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Interdisciplinary Humanities 291 (Zanzucchi)

IH 291

Zotero Fast Facts

Zotero is a free, open source citation management tool. You can use it to collect, organize, and cite your research. It can also synchronize your data across devices.

ZoteroBib is a new Zotero tool that helps you make quick bibliographies.

With Zotero, you can:

  • Create an account to save, organize, cite, & share your sources
  • Store PDFs, images, audio files, video files, etc.
  • Sort your sources into collections
  • Create footnotes, endnotes, in-text citations, or bibliographies in thousands of citation styles
  • Create citations in documents using a plugin
  • Sync data across devices
  • Share sources with others & work together with a colleague or group

Zotero Overview

About:

  • Online https://www.zotero.org and desktop software
  • Open source (project of Corporation for Digital Scholarship and the Roy Rosenzweig Center for HIstory and New Media)
  • Create own account (not connected to Shibboleth)
  • Free based on storage limits (300 MB, no cost)

Features:

  • Tools include "Zotero" connector (capture web pages) and Word Zotero tab to write and cite
  • Allows sharing involves setting up a group (public with open membership, public with closed membership, and private membership) with roles: regular, administrator, group owner
  • Files can be attached; look for paper clip
  • Drag files to desired folder; extracts metadata.
  • Blue dots indicate a file is attached.
  • Icons used to indicate source type e.g. article vs. book.
  • Footnotes/Endnotes entered more easily than some other tools.
  • In Word document, citations can be unlinked
  • in Word document, can Add/Edit Bibliography at end (may make updating faster)
  • 8,000+ styles, style search OR Word > Zotero tab > Document Preferences
  • UC-eLinks button or links to CrossRef or Google Scholar are in upper right with right facing arrow button

Limitations:

  • Some syncing may be required
  • Limited ability to view citations in main window
  • Must manually add appropriate title of Bibliography, Reference List etc. to Word document.

Tips for Users who are Blind or have Low Vision

  • Zotero seems to be the citation manager that works best with screen readers.
  • Check out this thread from Zotero for some workarounds.