Zotero and How It Works: Zotero? What is it?

Zotero (pronounced "zoh-TAIR-oh") is an open-access, easy-to-use reference management tool that serves as your personal research assistant and helps you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. 

Zotero allows you to:

1. Save references from library catalogs, research databases, and the Web.  
2. Add PDFs, images, audio and video files, snapshots of web pages, and more.
3. Write annotations and attach them to citations.
4. Create bibliographies using most major citation styles.

Designed by Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media and initially funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Zotero runs on several operating systems including Windows, Mac X, and Linux.  

​You will need to open the Zotero download page and install the browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.  You may also need to restart your browser before start working with Zotero.  Be sure to back up your work by creating a Zotero account or saving it your flash drive.

This guide is under construction, so if you have feedback to make it better, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Aparna Zambare.

Many thanks to Jason Puckett of Georgina State University and Keith Stanger of Eastern Michigan University for allowing us to use content from their guides in building our guide.