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POLS-590 / POLS-860

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"Zotero is a free, open-source research tool that helps you collect, organize, and analyze research and share it in a variety of ways."

What Zotero can do for you

  • Collect with a click: Zotero automatically senses research on the web. Need an article from JSTOR or a preprint from arXiv.org? A news story or a book from a library? Zotero has you covered.
  • Organize your way: You can sort items into collections and tag them with keywords. Or create saved searches that automatically fill with relevant materials as you work.
  • Cite in style: Instantly create references and bibliographies for any text editor, and directly inside Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs. Support for over 9,000 citation styles to match any style guide or publication.
  • Stay in sync: You can optionally synchronize your data across devices to keep your notes, files, and bibliographic records up to date. Syncing also allows you to access your research from any web browser.
  • Collaborate freely: Co-write a paper with a colleague, distribute course materials to students, or build a collaborative bibliography. You can share a Zotero library with as many people you like, at no cost.
  • Rest easy: Zotero is open source and developed by an independent, nonprofit organization that has no financial interest in your private information. You always stay in control of your own data.

Zotero support

While there is no way of contacting Zotero for help directly (via phone, email, etc.), Zotero provides documentation for using the program and discussion forums on their website.

Zotero Documentation pages include the Quick Links provided below as well as more extensive information about Using Zotero including: Getting Stuff into Your Library; Organizing Your Library and Taking Notes; Generating Bibliographies, Citations, and Reports; Syncing, Collaboration, and Backup; and Getting the Most Out of Zotero: 

Zotero Forums document user discussions, which can be particularly useful for technical issues and troubleshooting. You can start new discussions or review previous discussions.

Zotero training videos


Zotero - A Quick Introduction (6:26 mins) - Nov 2020