Installing Zotero
To install Zotero ... click on the Get Zotero button:
... then click on the red “Download Now” button
To Install the Zotero Firefox extension:
- Click the “Zotero 3.0 for Firefox” link
- If a box appears above the web page with “Firefox prevented this site (www.zotero.org) from asking you to install software on your computer.”, click the “Allow” button
- Then click the “Install Now” button in the “Software Installation” pop up window (the button may be greyed out for a few seconds while Firefox downloads Zotero)
- Restart Firefox after the installation has completed.
You should now see the Zotero logo in the status bar in the top right corner of your Firefox browser window.
If you wish to install the Zotero Standalone ... after clicking on the the red “Download Now” button, look for the appropriate link for your operating system (Mac, Windows, Linux).
Still need help with installing Zotero?
Click here: Zotero Installation Instructions and you will find troubleshooting information and a helpful video about installing Zotero.
How do I open Zotero?
For Zotero for Firefox, click the Zotero icon in the Firefox toolbar to open your Zotero library. This brings up a pane with all of your references, collections, and notes. You can close the Zotero for Firefox pane by clicking on the X icon in the upper right of the Zotero window or by clicking on the toolbar icon again. The Zotero window does not have to be open for you to do “quick saves” of material you want to add to your research collection.
What does Zotero do?
Zotero is, at the most basic level, a citation manager. It is designed to store, manage, and cite bibliographic references, such as books and articles. In Zotero, each of these references constitutes an item.
What kind of items are there?
Every item contains different metadata, depending on what type it is. Items can be everything from books, articles, and documents to web pages, artwork, films, sound recordings, bills, cases, or statutes, among many others.
What can I do with items?
Items appear in the center column. The metadata for that item is in the right column. This includes titles, creators, publishers, dates, and any other data needed to cite the item.
