On the second day of Academic Christmas, Zotero came to be! Most people know it's out there and that it's a reference manager platform, but let's talk a little more about why it's great for collaborative projects, web based research, and more. #academicgifts

Download at http://www.zotero.org  . It comes in browser plugin & standalone versions. It is open source & free; you will never HAVE to pay to access your data or export references. The Word plugin is included; get the link plugin for your browser too. https://www.zotero.org/support/quick_start_guide

With the link plugin for your preferred browser, you can add almost any source directly from your browser - PDF, library resource, database article - with no manual entry. Simply click the Save to Zotero button and the file's metadata will import directly. https://libguides.health.unm.edu/zotero/AddingResources

If you create an account for Zotero, you can sync your collections to the web and have access to them from multiple machines - good for those who work from home and school, or who need to share libraries with coauthors. Wash U walks through it well: https://libguides.wustl.edu/c.php?g=47180&p=303032

For those wondering how Zotero compares to other proprietary platforms like Mendeley, @yorkulibraries has you covered: https://www.library.yorku.ca/web/research-learn/citations/zotero-vs-mendeley-comparison/ For moral reasons triggered by Elsevier (Mendeley's parent)'s behavior, many scholars have moved away from Mendeley.

When it's time to insert citations in your document and generate a bibliography, a new tab will appear in Word. Integration is available for Google Docs, LibreOffice, and other platforms. Those links and video walk throughs (of older versions) are at https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_integration

If you need more storage for yourself or your collaborative group than the free account provides, you can upgrade your account for a mere pittance - it's something like $20-25 a year (it's not allowing me to log in). If you know the cost, please share. :-)

If you're already in another platform but are considering switching, no need to fret or manually re-enter everything! Most platforms (including Mendeley and Zotero) include an export & import function that allows you to move to a new platform seamlessly. Ask a librarian for help.