Collections/folders

There are many ways you can organize your sources in Zotero, but the most common method is to use folders based on a project, course, or subject area. In Zotero, these folders and subfolders are called "collections" and "subcollections".

Create collections and subcollections

The left pane includes My Library, which contains all the items in your library. Right-click on My Library or click on the New Collection button above the left pane to create a new collection, a folder into which items relating to a specific project or topic can be placed:

Create a collection called: Master Thesis Project. Then create four subcollections called:

Introduction
Material & Methods
Results
Discussion

It should now look like this in the left-hand pane:

Zotero collection and subcollections

To place a reference in a collection or subcollection, just drag and drop it from your library. Think of collections like playlists in a music player: items in collections are aliases (or “links”) to a single copy of the item in your library. The same item can belong to many collections at one time.

Add and delete references from collections

Try adding more references into the subcollections by dragging and dropping them from My Library. If you want to remove a reference from a collection, select it and click Delete or Backspace on your keyboard.

What happens when you delete a reference from a collection or a subcollection? Try it!

Answer: It is removed from that folder, but will still be present in My Library, and any other collections where you may have put it.

How can you remove a reference completely from My Library and all collections? Try it!

Answer: Either delete it directly from the folder My Library, or right-click the reference anywhere and select "Move Item to Trash".