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Mushtaq Bilal, PhD

Nov 26, 2023 • 14 tweets • 5 min read • Read on X

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Zotero is the best citation and reference management app.

It's totally free.

But many folks don't know how to use it.

Here's a tutorial on how to automate your citations and references with Zotero:

1. Go to zotero(dot)org.

Download "Zotero 6" and install the app on your computer.

2. You will also need to install the Zotero Connector. It will connect your Zotero desktop app with your browser.

Click on "Install Chrome Connector" and add it to your browser.

Once it's added. click on the puzzle-like icon and pin the Zotero Connector to your browser.

3. You will also need to create a Zotero account. Click on "Log In" and then "Register for a free account."

This will give you an online backup of your Zotero library.

4. Open your Zotero desktop app.

Click on "File" and select "New Collection."

Choose a name for your collection.

5. Go to Google Scholar or Pubmed or your university's online library and look up articles using keywords.

You will get a list of relevant search results.

Click on the Zoteor Connector in the top-right corner and it will open an Item Select.

Select the articles/books you think are relevant to your project and click "OK."

Zotero will save these items in the collection you just created.

Go to your Zotero and you will all the items in the collection.

Zotero will automatically retrieve open access PDFs of articles.

If you are signed in to your univeristy's library, it will also access paywalled articles and add them to your collection.

6. You can also items manually. To do so, simply drag and drop PDFs in your collection.

Zotero will retrieve their metadata and add it to your collection.

7. You can read an article in Zotero and also take notes on it.

Double-click the article you want to read and Zotero will open it for you.

You can highlight and annotate the article. You can also write lengthy notes in Zotero's Note Editor.

Want to learn how to supercharge your academic writing with AI apps?

I have a complete tutorial for you.

4,300+ academics including those at Harvard, Stanford, and Yale are using it.

You can get it here👇
efficientacademicwriter.carrd.co

8. Open your MS Word and start drafting your paper.

To add a citation, place the cursor where you want to add it. Open the Zotero tab and click on "Add/Edit Citation."

Zotero will open a red search bar for you. Type in the name of the author you want to cite and Zotero will prepare the citation for you.

You can add the page number if you want to.

9. Zotero is also available for Google Docs.

The interface is a little different than MS Word but the functionality is the same.

10. Once you are done drafting, place the cursor where you want to add your bibliography.

Then click on "Add/Edit Bibliography" and Zotero will add the properly formatted bibliography for you.

Found this thread on Zotero helpful?

1. Scroll to the top and hit Like on the first tweet.

2. Bookmark it so you can come back to it later.

3. Follow me for more threads on academic writing.

Want me to email you tips on academic writing?

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More from @MushtaqBilalPhD

Mushtaq Bilal, PhD

@MushtaqBilalPhD

Jan 26

Trump is threatening Denmark over Greenland.

I lived in the US 🇺🇸 for several years and now I live in Denmark 🇩🇰

Here's a comparison of the two countries (based on my experiences):

1. Free Health

🇺🇸You or your employer have to pay for health insurance. The US is the only country in the developed world without universal healthcare. More than 100 million Americans are in medical debt.

🇩🇰Denmark has universal healthcare. Anyone living in Denmark — citizen or alien — is issued with a yellow-colored health card with the name of their primary care doctor. You can see your doctor at no charge.

If your doctor refers you to a specialist and they have a long waitlist, you can see a private doctor. In that case, the municipality (kommune) will pay for your treatment.

Dental, chiropractic, and prescriptions are also subsidized.

2. Dental Care for Children

🇺🇸You have to pay for your children's dental care and treatment.

🇩🇰Children under 18 receive free dental care. If your child's dentist recommends braces, they can get them for free. You may have to wait for a few months or a year though.

You can see a private dentist too, if you want to.

Even private dental treatments in Denmark are more affordable than in the US.

Read 21 tweets

Mushtaq Bilal, PhD

@MushtaqBilalPhD

Jan 25

China's Deep Seek is as good as ChatGPT o1.

Plus, it's open source and free to use.

