Welcome to the Zotero Guide!

What is Zotero?

Zotero is a citation management tool. (And so much more!) It is free of use and assists in organizing, annotating, and sharing your research projects. 

Need additional assistance? Reach out to your subject librarian! We are always happy to help.

How to Download Zotero

Let's get started!

The first step to using Zotero is downloading the software - in order to do so, go to zotero.org and you will be shown the main webpage. From here, simply click the Download button on the main page. You will be directed to another page that prompts you to click Download again. The recommendation is to download the app, rather than using your browser. 

After the download has completed and you have the app on your personal machine, install the Connector - this feature will allow for easier use of the software in the future. 

After the download has completed and you have the app on your personal machine, install the Connector - this feature will allow for easier use of the software in the future. This may look different based on the browser you use. 

Interface Breakdown

Next up, let's discuss how the Zotero interface is set up. The interface is divided into three columns.

Column 1

The first column on the left-hand side of the page shows where you can add and store different folders. For example, if you use Zotero for more than one class/project, and want separate folders for projects in those courses, you can create a specific folder for each.

Below folders, there are other sections that are self explanatory but let's go over them. My Publications is where you can upload and share your own publications with the Zotero community. You probably won't need this during your undergraduate studies, but may find it useful if you pursue a Masters or beyond. Duplicates display any sources that you have multiple copies of. Unfiled shows you which sources have yet to be categorized in a specific folder. Trash shows you what you have deleted from your Zotero. 

Column 2

The second column in the middle of the page shows you all of the sources you have collected. When you choose certain folders in Column 1, you can see which sources you've selected for that specific folder. Any notes or attachments connected to a specific source can be viewed here by clicking the arrow next to the title of the source. Above the listed sources, you will also notice methods to add new sources to your Zotero. 

Column 3

The third and last column on the right-hand side of the page shows the details of each source - essentially everything you would need to build a citation/bibliography. For example, the Title, Author, Publication Date, etc. In this column, you can use the icons on the right to jump to specific parts of the source's information, like the abstract, for example. There is also an option to add notes on the selected source and tags that help to further categorize your research.