CS373 - Zotero Setup and Group Library

    

Introduction to Zotero

For written work in this course, you are expected to collect, organize, and cite sources responsibly.
We will use Zotero, a widely used, free reference management tool, to support this work.

Zotero will help you:

  • Collect citations from books, articles, and websites
  • Organize sources for papers and projects
  • Share references with your instructor
  • Generate citations and bibliographies in standard formats (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
  • Generate citations in BibTeX format - this is the format we will use

This page walks you through:

  1. Creating a Zotero account
  2. Creating a private Zotero group for this course
  3. Inviting your instructor to that group

Please complete these steps early in the semester.

Step 1: Create a Zotero Account

  1. Go to: https://www.zotero.org
  2. Click Log In → Register for a free account
  3. Use an email address you check regularly.
  4. Choose a professional username (this will be visible in group libraries).

Strongly recommended:

  • Install Zotero Desktop (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
  • Install the Zotero Connector for your browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari)

These tools make it much easier to capture citations directly from library databases, Google Scholar, and publisher websites.

Step 2: Create Your Course Group Library

Each student must create their own Zotero group.

  1. While logged into Zotero, go to: https://www.zotero.org/groups
  2. Click Create a New Group

  3. Enter the group name exactly as follows:

    CS373 – StudentLastName

    (Replace StudentLastName with your own last name.)

  4. Choose Private Group
  5. Select Members can view, only admins can edit
  6. Finish creating the group

This group will be used to share your sources with your instructor for feedback and verification.

Step 3: Invite Your Instructor to the Group

  1. Open your newly created group in Zotero
  2. Go to Group Settings → Members
  3. Click Invite Members

  4. Enter the following email address exactly:

    whistle-72-petunia@icloud.com

  5. Send the invitation

Once accepted, your instructor will be able to view the sources you add to the group.

What to Add to Your Zotero Group

Over the course of the semester, you should add:

  • Academic articles
  • Books or book chapters
  • Credible websites
  • Any other sources you seriously considered for your work

Notes:

  • Do not wait until the night before an assignment is due.
  • Keep your Zotero group organized using folders and clear titles.
  • Incomplete or sloppy citation data will count against you.

Collecting Citations and Exporting BibTeX

In computer science, citations are often managed using BibTeX, especially when writing in LaTeX, Markdown, or other technical publishing workflows. Zotero provides excellent support for collecting sources and exporting them in BibTeX format.

Collecting Citations in Zotero

There are several reliable ways to add sources to Zotero:

  • Navigate to an article, book, or paper online (library database, Google Scholar, publisher site).
  • Click the Zotero Connector icon in your browser.
  • Zotero will automatically capture the citation and, when available, the PDF.
  • Verify that the metadata (title, authors, year, venue) is correct.

This method works especially well for:

  • Google Scholar
  • ACM Digital Library
  • IEEE Xplore
  • Publisher sites (Springer, Elsevier, etc.)

2. Adding PDFs Directly

  • Drag a PDF into Zotero Desktop.
  • Right-click the PDF and select Retrieve Metadata for PDF.
  • Check the resulting citation carefully—this step is essential.

3. Manual Entry (Use Sparingly)

  • Click New Item in Zotero and choose the appropriate type (journal article, book, conference paper).
  • Enter citation details by hand.
  • This is useful only when automated capture fails.

Keeping Citations Clean

Before exporting:

  • Ensure author names are correct and consistently formatted.
  • Check conference or journal names (avoid abbreviations unless standard).
  • Make sure year, title, and DOI fields are present when available.

Clean citations save time later and prevent confusing BibTeX errors.

Exporting Citations in BibTeX Format

You can export BibTeX in two common ways.

Option 1: Export Individual or Multiple Entries

  1. Select one or more items in Zotero.
  2. Right-click and choose Export Items…
  3. Select BibTeX as the format.
  4. Save the .bib file.

This is useful when preparing a bibliography for a specific paper or report.

Option 2: Export an Entire Collection or Group

  1. Right-click the collection or group in the left panel.
  2. Choose Export Collection…
  3. Select BibTeX.
  4. Save the .bib file.

This is useful for maintaining a shared or evolving bibliography.

Using BibTeX in Your Writing

Once exported, the .bib file can be used with:

  • LaTeX (\bibliography{references})
  • Pandoc / Markdown
  • Other academic writing tools that support BibTeX

When writing, you will cite sources using BibTeX keys such as:

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • ❌ Creating a personal library instead of a group
  • ❌ Naming the group incorrectly
  • ❌ Forgetting to invite the instructor
  • ❌ Uploading PDFs without proper citation metadata
  • ❌ Treating Zotero as a last-minute task

Why We Are Doing This

Learning to manage sources well is part of becoming a professional computer scientist.
Zotero supports:

  • Reproducibility
  • Academic integrity
  • Clear attribution of ideas
  • Efficient collaboration

These skills matter in research, industry, and graduate study.

If you run into technical issues, consult Zotero’s documentation or ask questions early—do not wait until an assignment deadline.

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