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Zotero

An in-depth guide to using Zotero.

Group Libraries

Zotero Groups allow you to share references with other Zotero users online. It's a great way to work on collaborative research projects.

First, set up Zotero sync and synchronize your library. Then see the instructions below for starting a new group or joining a group.

Creating a Shared Library

  1. Within the desktop Zotero application, click on the New Library button on the top left. Choose the "New Group" option. 
  2. A new window will open on Zotero.org, prompting you to sign in if you are not. After you've signed in, you will be asked to create a name for your group and choose the group type. Here are some features of the 3 group types:
    1. Public, Open Membership. Use this group type to share research widely. Anyone can view and join the group to download citations located in this library. You can also grant some members editing privileges so that they can add, edit or delete citations. Note that this type of library does not store PDF attachments to the citations.
    2. Public, Closed Membership. Anyone can view the library online, but users must be approved or invited to add or edit citations. Group owners can choose whether to allow storage of PDFs in this library; note that the storage quota will be "charged" to the group owner's account and counts against their free 300MB limit.
    3. Private Membership. The library will not be searchable or viewable to the public online. Members must be invited to join. Group owners can choose whether to allow storage of PDFs in this library; note that the storage quota will be "charged" to the group owner's account and counts against their free 300MB limit. 

Joining a Shared Library

To join an existing Zotero library, search for it on Zotero.org or be invited by the group’s owner. You must log in to the zotero.org website to create or join a group, but you do not need to log in to simply view a group's public library.

Using shared libraries in your Zotero application

After you've created or joined at least one group, you'll have have two sections in your Zotero collections pane: "My Library" and "Group Libraries."

Personal and group libraries are entirely separate, and changes made to items in one library do not affect the other. You can drag items back and forth libraries to copy items.