Zotero is an open-source, easy-to-use reference management tool developed by the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Zotero gathers, organizes and cites sources (papers, fulltext pdfs, web pages, images and other objects). In August 2011, Zotero 3.0 beta was launched. The “classic” version isn’t going away except that the new version of Zotero runs outside Firefox and other browsers. Zotero also integrates well with a number of scholarly research databases.
Some of the new features include:
a beta release of the standalone version of Zotero for Mac, Windows and Linux
Zotero 3.0 does not run in your browser pane; Firefox is not required
browser connectors; grabbing citations with one click is not possible for browsers other than Firefox with connectors for Safari, Chrome, and Firefox
if Zotero isn’t installed on your machine, connectors can add items directly to your library hosted on Zotero's servers
better document integration with a new interface for adding or editing citations for MS Word and OpenOffice
Thinking of a tool such as Zotero in a networked way makes web 2.0 tool-building not dissimilar from traditional scholarship. True scholarship does not exist on its own and does not exist as disconnected writing. It is a part of a network of thought and all that is active and relevant. In academic endeavours, it is critical to review the existing literature, use citations and put an argument into a context of other ideas and sources (and web 2.0 media). Creating scholarly software that works within the digital ecosystem must be similarly integrative.
One feature of Zotero that enhances its ability to be "social" is the new Zotero Groups. This allows multiple Zotero users to collaborate on one or more collections of citations, add to and change them and the other members of the group are then provided with an updated list the next time Zotero "syncs." And with its new "cloud" storage (online backups of your Zotero collections) and Zotero allows you to access your citation collections from any computer running Firefox.
More about Zotero
Features:
As a Firefox addon Zotero lives in the browser and is available while browsing the web
Extracts bibliographic information and citation data from a range of digital sources
Makes it possible to annotate (tag) and organize citations; flexible notetaking with autosave for enhanced description
Save information about references, including author, title, journal, DOI, and many other details
Create collections and save searches(~~is this true?); share collections with others using Groups
Store files, images, links, and .pdfs; save screenshots of web pages
Export bibliographies into any text editor using a massive number of style guide formats
Compatible plugins for advanced bibliographies in word processing programs (MS Word; OpenOffice.org)
View records in personal collection when offline
Cite records in any language
Benefits
Use surges for Zotero in 2010 followed by Mendeley
Bibliographic records may be imported from other reference tools (EndNote, etc.) in five common formats, including BibTeX
Import records for non-traditional sources such as wikis and websites, and many resources you already use
Works well in Google scholar; compatible with medical databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, and HighWire Press
Imports records from several major databases that won't work with RefWorks and EndNote, including Factiva and USPTO.
Helps to organize web screenshots and pdfs; make pdfs searchable by choosing to index them in preferences
Automatically retrieves pdf metadata, like title and author information.
Program lives where you already do most of your research, in the Web browser.
Export your bibliography in HTML, and publish a "smart CV."
Great for creating bibliographies in OpenOffice.org and MS Word using a custom plugin
Synchronizes collections among multiple computers & backs up data.
Offers option to create user profiles and groups, so you can share your collection(s).
Detects proxy servers automatically, making off-campus access to library databases easier.
Operates in more than thirty languages
Disadvantages
Some citation errors are said to occur during importing without recommended solutions
Currently only for use as a Firefox extension; online version is supposedly coming
Doesn't work in Internet Explorer or Google Chrome
Doesn't handle large collections very well; program may stall when attempting a large sync
As with any citation manager, you must check records to ensure accurate importing
No way to find duplicate records; must be deleted manually - a time-consuming problem
Cannot import items from written references lists; desired citations must be individually retrieved
What Zotero users say
Easy to use "user-friendly" and intuitive; introductory videos help users to learn basic tasks quickly
Zotero is cost-free and involves no licensing; documentation at Zotero.org can be reused
Open and extensible means it may be a resource for students; a way to contribute to open-source communities
Zotero project developed by scholars with commitment to openness; Zotero makes no claim of ownership or control over users’ work
UMich’s School of Information got funding to launch information literacy game, Bibliobouts, built around Zotero
Licensed platforms (RefWorks, EndNote) provide users with similar services but license may end once students graduate
Committed to data portability and interoperability through open standards; software vendors that employ site-licensing have vested interest in locking users into proprietary formats.
Zotero makes it easy to migrate data to and from other tools
