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adding_items_to_zotero [2023/08/01 17:32] – [Standalone Attachments and Parent Items] dstillmanadding_items_to_zotero [2025/02/27 22:22] (current) – [Data Quality and Choosing a Translator] dstillman
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 =====Via your web browser===== =====Via your web browser=====
  
-//To use Zotero properly, you need to install the Zotero Connector for Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, in addition to the Zotero desktop app. See [[/download|Downloads]].//+**To use Zotero properly, you need to [[/download|install the Zotero Connector]] for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari, in addition to the Zotero desktop app.**
  
 The Zotero Connector's save button is the most convenient and reliable way to add items with high-quality bibliographic metadata to your Zotero library. As you browse the web, the Zotero Connector will automatically find bibliographic information on webpages you visit and allow you to add it to Zotero with a single click. The Zotero Connector's save button is the most convenient and reliable way to add items with high-quality bibliographic metadata to your Zotero library. As you browse the web, the Zotero Connector will automatically find bibliographic information on webpages you visit and allow you to add it to Zotero with a single click.
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 ==== Data Quality and Choosing a Translator ==== ==== Data Quality and Choosing a Translator ====
  
-The quality of the data Zotero imports is determined by the information supplied on the webpage. Some websites provide very high-quality data using a standard way to provide Zotero with data (via embedded metadata). Other websites provide only limited metadata (e.g., only the title of a blog post) or no metadata at all. For many sites, Zotero has website-specific "translators" to obtain the best quality metadata. Zotero recognizes almost all library catalogs, most news sites, research databases and scientific publishers. (For more information, see our [[translators|compatible websites list]].) By default, translator updates are automatically installed, independent of Zotero updates. Metadata for the same item may vary in quality across sites providing it. For example, importing an item from the publisher website will generally yield much better data than importing from Google Scholar.+The quality of the data Zotero imports is determined by the information supplied on the webpage. Some websites include high-quality data for tools like Zotero in the page itself ("embedded metadata"). Other websites provide only limited metadata (e.g., only the title of a blog post) or no metadata at all. For many sites, Zotero has website-specific "translators" to obtain the best quality metadata. Zotero recognizes almost all library catalogs, most news sites, research databases, and scientific publishers. (For more information, see our [[translators|compatible websites list]].) Metadata for the same item may vary in quality across sites providing it. For example, importing an item from the publisher's website will generally yield much better data than importing from Google Scholar.
  
-Zotero will generally choose the best translator available for each site automatically. You can choose an alternative translator by right-clicking on the Zotero save button (or the page background in Safari) and choosing one of the supplied options. If a website isn't importing properly, please report it on the [[/forum|Zotero Forums]] and provide the webpage URL.+Zotero will generally choose the best translator available for each site automatically. You can choose an alternative translator by right-clicking on the Zotero save button (or the page background in Safari) and choosing one of the available options. If a website isn't importing properly, please report it on the [[/forum|Zotero Forums]] and provide the webpage URL.
  
 ===== Add Item by Identifier ===== ===== Add Item by Identifier =====
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 When you add a PDF directly, Zotero will initially save it as a standalone attachment and then automatically attempt to [[retrieve_pdf_metadata|retrieve metadata for it]] and create a parent item. This should work well for most academic PDFs (though it may sometimes yield lower-quality metadata than using the Save to Zotero button on the article page). For other documents, while Zotero can sometimes extract basic information (title, author), you shouldn't expect that — anything can be distributed as a PDF, but that doesn’t mean there’s any standard metadata available for it. When you add a PDF directly, Zotero will initially save it as a standalone attachment and then automatically attempt to [[retrieve_pdf_metadata|retrieve metadata for it]] and create a parent item. This should work well for most academic PDFs (though it may sometimes yield lower-quality metadata than using the Save to Zotero button on the article page). For other documents, while Zotero can sometimes extract basic information (title, author), you shouldn't expect that — anything can be distributed as a PDF, but that doesn’t mean there’s any standard metadata available for it.
  
