What is Zotero?

Zotero is a free citation management tool that runs inside of your browser and works in conjunction with your word processor.

This guide is designed to follow in the order of the tabs that appear at the top if the screen starting on this tab.



What does Zotero do?

Zotero allows you to easily collect citation information as you research for later access, and allows you generate citations and bibliographies very quickly and efficiently. It also allows you to access your collection from anywhere.

Installing Zotero:

Go to https://www.zotero.org/ and click on the big red Download button:

Install both the Zotero application (left item below) and the Zotero connector (right item below):

(Please note these versions will automatically correspond with the operating system and browser you are using)

After downloading Zotero AND the Zotero connector please notice the following three items:

1) The Zotero launch button:

You should now be able to find a big red Z icon on your computer desktop or in your list of applications.

Click on the Z to open up your Zotero library window so that you can begin saving items there.

2) The Zotero Library Window:

When you click on the Z icon the Zotero library window will open. This window shows you your Zotero library. It looks something like this:

Please note there isn't anything in there yet. Minimize it and let it run in the background for now. Now open up a browser window.

3) Your browser window:

In your browser window you will notice an icon now appears at the top right corner of the screen.

This icon changes appearance depending on what you have open in your browser.

E.g.:

The icon will turn into a blue book if you are on a page for a book.

The icon will turn into a white paper if you are on a page for an article or a webpage.  

The icon will turn into a yellow folder when it detects you are looking at a list of search results

This guide and workshop are modeled directly after those created by Jason Puckett at Georgia State University Library, (who literally wrote the book on Zotero) under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License.

You may reproduce any part of it for noncommercial purposes as long as credit is included.  I encourage you to license your derivative works under Creative Commons as well to encourage sharing and reuse of educational materials.