Zotero

Abstract

Zotero has been designed specifically with researchers in mind to assist in writing papers, managing references, and organizing research materials and is compatible with most medical literature databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, and HighWire Press. Zotero is a reference citation management tool that can sense when users are viewing a book, article, or other object on the web; automatically capture citation information; record it in the correct fields; and keep a bookmark of the hypertext markup language (HTML) source.

Zotero. Citation and research management tool. Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA; http://www.zotero.org; available free for individuals; 2006-.

As an academic writer, I always prided myself on my technical savvy. Until recently, I believed that I had developed a sophisticated system of bookmarks, email messages to myself, word documents, and the like to save useful references, citations, and other resources that I felt were essential to my clinical and academic productivity. In my system, I would manually save portable document format (PDF) files by manually typing in the title of the article, the journal it was published in, and the year of publication. However, I recently discovered a freely available computer software called Zotero that has made my life easier and my so-called "sophisticated" system obsolete.

First released in 2006, Zotero bills itself as "the next generation research tool" that streamlines the research process. Zotero has been designed specifically with researchers in mind to assist in writing papers, managing references, and organizing research materials and is compatible with most medical literature databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, and HighWire Press.

Zotero is available at no cost as an extension of the open-source Firefox, a free Internet browser that allows customization with extensions - tools that modify the browser to suit the needs of the user. Zotero was developed and is maintained by the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University and is funded in part by the US Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Zotero is a reference citation management tool that can sense when users are viewing a book, article, or other object on the web; automatically capture citation information; record it in the correct fields; and keep a bookmark of the hypertext markup language (HTML) source. Depending on the type of resource, this may include, but is not limited to, the title, authors, journal name, year published, volume, and page, as well as a hyperlink to the source. For example, if you were using Zotero and viewing this article as a PDF file on the Internet and wanted to save it for future use, a simple click of an icon would store the reference and the PDF and automatically name the PDF (e.g., author-date-truncated title).

Zotero is compatible with PubMed, HighWire Press, Google Scholar, and dozens of other databases and library resources accessible by Internet browser. Users will find that traditional access rules still apply (e.g., subscription to a journal) when accessing a resource or using the bookmark feature to return to that resource. Caution is urged when using Zotero, especially in regard to collecting, storing, and distributing copyrighted materials. However, as described below, Zotero is not about downloading and/ or distributing resources in a circumferential way, but bringing order to the resources users frequently use.

At first glance, Zotero appears similar to older citation management software such as EndNote or ProCite; however, there are many differences. One major difference is that Zotero is woven into the Internet browser itself and is used while perusing resources on the Internet. Other programs operate as stand-alone software in that they require constant switching between the Internet browser and the program interface. Other major differences include enhanced searching and remote library access.

Zotero's note-taking feature is very practical. Users can enter small notes on a particular reference by simply typing in an input field. These notes are saved automatically and organized in conjunction with the citation information. Also, Zotero is integrated with Microsoft Word and other word processors and works in all computer formats (PC, Mac, and Linux). Features such as formatted citation export make it very simple for users to create a list of references in the perfect format desired for a manuscript or other use. Users can create a reference list by dragging and dropping citations into a new folder or by highlighting the desired citations. After a list is made, a right click of the mouse allows creation of a word or text file in the desired format. Bibliography formats that are currently available include Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association, three varieties of Chicago Manual of Style styles, and a multitude of languages.

Once material is collected by Zotero, searching for and organizing files is a breeze. The files are organized into a playlist-like format and can be searched very quickly. The many advanced search features include data mining tools and the ability to save searches (smart collections) and tags. In addition, your personal library of material can be accessed remotely from anywhere via the Internet. Backup copies of your library can be made to remote locations, and you can share your collections with other users.

Furthermore, despite Zotero's integration into the Internet browser, some segments of the software function without being connected to the Internet. For instance, you might have large collections of articles in PDF saved to your computer. With Zotero, you are able to browse your collection by title, journal, author, etc., offline.

However, Zotero is limited in that it is only available for use with the Firefox browser. Also, at the present time, only a few bibliography formats are available (the developers promise many more). As with any new software, it takes time and patience to learn how to use Zotero effectively. To help, Zotero provides screencasts, tutorials, and discussion forums on the home page. Finally, Zotero is a work in progress and, within the short time since its release, it has been through several revisions; nevertheless, this is to be expected with all innovative software.

As Zotero proclaims, this software allows you to: "See it. Save it. Sort it. Search it. Cite." The next time you are preparing a manuscript and want to shave time formatting your references or if you would like to tidy up those articles on your hard drive, give Zotero a try - you might be impressed by your new, highly efficient, "sophisticated" system.

Disclosure: The author has no affiliation with Zotero, George Mason University, or any conflicts of interest.