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Zotero

An overview for installing, setting up, and using the bibliographic manager Zotero. Based on guide created by Jason Puckett and licensed by Georgia State University Library at http://research.library.gsu.edu/c.php?g=115275&p=750658

Zotero Downloads - App and Connectors

Zotero changed a bit this year with the update to Zotero 6.0 and has some fantastic new features like it's own PDF annotator!

You'll need to download two things:

  1. the App
  2. and a browser connector.

The screenshot below shows the default for Zotero for Mac and a Safari Connector but that's because the download page will automatically default to your Operating System and the browser that you're using.

You can find the Zotero download page here.

Why download so many things?

The App gives you the full functionality of Zotero. Many of the ways that you can update items, annotate PDFs, and organize your Library aren't available if you're logging onto the website version. The website version is very basic.

The Browser Connector lets you add items to Zotero with a single click! It makes saving materials to Zotero easy and quick, will not only automatically download the citation information but will also save the website URL and will automatically download PDFs for you. The demo for what this looks like is available in the Adding Items to Zotero page. If you use more than one browser, we recommend adding the Connector to all of them!

Are You Using Chrome?

If you're a student with a UVA Gmail then take a look at our Chrome Extensions Not Allowed page for information and directions on how to add the Connector to Chrome.

Step 2: Adding Plug-Ins

When you download the Zotero App, you automatically get the plugin for Word and LibreOffice.

But you also have the option to add additional Plugins. There is a linked list at the bottom of the Downloads page that are approved and maintained by the Zotero team that include specialty features, enhancements, and interfaces with other programs.

A few that we feature in this guide are:

  • Zotfile which allows you to attach files saved in various locations to Zotero items. This is particularly useful for saving your Zotero storage space since PDFs often take up the bulk of storage.
  • LaTeX and Tex
  • RStudio

But there are many more that can customize your use of Zotero!