How to manage the literature of multiple research projects in Zotero?

Managing literature for multiple research projects within Zotero is feasible via hierarchical organization using Collections and efficient tagging. Careful structuring allows clear separation while maintaining access to shared references. Zotero achieves this primarily through its Collections system, where each project is represented by a top-level Collection or Collection Group containing sub-collections and items. Assigning specific tags to denote project affiliation complements this structure. Utilizing the cloud sync feature ensures consistent access across devices and team members if projects are collaborative. Careful attention to duplicate detection when adding items is essential. Maintaining unique library identifiers for different projects further enhances clarity. Implement this by first creating dedicated parent Collections for each distinct research project. Populate these with sub-collections (e.g., by theme, methodology) and add relevant literature via direct import or saving from browsers. Apply consistent, unique tags to each project's items (e.g., #ProjectAlpha). Leverage Saved Searches to dynamically filter items based on project tags or other criteria across the library. Regularly sync your library and utilize Linked Files or the ZotFile plugin for systematic PDF management. This method centralizes all research materials while enabling effortless project-specific access and cross-referencing.