Zotero: Reference management and Knowledge organization

 Zotero is an intuitive and well-developed desktop software application for digital reference management and knowledge organization, designed for web browser-based research (e.g., Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Edge) as well as collaboration and community engagement. The software is free and was developed by a U.S. university as a nonprofit, open-access tool.
  
Zotero is primarily designed for individual knowledge work, but it also offers the ability to collaboratively use and edit content in groups. Zotero can be used on various operating systems (Microsoft Windows/macOS, Linux) and features interfaces to word processing systems, mobile apps for Apple and Android, and a wide range of useful extensions with specialized functionalities.
 
With Zotero, data (e.g., bibliographic information) and files of all kinds (PDFs, Office documents, images, videos, etc.) can be collected, managed, analyzed, organized in a variety of ways, and linked together. Using the note-taking feature, users can create analyses, ideas, comments, and more—either in connection with specific items or independently of them. In the so-called “collections” within your personal Zotero library, materials can be grouped by topic to structure projects of any kind in detail. Citations and bibliographies can be automatically generated in word processing programs such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice, or Overleaf. Since version 6, Zotero has included an annotation editor for PDF documents. This allows users to analyze PDF documents and integrate and reference text passages (e.g., quotes) directly into word processing documents with a single mouse click.

General information

Duration 6 hours
  • Features/Benefits of Zotero Compared to Other Systems
  • Capturing References and Materials
  • Managing, Organizing, and Analyzing References and Materials
  • Creating Citations and Bibliographies
  • Collaborative Work
  • Searching for and Using Citation Styles
  • Integrating Zotero with External Apps / Working on Mobile Devices
  • Basic knowledge of one’s own field of study as it relates to academic work (literature databases, research techniques, citation style requirements).
  • Knowledge of conducting web searches using a web browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Microsoft Edge)
  • Basic knowledge of using Microsoft Word
This course is particularly suitable for members of the University of Zurich who want to learn how to use Zotero to manage and organize their data for a research paper.
Participants will learn...
  • to use Zotero to capture, manage, and organize various materials for their personal research as knowledge elements.
  • to use Zotero and its integration with Microsoft Word to automatically generate citations and bibliographies.
  • How to use Zotero collaboratively in a group.
  • How to search for and use appropriate citation styles.
  • How to take advantage of Zotero’s integration with external apps and its use on mobile devices.
  • How to navigate issues related to importing and exporting, as well as general questions about digital knowledge management.
Course materials will be made available in advance on Microsoft Teams. In addition, useful resources can be found on the Zotero website (https://www.zotero.org).
There are two different course formats available for learning Zotero, both of which combine hands-on learning with guided support.

Online course with guided self-study and a workshop: Participants independently learn the basic functions of Zotero using the provided materials and exercises. They then deepen their knowledge and expand into advanced topics during an interactive online workshop.

Blended-learning course with a guided self-study phase: Following a group online kick-off session, participants work through the course content independently over an extended period. During this phase, they receive support from the course instructors. A final online meeting provides an opportunity to share experiences and clarify any remaining questions.
You can find the details in the course descriptions for each course.
Important:
  • To participate in the course, you must have Zotero and the additional features required to work with Zotero installed before the kick-off meeting.
  • The duration of the self-study phase depends on the dates specified in the respective course announcement.
  • To gain a deeper understanding of how to integrate Zotero with various word processing systems and related tools, how to work with the PDF annotation editor, and how to make the best use of the note-taking feature for academic writing, we recommend attending the workshop “Efficient Academic Writing.”

Dates

Code Instructor Dates Available seats Venue
HS26-AZW-02 Keller Stefan Andreas
Mon 18 January 2027 (02:00pm - 05:00pm)
13 Online Course Register