Zotero- let’s try a new citation manager!
Zotero is a free and easy research tool that helps anyone retrieve, organize, cite, and further share all their interesting research sources, from PDFs to audio files. This citation manager is the project and creation of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University. While looking and getting familiar with the cite, it was found that Zotero was originally funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
As previously mentioned, Zotero is a completely free and open-source software that enables anyone and everyone to systematically manage all their sources and materials all onto one big library system! It is compatible and available for a free download for Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems, which is highly convenient. In order to use this tool, it must first be downloaded, and this literally took about three to five minutes depending on the internet connection available. After downloading the software, I was able to start playing around, navigating, and getting started with Zotero. I must admit, it really was quite simple, required no instructions or frustration, and was easy to get used to within minutes.
This organized and quick research tool is simple because it not only recognizes what is being searched on your web browser, but it also enables you to add (by dragging and dropping) the sources onto your personal library, which was amusing. Likewise, while figuring Zotero out, I was able to save a webpage to my library, download a random image, and download a PDF as well. Zotero is efficient and performs its duties well. One special feature that I liked while using and reviewing Zotero was the fact that it could automatically sense what I was searching in Google, which I found to be interesting and very quick once again. In terms of usefulness, this downloadable research tool is able to make researching, saving, and citing all sources a little bit easier for anyone regardless of age. There are times when citing becomes a hassle, but using Zotero made it less stressful.
When comparing Zotero to other citation tools that I have always been familiar my entire life with such as EasyBib, the only major difference is the fact that EasyBib does not have to be downloaded. Both research tools are very different though, while anyone can have their own personal Zotero source library onto their computer, EasyBib does not have this option as you just use it online; again two differing tools. Both sources have their uses and it all depends on preference, but Zotero was quite interesting to use for the first time. Overall, I would most definitely recommend Zotero as a citation manager to anyone, especially high school and college students, as it is very organized and all sources can easily be saved and retrieved within seconds. It is free, open to anyone who owns a computer, is easy to navigate and get started with, and absolutely helps in citing everyday sources!