Here are eight ways you can use Deep Seek for academic purposes:

1. Brainstorming Ideas

Ask a couple of "warm up" questions.

Do you know about X or Y. Then ask how X can be used in a specific case.

Since it's connected to the internet, it will also give you relevant links.

2. Outline a Research Project

Start by asking:
Do you know about X or Y?
How can I understand X from a Z theoretical perspective.

After a few questions, tell Deep Seek you want to write a paper on that topic. Then ask for an outline.

This way you'll get a very good outline.

Read 11 tweets

Mushtaq Bilal, PhD

@MushtaqBilalPhD

Jan 24

ChatGPT just introduced Operator, an AI Agent that can do browse the internet on its own and do tasks for you.

This means literature reviews will soon be outsourced to customized AI Agents supervised by experts. Plus, little to no hallucinations.

Here's a review of Operator👇

1. To use it, go to operator[.]chatgpt[.]com

Operator requires a ChatGPT Pro subscription for $200/m. It's available only in the US at the moment.

I asked Operator how it can help in my academic work. It gave me a short list of things.

2. I asked it to look up sources on a give topic.

It opened its own browser, ran a Bing search, clicked on the relevant links, read them, and complied an answer.

In this case, you can see, it relied on a Wikipedia article.

Read 9 tweets

Mushtaq Bilal, PhD

@MushtaqBilalPhD

Dec 31, 2024

NotebookLM lets you create podcasts based on research papers.

Now you can also join these podcasts as a guest.

Here's how to do it:

1. Go to notebooklm[.]google[.]com and click on "Create new."

Upload a paper and NotebookLM will give you its summary.

2. In the column to your right, you will see "Audio Overview."

Click on "Customize" and add any instrcution on what the podcast should focus on.

Then click on "Generate."

Read 8 tweets

Mushtaq Bilal, PhD

@MushtaqBilalPhD

Dec 29, 2024

Ten ethical ways to use ChatGPT for academic purposes that do not involve any plagiarism:

1. Project Management and Scheduling:

Sample Prompt:

Project Title:
Project Type:
Expected Start Date:
Expected Finish Date:

Follow very carefully the steps given below:

1. Carefully consider the scope and type of the project (if it is a journal article, conference paper, dissertation, presentation).

2. Consider carefully the primary and secondary academic fields relevant to the project.

3. Act as if you are a leading expert in the primary and secondary fields relevant to the project. You can proficiently explain the project using adequate technical knowledge and language.

4. Act as if you are an award-winning teacher who can break down extremely complex ideas into easily understandable language.

5. Keeping in mind the scope, type, and the academic field of the project, break it down in tasks that can be scheduled weekly. Do this very carefully. This breakdown should optimize for speed without compromising on authenticity of the project.

6. Breakdown the weekly tasks into subtasks that can be completed within a normal workday of six to eight hours.

7. Every subtask should be accompanied by one to two pieces of clear and actionable advice to carry out the subtask. Remind me constantly to focus on progress and not perfection.

8. While giving the schedule of the project, you must consider the importance of both mental health and the ability to meet deadlines. Strive to have a work-life balance.

2. Brainstorming Ideas

Start by asking a couple of “warmup” questions. This way you will get better suggestions. You can ask questions like, “Do you know about X?” and “Do you know about Y?”

Then ask how we can be related X with Y. After that ask ChatGPT to help you brainstorm research questions on the relationship between X and Y.

While brainstorming ideas, always start with a basic idea and build on that gradually.

Read 13 tweets

Mushtaq Bilal, PhD

@MushtaqBilalPhD

Dec 11, 2024

ChatGPT still generates fake references to papers that don't even exist.

And Google just launched Gemini Deep Research.

It generates well-researched articles with references to published sources.

This will change the way we do literature reviews.

Here's how to use it:

1. Open your Google Gemini.

Click in the top-left corner and select "1.5 Pro with Deep Research."

2. Type in your question in the search bar.

Gemini will understand your question and create a research plan for you.

Then it will give you two options: Edit plan or Start research.