How to add items to Zotero
Many sources, like books, articles, and webpages, can be added to your Zotero library by following these general instructions. See the "Case law" and "Add an item manually" tabs on this page for what to do in special cases where these instructions don't work.
Find and add an item
- Make sure that the Zotero desktop application is open and that you have selected the collection (if any) that you want to save your items to.
- Locate your sources online as you normally would. For example, find a book in the library's catalog, or an article on an online database.
- Select the Zotero icon in your browser's toolbar. Remember that this icon will look different depending on what kind of resource(s) Zotero detects on the page. Selecting the icon saves the item to your library, in the collection you have open. A small dialog temporarily appears where you can change the destination collection if you prefer.
Add multiple items at once
On some pages, such as the search results page in a database, Zotero will detect multiple sources present. In this case, the extension icon resembles a file folder:
When you select the folder icon, a window appears where you can select all the items you want to add to your library.
See and edit the item in your library
Now go to the Zotero desktop application to see the new item. Here you can make any necessary changes to the information that automatically populated. If the item was saved in the wrong collection, you can move it by selecting it and using cut, copy, and paste commands, or by dragging it to the collection you want on the left pane.
At this time, Zotero Connectors work best with Google Scholar and Lexis+. When viewing a case on one of these platforms, you should see the Zotero Connector button change to a set of scales.
As described in the previous tab, click on the Zotero Connector button to add the case to your library. Please be sure to look over the entry and correct any fields that were populated incorrectly.
Using Zotero Connectors to work with case law in Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, and Nexis Uni can be a bit tricky because Zotero is unable to automatically detect cases in these platforms. When you find a case on one of these databases, you have a few options on how to add it to your library.
Paste the citation into Google Scholar
If you prefer to use Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, or Nexis Uni for your legal research, you can still use Google Scholar for the purpose of saving cases to your Zotero library.
First, conduct your research as normal in the legal database of your choice. You can save the cases you plan to use in a folder to come back to them later.
When you've found a case to add to Zotero, copy the citation and go to Google Scholar. Select the case law radio button below the search bar. Paste the citation into the search bar and search.
When you find your case, you can select it to make sure it looks right. Then select the Zotero extension icon in your toolbar, which should look like a set of scales.
You should still review the information that populates in Zotero to make sure that it is accurate. Google Scholar sometimes misses important information or puts it in the wrong place.
Add the case as a webpage
When you view a case in Westlaw, Bloomberg Law, or Nexis Uni, the Zotero icon will look like a blank gray page because Zotero does not detect a specific type of source on the webpage.
Select this icon to save the webpage to your Zotero library. Note that you should do this when viewing the specific case you want to save, not a page of search results including your case.
Now go to the Zotero desktop application. The item you just added will be selected. In the item's information in the right pane, change the item type from webpage to case. Fill in or correct any other necessary information.
Add the case manually
Finally, you can add the case manually, which is described in its own tab on this page. Keep in mind that this will take the most time and is most vulnerable to typing errors.
To add an item to Zotero manually, select the white plus sign inside a green circle. This opens a drop-down menu from which you can select the type of source you are adding. Selecting More expands the list further:
Select an item type, then enter citation information in the pane on the right. Refer to your Bluebook to know what information to enter. You may need to leave some fields blank. For example, you would not enter an author for a case.
Authors and other contributors
You may need to add more than one author or add an editor, translator, or another type of contributor.
Change the type of contributor by selecting the down arrow to the left of the Author field:
The resulting drop-down menu presents a list of options. Note that these options may vary for different item types.
Once you have filled in the name, you can select the plus sign to add another person. The minus sign deletes the entry.
