Zotero

Exercise: HIghlight and Comment

1)  Save an article into your Zotero library. Here is one:

https://remote.baruch.cuny.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2019-00998-001&site=ehost-live

 

2) Open the attachment from your Zotero library into the built-in Zotero PDF Viewer tab by clicking on the PDF icon (child attachment).

 

3) The built-in Zotero PDF Viewer will open in a new Tab:

 

4) Highlight a passage of text in the built-in PDF Viewer. (Left click and select the text you want to highlight with your mouse.)

You will next see a window that asks you to choose a highlight color. Pick one:

 

 

5) Notice the selected passage suddenly appears in the left-side “highlights and comments” pane:

 

 

6) In the left pane click on the highlighted passage that now appears there.

Notice that a link appears below the passage that says "Add Comment":

 

 

7) Click on it, then add a comment:

 

 

8) Now try selecting an image in the PDF (center panel). At the top there is an icon called "Select Area" that allows you to do this.

 

 

9) After clicking the "Select Area" icon, click on the part of the screen where you want to capture an image and drag until it is surrounded by the border.

When you let go, the area selected will appear in the left pane.

You can add a comment in the same way by clicking on the image there:

 

 

 

10) Close the PDF Viewer tab.

Now, whenever you open up the PDF attachment in Zotero, you will see your highlights and comments in the left-side panel as well as in center panel:

 

 

Exercise: Extract Your Highlights and Comments into Notes

Zotero Notes provides an uncluttered way to see only the parts of the PDF that you have highlighted alongside your comments about them as an attached "child note".

 

1) Look over to the right side of the screen to the "Notes" Panel:

 

 

Notice that the default view on the right panel displays the item's metadata (the same way that you would see it in appear the main Zotero app).

To get to Zotero Notes you must change the right-panel to display them by clicking on the spiral notepad icon.

 

2) In the right-panel, select the small icon at the top right that looks like a little spiral notepad.

When you click on it you can now see Zotero Note options there (right panel):

 

 

There are two sections under the Zotero Notes icon:

  • "Item Notes" are notes that are associated with the Zotero item you are currently looking at.
  • "All Notes" are all of the notes that currently exist in your Zotero library.

 

3) Click on the plus button under where it says "Item Notes" and then select "Add Item Note from Annotations":

 

 

4) Your highlights and annotations from the PDF you are currently working with will be now viewable in the right pane:

 

 

5) Your Highlights and Comments are now be attached to the Zotero parent item:

 

 

You an alternatively add standalone notes this way by clicking on where it says All Notes and doing the same thing.