Disclaimer: This is an independent learning project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Zotero or its developers. Always check the official Zotero documentation for the latest instructions.
Launch plan
The academy only deflects support load if it reaches users before they hit the problem — at the moment of need, in the channels they already use. This plan assumes a pilot partnership with one university library (the fictional deployment this portfolio models).
Where new users meet the academy
| Channel | When the user meets it | What they get |
|---|---|---|
| University library “managing references” page | Searching for a reference manager | Academy home with the choose-your-path table |
| Graduate orientation session (10-minute slot) | Week 0 of term | Live demo of lesson 2 (save a source); handout = job aid 1 |
| Library onboarding email (“Getting started with Zotero”) | After registering for a library workshop | Direct link to the Getting started path |
| Zotero error moments | When something breaks | The troubleshooting tool linked from the library’s “Zotero help” page — meeting users at the moment of failure, not before it |
| Thesis bootcamps / writing retreats | Months 1–3 | Writing with citations path + job aid 2 |
The pattern: paths for proactive onboarding, the troubleshooting tool for reactive support, job aids for the moment of need inside both.
4-week pilot timeline
| Week | Actions | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 — Prepare | Library adds the academy to its “managing references” page and Zotero help page; orientation slot confirmed; baseline metrics pulled (per metrics plan: pre-launch cohort M3 rate, forum question volume in top-5 categories) | Live links; baseline numbers recorded |
| Week 2 — Soft launch | Orientation sessions include the 10-minute demo + job aid handout; onboarding email queued for workshop registrants; analytics (opt-in) verified on the tool | First cohort (A) enters |
| Week 3 — Reach the stuck | Library help desk answers Zotero questions with the troubleshooting tool first and logs which flows get used; writing-retreat organizers send job aid 2 | First deflection signal; flow yes-rates start accumulating |
| Week 4 — First readout | Compare cohort A’s activation curve against baseline; review “Did this solve it?” rates; queue content fixes via the maintenance plan process; cohort B (staggered) launches | 1-page readout; fix list; second cohort live |
What “launched” means for this portfolio
This academy is not deployed — the launch plan and the simulated dashboard describe how a real pilot would run and be read. The build artifacts that a deployment would reuse are real: the paths, the tool with its data-driven flows, and the metrics definitions.