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Staff at Saint Xavier University’s Robert and Mary Rita Murphy Stump Library are encouraging students to take advantage of a citation tool called Zotero. Zotero is an open-source tool that is free for all users and does not cost the university anything.
The library is currently paying for a different citation tool called EasyBib, however as of 2016 the EasyBib software will no longer be supported by SXU. According to David Stern, Director of the Robert and Mary Rita Murphy Stump Library, using Zotero rather than EasyBib will not only save the university money, but will also be a significant upgrade.
Stern explained that EasyBib is a very limited software in comparison to Zotero, because it only handles journal articles and does not allow users to save anything other than citations. Zotero, on the other hand, allows users to save content such as journal articles, PDFS, images, videos, audio files and more.
The tool also allows users to take snapshots of webpages that can be saved permanently even if the webpage changes or is removed. After a user downloads the Zotero software, an icon appears on their browser that allows them to save in one click the content they are viewing. All of the saved content is collected in a personal, searchable library.
Zotero also allows gives users many options to organize their personal libraries. The software automatically indexes all full-text content that is saved to the library. Content can also be organized by adding folders, subfolders, related items, and keyword tags. Users have the option of sharing folders, which Stern says makes the software useful for group projects.
According to Stern, learning to use software like Zotero will give students a “competitive advantage” over everyone else because it gives them the ability to always find their information again.
“It’s an incredible product, it allows people to capture, organize, and share their own information. So it’s a step beyond discovery into knowledge management,” said Stern.
Besides storing and organizing content, Zotero can also be used to create in-text citations, bibliographies, footnotes, and endnotes in Microsoft Word or OpenOffice. According to Stern, Zotero can create citations in over 25 different styles including, MLA, APA, and Chicago Style.
Last semester, SXU tested Zotero with students in a biology class who were required to use the software for an assignment. Ten percent of the assignment grade was based on the students’ utilization of Zotero. According to Stern, the response to the program was overwhelmingly positive.
“There were many testimonials about how this would help them not only in the beginning but all the way through their career…because they said not only did it allow them to capture information, but it allowed them to organize it and analyze it in new ways,” said Stern.
Starting this year, freshman and transfer student to SXU will be introduced to Zotero in a required philosophy class. During the class, students will see a tutorial on Zotero, along with tutorials on other useful tools.
Students who did not have the opportunity to learn about Zotero as a freshmen can meet with a member of the library staff if they need assistance using the software. “If you bring your laptop in or if are in a classroom we will sit down with you and help you create your first account in the cloud, download the software onto your browser, and then work with it. I have spent hours with some people, as they develop their skillset and that’s what we’re here for,” said Stern.
Students who want to learn more about Zotero can call (773) 298-3352 or stop by the library’s circulation desk to make an appointment. Stern emphasized that Zotero is not the only software that SXU students should learn to use. He explained that the library is also going to start to emphasize more tools that will be useful alongside Zotero.
”We are also going to emphasis tools like Diigo, which allows groups of people to work together in a collaborative community, so it’s the next step in working with a group to identify and annotate interesting tools, but also you can use this tool to find out what other people who you don’t know are looking at if you share common interest. So I think Zotero is the first step towards a whole suite of advanced knowledge management tools that will become important,” said Stern.
Yasmeen Abdellatif
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