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Home: REFWORKS
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Other citation managers:
Zotero
EndNote
DELTA Eval
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zotero
Zotero is a browser-based citation management tool developed at George Mason University. Its basic purpose and functionality is similar to RefWorks, but instead of tracking your citations in a web database, it works as a Firefox browser extension, saving citations locally on your computer, and making your citations available from any computer by syncing.
To see a helpful introductory video on Zotero, visit the Zotero website.
Installation:
- Install through the Zotero website
- After installation, NCSU users should set local preferences:
- Open the Zotero pane by clicking the Zotero link on the bottom of the browser screen.
- Click the Actions icon (the gear icon) and click Preferences.
- In the General tab, near the bottom, is box for OpenURL preferences. Change the resolver link to http://sfx.lib.ncsu.edu/ncsu
- This will make it easier to get back to saved articles.
- It is strongly recommended you register for a Zotero account to enable syncing (and other functions, such as groups).
Some common questions:
Here is a screenshot of Zotero in use. The Zotero pane is open along the bottom of the browser screen, where you can access your folders and citations. You can open and close the Zotero pane while working. Notice the small blue book icon in the URL bar. Clicking that icon adds the book to Zotero.
The browser-based approach has advantages and disadvantages. The following chart compares the two.
RefWorks vs. Zotero
Factor |
RefWorks |
Zotero |
Advantage |
Cost |
Free to NCSU community |
Free to everyone |
Tie for NCSU community |
Browser independence |
Works with any browser |
Firefox browser required |
Tie for Firefox users, RefWorks for others |
Ability to access citations from any computer |
Saved citations available from any computer via NCSU Libraries' site |
Latest version has a sync function, so your citations are available from any computer |
Tie |
Basic citation capturing |
Requires exporting and importing, sometimes in two separate steps, new windows |
Works within browser on same page, maybe some manipulation and organization |
Unclear. Zotero is often a little quicker, but probably not enough to sway experienced RefWorks users. Speed also depends on the citation source. |
Capturing websites |
Yes, with RefGrab-It extension |
Yes, by default |
Zotero does this easily, without any additional installation. But both work. |
Breadth of compatible databases |
No advantage for either, but this is difficult to evaluate, and may depend on the databases you use regularly. Both have extensive lists of sites and databases they work with (RefWorks | Zotero). Both cover all major databases. RefWorks' list is longer, but Zotero could be considered more robust since it isn't necessarily limited to what's on its compatibility list. As long as information looks like a citation, Zotero can grab it. On the other hand, RefWorks can also handle some non-standard citations with a little formatting effort by the user. And you can edit citations with either. |
Annotations |
Yes, but clunky |
Yes, easy with snapshots, tags |
Zotero |
Folder management |
Works, clunky |
Less clunky, allows for subfolders |
Neither is great. But Zotero wins. |
Revisiting articles |
Yes, through  . Also have the option of attaching a file to references. |
Yes, by link or |
Tie |
Revisiting books |
Provides link via |
Yes, saves NCSU Libraries catalog record |
Zotero is a little smoother since it usually saves a library catalog record. |
Bibliography creation |
Yes |
Yes |
RefWorks (more options and styles available by default) |
Integration with Word |
Yes, through Write-N-Cite |
Yes |
Tie |
Sharing citations |
Yes: create read-only logins or a shared account. You can also easily export your citations and send to others for importing. |
Yes: through Groups. You can also easily export your citations and send to others for importing. |
Tie
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Stability |
Citations are secure and stable, since they are saved on the RefWorks server. |
Possible more volatile, since citations are saved on your own computer. But there are syncing options to save online, and you can backup your library. |
RefWorks by default, but Zotero has options to ensure you won't lose your work.
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Overall: Both are good products, and recommended over proprietary software such as EndNote. It really comes down to which interface you prefer. Zotero is probably the best and easiest option for users comfortable with Firefox. Users may prefer the full-screen RefWorks interface.
Want to know more about Zotero? Contact Josh Wilson, view the video tutorials or read other help on the Zotero site.
Librarian Contact Information
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