Reference management tools

Zotero is an open source reference management program originally created for historians in 2006. It is free to download and use and consists of three parts:

1. a database manager
2. an extension in your browser to import references
3. an add-on to your word processor program

It is also possible to create an account.

Zotero can be used with Windows, Mac and Linux along with Microsoft Word, LibreOffice and Google Docs.

A new version, Zotero 7, was released in August 2024. The changes from Zotero 6 are largely cosmetic and the older version can still be used. Zotero can be upgraded either by downloading the new version from the website/software manager or "Help" -> "Check for updates" in Zotero. Both versions are shown in the guide under their own tabs.

With Zotero you can, among other things :

• Save, comment on and annotate your references 
• Make source references in your text with a few clicks
• Automatically get neat and accurate reference lists
• Have your references formatted according to ready-made referencing systems (eg APA, Chicago, Harvard) or systems of your own creation
• Share your references with others
• Work on multiple computers with synchronized references