How to manage your academic references (Zotero guide)
What is Zotero?
Zotero is a free open-source reference management tool that helps create accurate and consistent references for the sources you use in essays and research projects. Zotero is developed by an independent non-profit organisation with no financial interest in your data. Download and run the app on your computer, or create an account and sync your data, providing free access to your library on http://zotero.org.
Zotero helps you collect, organise, cite and share your research sources. According to the website:
Zotero has an unmatched ability to save high-quality publication data from websites, journal articles, newspapers, and more, or to retrieve publication data for PDFs you drag in. Word processor integration for Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs makes it easy to manage citations as you write. A built-in PDF reader lets you mark up PDFs and then extract cited quotations and comments directly into notes or word processor documents. Zotero can automatically add publication data by DOI or ISBN and find open-access PDFs when you don’t have access to a paper. You can create advanced searches — say, all articles mentioning a certain keyword added in the last month — and save them as auto-updating collections. When you open a paywalled page in your browser, Zotero can automatically redirect you through your institution’s proxy so that you can access the PDF. Zotero can even warn you if try to cite a paper that was retracted.
Beyond Zotero’s own features, a plugin system allows outside developers to add advanced functionality to Zotero, such as more flexible file management and improved BibTeX support.
Moore College recommends Zotero. Other popular reference/bibliographic management tools are EndNote, Mendeley and RefWorks. New users may find Zotero intimidating. Advice on a wide range of issues is available at Zotero Forums. For more information, click on how Zotero Support Works, Zotero’s FAQ, the more detailed Knowledge Base, or the Troubleshooting page. Moore College Library staff and students may also offer helpful advice on optimizing Zotero and resolving issues.
How to install
Download and install the latest Zotero app on your device (Mac, Windows and Linux).
Download the Connector browser extension, enabling you to save data to Zotero from your browser with a single click (Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari).
Add the SBL Style template to optimize Zotero for use at Moore College. In your Zotero app, open the Edit menu, select Preferences, and click the Cite icon. Click the blue “Get available styles” link, and in the next screen start typing “Society for Biblical Literature” in the search box. Click on the blue link, and the SBL style template will load to your app.
Create an optional free Zotero account allowing you to sync and access your library from anywhere, join groups, and back up your attached files.
There are various online tutorials and guides to installing and using Zotero, such as this YouTube guide created in 2021 by Top Tio Bio (12min 40sec). Many university and college websites also provide public-access advice on setting up and using Zotero.
When using an online guide for assistance, ensure that it is based on the latest version of Zotero. If you have trouble installing the app, contact Library staff or request assistance from the Moore College IT helpdesk.
Integrating Zotero with other apps
Zotero may be integrated with other apps to enhance functionality and efficiency. Here are some suggestions. There are also lots of online guides about Zotero plugins and integrations.
A productivity and note-taking web app. Install Notion on your desktop and create an account, then integrate your new “Notero” account with Zotero, and create a Notion database where your Zotero docs will sync for making notes.
A writing plugin that allows you to import citations, bibliographies, and PDF annotations from Zotero, and create bidirectional links between your notes in Obsidian and your Zotero library. The app has many custom options.