Zotero

Free open-source academic research organizer and citation manager

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Zotero is an open-source reference management tool that helps researchers collect, organize, cite, and share research materials. It functions primarily as a desktop application with browser integration and cloud sync capabilities.

What we love ❤️

  • Open-source with active development and community support
  • Integrates with Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs
  • Can automatically add publication data by DOI or ISBN
  • Browser extension captures references from websites instantly
  • Has a built-in PDF reader letting you mark up PDFs
  • Retracted item notifications
  • Supports over 10,000 citation styles

Worth noting 💡

  • Free cloud storage limited to 300MB; additional storage requires paid plans
  • Initial learning curve can be steep for new users
  • Alternative web-only tool (ZoteroBib) available for simple citation needs

Zotero delivers comprehensive reference management capabilities with full-featured local functionality that doesn't require registration. While cloud sync has storage limits, the unlimited local storage and robust feature set make it a truly free solution for research management. Best suited for researchers, students, and academics managing long-term projects with collaborative needs; those needing a quick bibliography should consider ZoteroBib instead.