Zotero: Managing Your Research

At the top left of the Zotero application window is a folder button with a plus sign. Click this to create a new collection.

Create collections to organize your references. Collections are like file folders on your computer, but a reference can be in more than one collection at a time. In other words, a book on the Civil War could be filed in your "Civil War" collection, your "Georgia History" collection and your "19th Century America" collection without having to make three copies of the reference.
 

With Zotero versions 6 and 7, it's possible to add highlighted annotations directly to saved PDF and EPUB files.  Open the document in Zotero's built-in PDF reader and highlight the text you wish to annotate in up to five different colors.

If an article or any other item saved to your Zotero library has been retracted, Zotero will flag it for you and warn you should you try to cite it in a document you are writing.  This service is a partnership between Zotero and Retraction Watch.

It's easy to attach files (like PDFs) to items in your Zotero library.  Just drag the file into your Zotero pane.  Dropping a file onto a collection, or in between library items, will copy it into your library as a standalone item.  Dropping it onto an existing item will attach it to that item.  This is the easiest way to attach a copy of an article to its entry in your library.

You can also attach files by right-clicking on a record and selecting the Add Attachment menu option:

Adding notes to your Zotero references is a great way to organize your thoughts and manage your research.  Notes can be added by opening a reference from your library and selecting the Notes tab in the right pane, then clicking the Add button.  Zotero versions 6 and 7 use seamless annotation syncing to make your notes available in the Zotero desktop client, Zotero PDF reader, and Zotero mobile app..