Zotero Database Principles of Use

This note sets out principles for using shared Zotero reference databases. Our goal is to keep data correct, minimal, citation-ready, and attributable.

Guides and Tools

If you have not used Zotero before, review the tutorials, for example these.

Create a Zotero account online. Use a recognisable username in the form namesurname so others can track changes.

Install the Zotero client on your computer and link it to your Zotero account.

Set up the resolver so you can use the University of Melbourne library for lookup. See the last video here. Other university libraries should offer the same service.

Use the Zotero browser plugin when searching.

Suitable Content

Add academic research that you might cite. Store grey literature (popular magazines, blogs, newspapers) and memory notes in personal databases, unless you are doing bibliographic research.

Add our own references, including academic works, creative works, press and design publication mentions, and public presentations, to appropriate collections.

Data Entry

Transparency. When you add content to the database, let other users know by chat or email where useful. You do not need to announce every item. However, updates on new topic collections and decisions on grouping, tagging, or clustering can help everyone. This is especially important before bulk maintenance changes such as removing duplicates, merging records, deleting or combining attachments, or running bulk text edits by script.

Reference type. Ensure the reference type is correct.

Duplicates. Check for duplicates before you enter or import items. If you create duplicates by mistake, use the Duplicate Items view to merge versions. Keep the earlier version.

Collections. Add each new reference to at least one collection. A single reference can belong to many collections. You can create a collection with your name and organise work there as needed.

Tags. Do not import extraneous automatic tags, or delete them immediately by using Delete Automatic Tags in This Library....

Tags should start with the group prefix (dll_ for Deep Design Lab). You can also use your initials as a prefix for personal tags, for example js_ for John Smith. This makes tag ownership clear and reduces conflicts.

Use manual tags sparingly to categorise references by type or status, for example read, to read, or textbook.

Import. Import to a temporary location first, such as your personal library or a sub-collection under _Personal. Then copy items to shared collections only after you check metadata and attachments.

Common problems to fix include:

• ALL CAPS text
• Generic attachment names
• Missing author names, place of publication for books, and similar metadata

Another bad example appears below. Most metadata is missing, and the reference type is wrong, so you cannot tell what to keep:

You may need to remove:

• Source-database metadata
• Automatic notes
• Automatic tags
• Irrelevant auto-generated snapshots

A typical import example:

For recent publications, especially journal articles, early online versions may lack volume, issue, and page numbers. In that case, add the needs fixing tag and leave a note to check the final published version later.

Attachments. Attach PDFs, ebooks, or other relevant files when available. Ensure text is searchable.

Do not attach large images or videos. Instead, add a note about their location and store them separately.

Note. Add a note that states who added the entry and why. Put this on the first line in the format: John Smith: an example of blah.... Use full names so notes remain searchable.

Attachment limits. Keep one attachment per reference unless you have justified variants, such as PDF and ePub versions of the same text, or a paper plus a related presentation.

When you download book chapters separately, combine them before adding.

Orphan files. Do not leave PDFs or other files without metadata. Attach every file to a proper reference.

Snapshots as attachments. Do not add web snapshots unless you need them. If you keep one, rename it clearly. Otherwise, we will delete it. If you need to preserve a website state, save and attach a PDF instead.

Providers sometimes download accepted or preprint versions automatically. Check whether the authoritative citable version is available and attach that version instead.

Cataloguing Artworks, Design, and Creative Works

Use Artwork as the reference type even when the work is a recording. Use publisher and publisher-place to support correct rendering.

Special Fields

Zotero may not support some fields natively. You can add custom fields and custom dates in the Extra field and use them in a citation style. See the discussion here.

For example, you can add report editors in Extra like this:

Editor: Last || First A.
Editor: Last || First B.

Also add in Extra:

For later editions:

Original Date

For special issues:

Medium: Special issue

Types of References and Conventions

Non-Traditional Research Outputs

This section explains how to add creative works.

For design and architectural works, use Artwork. Enter the event, host exhibition, or related context in the Archive field. Enter location in archive-place. Use Medium and Artwork Size as needed.

Metadata

Check metadata against the Chicago Manual of Style, and confirm that each item uses the correct reference type.

Use sentence case for titles. You can right-click the title to convert automatically, then check abbreviations, Latin names, and proper names for errors. See Zotero guidance here. Zotero can convert to title case in documents when a style requires it. Capitalisation rules can differ in other languages, so set the language for non-English titles.

Set the Author field to Editor for edited books.

Provide given names and surnames. Use initials with full stops for middle names. For unusual names with prefixes or suffixes, check Zotero guidance online.

For rare names where the first name is an initial, add a note that confirms this.

Enter only the year in the Date field. Remove month and day if import tools add them.

Provide first and last page numbers for journal articles, chapters, and conference papers.

Provide editors for conference papers.

Record Place as city. If a city is ambiguous, add the two-letter country code or, for the United States, the two-letter state code, for example St. Petersburg, FL. Keep entries minimal but clear.

In books and similar references, clear the Series field. Formal references rarely need it, and it lengthens citations.

Plugins

Ask before you use plugins.

Plugins that only interpret information are usually acceptable.

Avoid plugins that change the database.

Formatting

Use italics for Latin words in titles. Some styles automatically capitalise the second word. To prevent this, add the span class as shown below.

Density of Invasive Western Honey Bee (<i><span class="nocase">Apis mellifera</span></i>) Colonies in Fragmented Woodlands Indicates Potential for Large Impacts on Native Species

Indexing

Set full-text index size to zero and use other tools, such as dtSearch, for full-text searching.