Skip to Main Content

Zotero: Getting Started

Zotero [zoh-TAIR-oh] is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. It lives right where you do your work—in the web browser itself.

Installing Zotero

Sign up for Zotero

Your first step is to register with Zotero. Create your account: Register/set up  a free zotero.org account (enables syncing and sharing)

Then install Zotero

Now install the Zotero Connector which will enable you to send any references to your Zotero account with one click.

The next  step is to install Zotero Add-On to your Word to enable you to insert citations and create bibliographies on your Word document.  Follow these simple steps:

Using Firefox: install Zotero Add-On

Using Chrome : install Zotero Standalone

Important: Sync your Zotero account with Zotero Add-On or Zotero Standalone: Open Zotero, click on Actions (gear icon), then select Preferences. Select the Sync tab and enter your Zotero account username and password.

This enables My Library references to be synced from all your workstations. Remember to 'sync' frequently to ensure no loss of citations.

Toolbar Features

A complete guide to understanding and using Zotero.

How do I open Zotero?

  Click the Zotero icon in the bottom-right corner of your browser window to open your Zotero library.

This brings up a pane with all of your references, collections, and notes.

New Note                          Actions   New Item          Create New Item from Current page       

New Group                               Add Item      New Collection New Child attachment

                                                                                   by Identifier                         

New Search                               Sync

Keep up to date with Zotero