Inserting Items into Zotero

Items and Metadata

What is an Item?

Firstly, we need to understand the concept of an Item.

In Zotero, an “Item” is the basic unit of your library. It functions as a container that stores the metadata of your reference and where you can attach related files (such as PDFs, links, and reading notes).

Items can be of various types, and Zotero adapts the metadata fields automatically for each of them. Click on the tabs below to see how the fields change depending on the file type:

Scientific Articles

Examples of metadata in Zotero:

• Article Title
• Authors (Last Name, First Name)
• Publication Title (Journal Name)
• Volume and Issue
• Pages
• DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

Books and Chapters

Examples of metadata in Zotero:

• Book or Chapter Title
• Author / Editor
• Publisher
• Place (City of publication)
• Year
• ISBN

Web and Media

Examples of metadata in Zotero:

• Web Page or Podcast Title
• Website or Program Title
• URL (Access link)
• Access Date (Crucial for citation styles)
• Original Publication Date

Other Formats

(e.g., Artwork, Maps, Patents, Statutes)

Examples of adaptable metadata:

• Artist / Authority
• Institution or Court
• Artwork Type / Case Number
• Date created / enacted

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Insertion Methods

In this section, our objective is to learn how to populate your library using five different approaches. Choose the one that best fits your workflow:

1. Manual Insertion

Create an item from scratch and fill in its metadata completely independently and customized.

2. Magic Wand

Insert articles instantly using unique identifiers (PMID, DOI, ISBN, etc.).

3. Automatic Capture

Use the Zotero Connector to extract items and PDF attachments directly from your browser.

4. Drag and Drop

Add PDF files already saved on your computer directly to the library.

5. Batch Import

Import dozens of references at once from RIS or BibTeX files exported from databases.

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1. Manual Insertion For physical books & other types of material

Ideal for physical documents, old books, internal reports, or materials that do not have structured records online.

1. On the top toolbar of Zotero, click on the New Item icon (it looks like a document behind a circle with a plus sign + in the middle).
2. A drop-down menu will appear. Select the type of material you have on hand (e.g., Book, Document, Journal Article). Tip: If you do not find the exact type right away, hover over the “More” option at the end of the list to view all available categories.
3. As soon as you select the format, an empty item will be created in the central column of your library.
4. In the right column (Metadata Panel), click on the blank fields (such as Title, Author, Date, Publisher) and type the information of your material manually.

2. Magic Wand Fastest!

With this method, you only need to have a unique identifier on hand. The system searches the databases and automatically populates the available metadata.

1. On the top toolbar of Zotero (right next to the New Item button), click on the Add Item(s) by Identifier icon. It has the exact shape of a magic wand.
2. A small search bar will appear right there on the top toolbar.
3. Type or paste the identifier code of your document. The most useful ones for our research workflow are:
   • DOI: Digital Object Identifier.
   • ISBN: The registration code for books.
   • PMID: The identification number for articles in the PubMed database.
4. Press the Enter (or Return) key on your keyboard. Zotero will process the search across global databases and catalog all available information.

3. Automatic Capture Most Used

The most practical everyday approach. With the extension installed in your browser, you can save the complete reference (and often the PDF as well!) with a single click while reading the article. In addition to articles, it can capture other online references such as YouTube videos, websites, etc.

1. Keep the application open: The main application (Zotero) needs to be open and running in the background on your computer to work.
2. In your browser, go to the page of the material you want to reference (it can be an article on SciELO, a YouTube video, or even a news report).
3. Locate the Zotero Connector icon on your extensions bar (usually in the upper-right corner of your browser), or in Safari, on the left side of the address bar.
4. Observe the icon change: The extension alters its icon depending on what it detects on screen. The icon may appear as a lined sheet of paper (article), a blue book, a newspaper, or a regular web page. If there are multiple articles on the same page, it turns into a yellow folder.
5. Click the icon. A small notification will appear in the corner of the screen confirming that the metadata (and the original PDF, when open access is available) are being saved to your library.
6. In the notification, or in a pop-up window when on a page with multiple articles (such as a PubMed search), you can change the target location of the file or select which articles you would like to save (on search pages).

Where did my reference go?

Zotero always sends the newly captured reference directly to the folder (Collection) currently selected in your main application. Make a habit of clicking on the specific folder for your current project before starting your internet searches!

In practice: the metadata was saved, but the PDF was not

The magic wand and the Zotero Connector may create the reference correctly without being able to download the PDF. This can happen when the file is behind an access page, requires an institutional login, or is not made directly available by the website.

In this case, download the PDF and add it to your library (for example, by dragging the file into Zotero). Because Zotero tries to read the file’s metadata, it is common to end up with a second item for the same reference: the one created by the wand or the Connector, plus a new item generated from the PDF.

The recommended approach here is to merge the two items into one:

1. Select both items (use Ctrl + click on Windows/Linux or Cmd + click on Mac).
2. Right-click and choose Merge Items….
3. In the window that opens, choose which item will be the primary one (ideally the one with the most complete metadata) and confirm.
4. Zotero will combine everything into a single item, keeping the chosen metadata and bringing together the PDF, notes, and tags.

This way you avoid duplicate references and keep the record and the file together.

4. Drag and Drop For local PDFs

Already have articles and theses downloaded to your computer? Simply drag the PDF file into your library. The software attempts to read the document and retrieve metadata to build the reference automatically.

1. Keep Zotero open and locate the folder on your computer where the PDF file is saved.
2. Click on the file, hold, and drag it directly into the central column of Zotero (your references list).
3. Release the mouse button. Zotero will import the file and initiate a quick “metadata retrieval” process.
4. If the recognition is successful, the PDF will turn into a complete “Item” (with an article or book icon) and the fields will be populated. The original file will be stored as an attachment inside this item.

What does Zotero read inside the PDF?

It is important to understand that scientific PDFs are not just visual text. When a publisher releases a modern article, it embeds hidden metadata (such as Title, Author, and DOI) within the file code itself.

Zotero scans the document looking for these invisible metadata or tries to read a DOI printed on the first page to query its online databases.

What if it fails? If your PDF is an old scanned book, a thesis without embedded metadata, or a poorly formatted document, Zotero will not be able to find these data. The file will remain in your library as a standalone attachment. In these cases, you will need to right-click on it, select “Create Parent Item”, enter an identifier, or type the data manually.

5. Batch Import Extra

If you are conducting a Systematic Review or migrating from another reference manager (such as Mendeley or EndNote), you will not need to insert items one by one.

Scientific databases (such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) allow you to export dozens or hundreds of search results in a single text file (usually in .ris, .bib, or .bibtex formats).

1. Perform your search in the database (e.g., PubMed) and look for the Export or Citation button.
2. Choose to save the file in RIS or BibTeX format on your computer.
3. With Zotero open, click on the top menu File > Import….
4. Select the option “A file” and locate the document you downloaded.
5. Zotero will create a new folder in your library and import all dozens of references at once, with the metadata already organized!

Exporting

Just as you can import files from other reference managers, if you ever need to perform a manual backup or send all your references to a colleague, simply go to the File > Export Library… menu.

You can choose the output format (such as RIS or BibTeX), and Zotero will create a file containing your entire collection to be read by any other software.