Zotero: Getting Started with Zotero

Zotero is a free, open-source desktop application that allows you to collect, organize, cite, and share research. It works on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. It also can be synced with a web version.

There are many free quick citation tools, but we recommend using ZoteroBib. It does not require the installation of Zotero or an account to use. It is also developed and maintained by the Zotero open-source community and is ad-free. 

• Paste a URL, title, or a persistent identifier like a DOI or ISBN into ZoteroBib to create in-text and reference citations. There is also an option to manually enter the source information if ZoteroBib doesn't automatically find a match. 


• If needed, add other styles to ZoteroBib by choosing the dropdown menu in the Bibliography section of the page. The last menu item is an option to view more styles. Choose it to look up and add the ones you want.

After installing the Zotero Connector, you may see the following message when trying to access any of the library's subscription resources from off-campus:

Zotero detected that you are accessing search.ebscohost.com through a proxy. Would you like to automatically redirect future requests to search.ebscohost.com through uportland.idm.oclc.org?

To turn off this message:

1. Right-click the Zotero Connector in your browser
2. Choose Options from the pop-up menu
3. Chose Proxies from the left sidebar
4. Uncheck the box next to Show a notification when redirecting through a proxy

New to Zotero? Register for an account

Already have a Zotero account? Log in to Zotero

Download the Zotero desktop application and browser extension (Zotero Connector) for your Internet browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari).

Syncing with the web version of Zotero gives you access to your Zotero library from any computer (with up to 300 MB of free cloud storage for attached files and unlimited storage for citation data).

Set up syncing by signing into the desktop application you downloaded. 

1. Choose Preferences under the Zotero menu:

2. Choose Sync and enter your Zotero username and password, then select Set Up Syncing:

3. Select your preferences for syncing, such as whether to include attachments. Syncing attachments will save them to the cloud storage - up to 300 MB for free.