Connecting Zotero
Last updated
Last updated
We strongly encourage you to read through these instructions carefully before beginning the process of connecting Zotero to Research AMP. Missing a step may cause your site to malfunction.
Sign in to your Zotero account on the Zotero website. Ensure that the settings on your Zotero library are correctly configured, and collect your library's ID and create an API key.
Is the library you want to sync configured as a Group Library?
Are its settings correct? It should be a public group, with closed membership.
Do the folders in your public Zotero Library match the titles of your Research Topics exactly? Note that any subfolders within this collection will not appear on Research AMP.
Take note of the your Library's Library ID, which is in this format: groups/1234567. This is the unique identifier for your Zotero library. You can find it in your web browser's URL box when you are looking at the Web version of your Zotero library. For example: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1234567/[group library title]/library. Write this down or otherwise take note of the Library ID, as you will need to enter this information into Research AMP.
An API key is is a string, akin to a password, that allows your Research AMP site to communicate with Zotero. To generate an API key, visit https://www.zotero.org/settings/keys while logged in to your account. Take note of the fact that your API key does not appear on this page. Click the link "Create new private key" to create one.
Fill in the information for the new private key.
Write a Key Description: this is the name of your library.
Configure this with the following access privileges:
Allow library access
Default Group Permissions: Read Only
Do not check the "Per Group Permissions" box for specific groups.
Click "Save key." Copy the API key that appears, and save it somewhere safe. Zotero.org will only show you the secret key one time.
Now you will enter the information you gathered into your Research AMP site. Visit Dashboard > Zotero Libraries to see a list of linked Zotero libraries. Click ‘Add New’ to link a new linked library.
Fill in the ‘Library Settings’ fields with your Library Name, Library ID (remember, the format is "groups/1234567") and API Key.
Click "Publish" in the top right corner to save your new library.
Press "Trigger Zotero Sync" to link Zotero and Research AMP.
You will see an error notice if Research AMP was not able to connect to your library using the Library ID and API Key you provided. If you see this error notice, check your Zotero credentials and re-enter them.
When the Zotero Library administrative page loads, it will fetch a list of the collections in your Zotero library.
The final step is to associate each Research Topic with the collection. Use the drop down menus to the right of the screen to associate each topic with its respective collection.
When you link a Zotero Library to your Research AMP site for the first time, Research AMP will schedule a daily sync routine. During this sync routine, your WordPress site will communicate with the Zotero server to fetch library items and convert them into Research AMP Citations.
The Sync section of the Zotero Library edit panel shows when the last sync took place, as well as when the next sync is scheduled. You may also use the ‘Trigger Zotero sync’ button to trigger an immediate sync. Note that a full library sync may take a few minutes to complete.
It is a good idea to make a backup of your citation library on an external hard drive, just in case of problems while syncing.
