Zotero 7-Reference Management Software

What is Zotero?

Zotero is a free, open-source reference management tool designed to help users collect, organise, cite, and share research materials (e.g. articles, books, reports). Zotero is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It's widely used by researchers, students, and academics to manage bibliographic data and related research materials such as PDFs, web pages, and notes.

Zotero is a project of Digital Scholar, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the development of software and services for researchers and cultural heritage institutions, and is developed by a global community.

Key Features of Zotero

Reference Management
- Save citations directly from your browser using the Zotero Connector
- Store bibliographic data such as author, title, publisher, and publication date
Automatic Citation Capture
- Automatically detects citation data from websites, library catalogs, and databases (e.g., JSTOR, PubMed, Google Scholar)
Citation Styles
- Supports over 10,000 citation styles including APA, MLA, Chicago, and IEEE
- Automatically formats references and in-text citations
Integration with Word Processors
- Compatible with Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs
- Insert citations and build bibliographies with one click
PDF and Note Management
- Attach PDFs, images, and other files to references
- Highlight and annotate PDFs
- Add searchable notes and tags to your references
Organization
- Organize references into collections and sub collections
- Use tags and saved searches for better retrieval and categorization
Collaboration and Sharing
- Create group libraries to share references with collaborators
- Sync data across multiple devices using Zotero’s cloud service
Data Privacy and Open Source
- Zotero is open-source and committed to user privacy

Zotero Download

1. Use Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari browser
2. Go to the Zotero Download page
i. The site will automatically detect your operating system (Win, Mac, Linux*) and browser.
ii. Zotero DOES NOT work with Chromebooks or Office 365
3. Download Zotero 7.0 and browser Connector

NOTE: There is also a mobile Apple app

Install Zotero

Install Zotero
1. Close all Microsoft Office programs (e.g. Word)
2. Open the downloaded Zotero file (.exe or .dmg).
3. Follow the installation directions
i. Zotero and an MS Word add-in will be installed
ii. Open the Zotero program
4. Open MS Word
Notice Zotero has been added to the toolbar.

Install Zotero Connector

Install Browser Connector (Add-on/extension)
The browser extension is an ideal tool so you may add articles and books (citations) from library databases.
1. Install the Zotero Connector for your browser (best with Chrome, Firefox or Edge)
i. Browser may restart after installation
ii. You'll notice a Zotero icon (a "Z" or a small rectangle) on the right side of your browser toolbar.
2. In the upper right corner of browser, select the puzzle piece icon to "pin" the connector to the browser toolbar.

Zotero and Connector