Zotero
Zotero is a tool for managing research materials. With it, you can collect and organize sources, create citations, and share them with others. Plugins are available to integrate it with many word processors and digital platforms. It is an alternative to tools such as EndNote and RefWorks.
Useful for…
Pros
- Zotero’s in-browser tool makes it easy to gather and save citation information on the web
- Citations can be generated (and re-generated) in a variety of formats
- Collaborative citations and reference collections
Cons
- Limited storage for PDF attachments
- Duplicate items must be manually removed
- Website citations may be impacted by changes in the website itself
Learning Curve
Zotero isn’t the fanciest looker among digital tools, but it’s intuitive and rewarding for those conducting and managing research material.
Operating System
All
Accessibility
The browser-based version of Zotero is generally accessible, but the desktop app is not accessible to screen reader and keyboard-only users.
Cost
The citation tool itself is free, but if you want to use the tool’s PDF storage capability, there is a limit on free storage. Annual subscriptions for storage space are available.