Zotero has some new syncing and sharing features in its latest versions. I’ve found them to be extremely stable despite the alpha and now beta labels on the plug-in releases.
For basic backup and sharing, you would need a Zotero profile. Then you can tell Zotero to post your library to the Zotero server. You can set your Zotero library so the world or only select others can see it. The default is private — no one else can see it. Here’s what my library looks like.
Note that any attached documents in your local collections, such as PDF files, aren’t stored on the Zotero server. The Zotero library is a listing. It looks like Zotero can restore local collections from the Zotero server library, but without attachments, so it may be good as a rudimentary backup. The sharing aspect is attractive, too, if you’d like to make your research available to others. More information can be found here.
The syncing and back-up feature, which does store attachments from your local collection, requires server space elsewhere. I’ve been using Box.net, which provides basic, free, 1GB accounts. I set up Zotero and Box.net once and just let Zotero sync to my Box.net account automatically.
The Zotero documentation makes mention that attachments aren’t synced. However, I’ve found PDF files, for example, stored as ZIP files on my Box.net account. I think that the documentation needs to catch up to the features, perhaps. More information about Zotero syncing can be found here.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
