I started working on my Zotero presentation today, using it for some very preliminary research for a paper I will eventually write for my Modern Rhetorical Theory class. And I really, really, really wish I had discovered Zotero a long time ago.
Zotero allows you to compile in one place all of your research on library websites, databases and indexes, and the WWW. Within the same web-browser, you can view a source found on JSTOR, then look at a website, then go to a search result for a book, and then return to the JSTOR source. How do you add all of these sources to your Zotero library? When you find them, click on the little icon in the URL address bar. It's that easy. Even better, you can minimze Zotero so your view of the browser window is unobstructed; yet the archiving function works whether Zotero is visible or minimized.
Once you have all of your sources collected in this one place (the Zotero extension on your Firefox Browser), you can then organize them into folders, add notes about them, or even use floating digital sticky-notes to annotate the digital text. You can even highlight. You can search certain key-word tags that Zotero automatically establishes as you build your library; this enables you to quickly find which source or sources relate to a certain concept you're writing about. You can also add your own tags as needed. And you can search for terms or keywords within the documents in your library, making it even easier to cross-reference sources.
Essentially, Zotero allows you to build and organize your very own customizable database. Oh, did I mention that you can export fully-formatted citations in one of about twenty different styles? You don't have to input any data or even know what is required by your citation style. This feature alone makes using Zotero more than worthwhile. I am looking forward to sharing the Zotero fever in class tomorrow night.
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2 comments:
Wow! Where has Zotero been all my life?? Or at least, where has it been all my education???
Eric, thanks so much for your the great review you gave of Zotero. I too am very impressed with its extensive capabilities. I am dying to enlighten my students about the possibilities, but am concerned that it might be a bit much for them... Perhaps it would work well for AP seniors who are more familiar with the research process.
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