Zotero

Zotero is a powerful, user-friendly reference management application designed to assist researchers, students, and academics in managing bibliographic data and related research materials. It enables users to collect, organise, annotate, cite, and share research sources efficiently. Developed by the Corporation for Digital Scholarship, Zotero is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS platforms.

Key Features

• Reference Collection: Easily save references from websites, library catalogues, and databases with a single click using browser extensions.

• Organisation: Arrange your research into collections and subcollections, and tag items for easy retrieval.

• Citation and Bibliography Generation: Automatically generate citations and bibliographies in various styles (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) compatible with word processors like Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs.

• PDF and File Management: Store, organise, and annotate PDFs and other files directly within Zotero.

• Syncing and Backup: Synchronise your library across multiple devices and back up your data to Zotero's cloud service.

• Collaboration: Share libraries with collaborators, allowing for group research and collective reference management.

• Integration: Works seamlessly with web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and supports integration with various academic databases and library catalogues.

Pricing Plans 2025

Zotero is free to use, with optional paid storage plans for users requiring additional cloud storage for file syncing:

• Free Plan: Includes 300 MB of cloud storage for attachment

• 2 GB Plan: $20 per year.

• 6 GB Plan: $60 per year.

• Unlimited Plan: $120 per year.

Note: Users can store unlimited data locally without subscribing to a paid plan.

Use Cases

• Academic Research: Manage and cite sources for essays, theses, and dissertations.

• Collaborative Projects: Share reference libraries with research teams or study groups.

• Literature Reviews: Organise and annotate sources systematically for comprehensive reviews.

• Teaching: Educators can compile reading lists and share resources with students.

• Personal Knowledge Management: Individuals can maintain a personal library of articles, books, and other resources.

Who It's For

Zotero is ideal for:

• Students: Simplifies the process of managing and citing sources for assignments.

• Researchers and Academics: Facilitates comprehensive literature management and collaboration.

• Librarians: Assists in teaching reference management and supporting patrons.

• Writers and Journalists: Organise research materials and sources efficiently.