Managing your Zotero library effectively
2 Working with Collections
The most commonly-used mechanism for organizing a Zotero library is with collections. For many people — especially those with a total Zotero library of less than 50 items or so — collections alone are more than enough to keep a Zotero library humming like a well-oiled machine. This module discusses collections in-depth, and users who have already worked with Zotero collections will probably pick up some new tricks as well.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the purpose and characteristics of Zotero’s “collections” feature
- Define a collection scheme for organizing your own Zotero content
- Use the built-in Unfiled Items, Duplicate Items, and Trash Bin collections to clean and organize your content
Collections are one of the three main features used to organize and maintain your Zotero library.
They are used to logically organize your Zotero entries into "folders" and "sub-folders," and you can set them up using any scheme that works for you. Some people create collections according to topics and sub-topics; others use them to divide material by course or semester.
An Zotero entry can be a member of more than one collection.
This term refers to your total Zotero collection: everything you see when you select My Library and your shared libraries in the leftmost pane of your Zotero window.
The Unfiled Items folder, located in the left-most pane of the Zotero user interface, provides a list of all Zotero entries that are not part of any collection.
The Duplicate Items folder, located in the left-most pane of the Zotero user interface, can be used to find double-entries in your Zotero library. Since an entry can belong to more than one collection, it is possible to import the same entry more than once without realizing it.
Using Dupiicate Items, you can locate these entries and merge them into a single one.
This Zotero smart folder, located in the left-most pane of the Zotero user interface, contains any items that have been deleted in the last 30 days. You can also empty your trash manually, to clear it completely.
Items in the trash can be restored back into your library.
