Managing Literature with Zotero

Anna Lindenmeier — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:15:51 +0000

Zotero is a free, open-source reference management program that allows you to collect, organize, and cite academic publications.

Zotero offers numerous advantages for managing literature and knowledge:

Efficient collection and organization: Zotero allows easy collection of literature sources from various databases, catalogs, and websites. With the Zotero Connector, bibliographic details can be directly imported from the browser.
Automatic citation and bibliography creation: Zotero supports various citation styles and can automatically insert citations and bibliographies into word processors like Word and LibreOffice. This saves a lot of time and reduces errors from manual input.
Collaborative work: Zotero allows sharing of libraries and collaborative work on projects. This is particularly useful for research groups and teams.
Flexibility and adaptability: Zotero is a open-source software, running on various operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux), and can be extended with numerous add-ons.
Free and user-friendly: Zotero is free to use and offers an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, even for beginners.

A detailed guide to managing literature with Zotero can be found in the training materials from the library.

For Ohm staff, the texts are available in full text via VPN.

To access the OPAC, you need to be on the university network or – if you are off-campus – establish a VPN connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Zotero is an open-source software that allows easy collection of literature sources from various databases, catalogs, and websites.

Zotero supports various citation styles, enables collaborative work, and is freely available.