-If Zotero isn't able to retrieve metadata for the PDF, you'll be left with just the standalone attachment. If you can find a source for metadata online, you can save a regular bibliographic item using the Save to Zotero button and drag the attachment item onto the new item. Alternatively, if you have a DOI, ISBN, or other identifier, you can right-click on the attachment item, choose Create Parent Item, and enter the identifier to retrieve metadata. If all else fails, you can click Manual Entry in the Create Parent Item window to enter metadata manually.+If Zotero isn't able to retrieve metadata for the PDF, you'll be left with just the standalone attachment. You have a few options: 
 + 
 +  * If you can find a source for metadata online, you can save a regular bibliographic item by [[#add_via_your_web_browser|using the Save to Zotero button on the article page]] and drag the attachment item onto the new item. 
 +  * If you have a DOI, ISBN, or other identifier, you can right-click on the attachment item, choose Create Parent Item, and enter the identifier to retrieve metadata. 
 +  * If all else fails, you can click Manual Entry in the Create Parent Item window to enter metadata manually.
 =====Saving Webpages===== =====Saving Webpages=====
  
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 =====Verify and Edit Your Records===== =====Verify and Edit Your Records=====
  
-** When using Zotero (or any other reference manager) for citing, you should always check items for accuracy after saving them to your library. **+** When using Zotero — or any other reference manager — for citing, you should always check items for accuracy after saving them to your library. **
  
-Zotero will accurately import metadata supplied by most bibliographic databases, library catalogs, publisher sites, and webpages. It will even make adjustments to the metadata to compensate for known quirks (author names in all upper case, etc.) in what the supplier provides. That said, sometimes the metadata that Zotero receives is incomplete or incorrect. For example, one major academic search site often provides the wrong serial name with otherwise correct metadata. Another scholarly research site's metadata can omit some of the authors' names or present them in the wrong order. Even major publishers sometimes provide individual authors' first and last names in the wrong order and inconstantly within the same journal volume and issue or even within the same article. Some publishers' metadata may omit important parts (author names when there are many, journal ISSNs, DOIs, etc.).+Zotero will accurately import metadata supplied by most bibliographic databases, library catalogs, publisher sites, and webpages. It will even make adjustments to the metadata to compensate for known quirks (e.g., author names in all upper case) in what the supplier provides.
  
-Some metadata is provided with only author last names and one or two initials when the authors' full names are provided on the full text version of the article. For author names to be properly disambiguated in author-date styles, the author's name must be consistently and identically entered across all items they contributed to.+That said, sometimes the metadata that Zotero receives is incomplete or incorrect. For example, one major academic search site often provides the wrong serial name with otherwise correct metadata. Another scholarly research site's metadata can omit some of the authors' names or present them in the wrong order. Even major publishers sometimes omit important metadata fields. 
 + 
 +Some metadata is provided with only author last names and one or two initials when the authors' full names are provided on the full-text version of the article. (For author names to be properly disambiguated in author-date styles, the author's name must be consistently and identically entered across all items they contributed to.)
  
 Publishers have different conventions for the casing of titles. No software can accurately and reliably convert title case to sentence case, so you should [[:kb/sentence_casing|always store titles in sentence case]] and let Zotero convert them to title case as necessary. Publishers have different conventions for the casing of titles. No software can accurately and reliably convert title case to sentence case, so you should [[:kb/sentence_casing|always store titles in sentence case]] and let Zotero convert them to title case as necessary.
  
-Zotero users should be aware of these issues and verify that the records in their library are accurate and in the correct format so that Zotero can produce well-formed citations in the text and the bibliography of your manuscript. One of the primary benefits of using a reference manager is that, once you've corrected item data once, your citations will always be correct going forward, in any citation style, no matter how many times you cite them.+You should be aware of these issues and verify that the items in your library are accurate and in the correct format so that Zotero can produce well-formed citations. One of the primary benefits of using a reference manager is that, once you've corrected item data once, your citations will always be correct going forward, in any citation style, no matter how many times you cite them. 
 + 
 +If you do consistently receive incorrect information from a particular source, you should report it — with an example URL or identifier — in the [[/forum|Zotero Forums]], as Zotero developers may be able to update Zotero to automatically correct the incorrect data.
adding_items_to_zotero.1690925556.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/08/01 17:32 by dstillman