Zotero has 3 major components that will help you with your assignments and research in major ways, which, if used correctly, could help you save hours upon hours.
- Organisational tool: just as you have on your desktop, Zotero allows for the creation of "Libraries" and "Collections." These are just their terms for folders. Within collections, you can create subcollections, and within those subcollections, you can create further subcollections. It's subcollections all the way down.
- PDF Reader: When you open a folder on your desktop and click on a PDF to read, it opens another programme. What makes Zotero convenient is that when you click on the PDFs you have stored in your collections (aka folders) within Zotero is that the PDF opens up directly in Zotero. It has all the functionality you need: highlighting and making comments.
- The Word plugin: Perhaps the most standout feature from Zotero is the Word plugin. This is the serious time-saver. This plugin appears as a tab at the top of your document and allows you to click a button to both create in-text citations AND will create your entire reference list/bibliography with the click of a button. The Word plugin only works on the desktop version of word. We go in far more depth about the Word plugin in section 3: Easy referencing with Zotero.
