent syncs.
Overall, I think Zotero is a worthwhile reference manager, so long as users don’t care about aesthetics, the manual effort that is required to keep everything synced, or about the lack of annotation ability.
I have neither given nor received aid while working on this assignment. I completed the assignment before looking at anyone else's work. Signed Libby Soucaze.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse