Appendix: Working with Zotero

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Working with Zotero

Although this approach to adding entries to GWonline was more commonly used at earlier stages of the project, this procedure remains in place as an option. It may be particularly useful when the project coordinator(s) wish to add a large number of entries relatively quickly.

Aims and Tasks of the Work with Zotero

Project Coordinator:

The task of the project coordinator is to oversee the work with the GWC Zotero Group Website and its library. The project coordinator is in charge of transferring items from the GWC Zotero Library to GWonline.

Project Assistants:

Project Assistants add, if asked by the Project Coordinator or the director, selected lists of literature to Zotero.

Getting Started with Zotero

For a general overview and more detailed information, including a “Quick Start Guide,” please consult the general Zotero website at: https://www.zotero.org/support/

Accessing the GWC Zotero Group Website and GWC Zotero Library

The GWC Zotero Group and GWC Zotero Library can be accessed through the general Zotero website (https://www.zotero.org/groups). The project coordinator(s) and assistants have access to both the GWC Zotero Group and GWC Zotero Library. For access, contact the project coordinator.

The most efficient way to collect and add literature to the library is to use Zotero’s Firefox add-on or the Zotero Standalone. If not already installed, go to http://www.zotero.org/download/ and download the version associated with your operating system. Once installed, open the program. (If you use Zotero’s Firefox add-on you have to open Firefox and then you will find the Zotero sign at the bottom-right.)

In order to use the Zotero GWC Group Library, the program needs to always be synced. If you use Zotero’s Firefox Add-On, open your Zotero Firefox pane. Click on the icon at the top of the left column, and select the “Preferences…” option, then click on “Sync.” Provide the username and password of your Zotero account to enable data syncing. We recommend enabling automatic syncing. You should disable the option “Automatically tag items…” (you will find this under “General”).

Once logged in and added to the GWC bibliography, you should be able to see a new link under your Zotero Groups in the left column: “GWC.” Under the “GWC” folder you will find four folders:

  • Collecting Literature Folder (CLF) (for all individual titles);
  • Work Folder I: Selected Bibliographies (only for books with selected bibliographies whose titles need to be integrated in CLF);
  • Work Folder II: Anthology Chapters (only for anthologies whose chapters need to be integrated in CLF);
  • Transfer Folder (Coordinator only).

Collecting Literature / Adding New Literature to Zotero

Options of the Project Director:

With the three Collecting Folders the editors have three options to enter new titles and tell the GWC Project Coordinator and the GWC assistants what to do with the titles:

  • Collecting Literature Folder: includes only individual titles, which need to be transferred and edited in the GWC Online Bibliography.
  • Work Folder I: Selected Bibliographies (only for books with selected bibliographies, titles that need to be integrated in the Zotero Collecting Literature Folder); includes only books with selected bibliographies that the assistants should use to integrate their items in the Collecting Literature Folder. When the assistant is ready he/she deletes the book title in this folder.
  • Work Folder II: Anthology Chapters (only for anthologies, chapters need to be integrated in the Zotero Collecting Literature Folder): includes only anthologies, from which all individual chapters should be included by a GWC assistant in the Collecting Literature Folder. When the assistant is ready he/she deletes the book title in this folder.

Work of the Project Coordinator and Assistants:

There are multiple ways to add entries to the library. For a tutorial, visit:
http://www.zotero.org/support/getting_stuff_into_your_library.

The best way to add entries is the “web translator.” The editors and assistants will collect new literature and put it into the Collecting Literature Folder or Work Folders I and II, depending on the editor’s assignment.

In order to add a title with the relevant information, use either WorldCat, which works well with Zotero, or the your research institution’s library catalogue, such as those of the UNC Libraries system, as well as Duke University.  Please avoid Amazon or similar websites because the entries are usually quite incomplete.

Make sure to sync your Zotero account periodically to ensure coordination with other assistants and the editors. When opening the Zotero click on the round, green arrow on the top-right. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection and the amount of work done by other users, this might take some time. When the update completes, if there are no warning signs, you are good to go. If a warning sign (such as a red exclamation mark) appears next to the green arrow, click on it to read the error message. If necessary, contact the GWC project coordinator.

Once your account has successfully synced, you can start adding entries. Before adding a new item, always check if the item is already in the GWC Online Bibliography. To do so, go to the GWC Online Bibliography and perform a title search.

If a title does not yet exist in GWonline, add it to Zotero, using WorldCat. Use the web translator, to add the document’s bibliographic information to the correct folder (Collecting Literature Folder or Work Folders I or II). Here is a detailed description of how to add books or articles:

Book Sources

  1. Check if the title exists in the GWC Online Bibliography (by doing an author or title search)
  2. If the title doesn’t exist in the GWC Online Bibliography, use a library catalog of your choosing to find the book.
  3. Select the appropriate folder in Zotero and use the Web Translator (the blue book icon in your address bar)_to add the relevant document.
  4. After you added the title, check for editor/author/contributor mix-ups. If Zotero does not identify authors or editors correctly you have to edit this manually. This is very important! Please make sure that the title is complete and correct.
  5. Go to the “tags” tab and add your initials ( e.g. SD, KH).

Journal Articles

  1. Check if the title exists in the GWC Online Bibliography.
  2. If the title doesn’t exist in the library, search either the UNC Library Article Search or Google Scholar for the relevant bibliographic information.
  3. Select the appropriate Zotero folder to add information to (“Collecting Literature Folder”).
  4. Looking back at the library entry/website, to the right of the URL bar, there will be a little white page - click on this. (If you did it correctly a window will pop up saying where Zotero is saving the item.)
  5. Examine the Zotero entry for quotation marks: if they are around article title, delete them.
  6. Go to the “tags” tab and add your initials.

If you have any questions or problems, please contact the project coordinator.

Transferring Literature from Zotero to GWonline (Project Coordinator only)

The Zotero “Transfer Folder”

The project coordinator is responsible for transferring entries from our GWC Zotero Library Website to the GWC Online Bibliography Website. Before transferring entries from Zotero to the GWC Online Bibliography Website, the GWC project coordinator needs to move the relevant entries from the Collecting Folder 1 to the Transfer and Work Folder:

Select the Collecting Literature Folder. Mark the relevant entries that you need to move and then click on the icon for “add to collection” and chose the collection Transfer and Work Folder. After you have successfully added the entry to the assistant’s folder/collection, delete it from the Collecting Literature Folder using the icon “Remove from collection.”

Transfer from the Zotero Transfer Folder to GWC Online Bibliography Website

The GWC project coordinator will have to access the GWC library through the Zotero Firefox pane/ Zotero Stand-Alone.

The steps for the transfer are:

  1. Right-mouse-click on the Transfer Folder. Click on “Export Collection” and chose 'RIS' as the file format. Save the file on your computer or any other device.
  2. Visit the GWC website. In the left Navigation menu, click the GWC Bibliography link, then click "Import."
  3. Click the "Choose File'" button and navigate to the file you created in Step 1.
  4. Make sure the "Batch Process" box is checked.
  5. Click on "Taxonomy Settings."
  6. Make sure that the "Copy these terms to the biblio keyword database" box is NOT checked.
  7. Click the "Import" button at the bottom of the page.
  8. Review the resulting data.

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