Zotero - easily manage & use references

When someone asks me which literature management program I can particularly recommend, my answer is clear: Zotero. Zotero is an open-source program used to collect source information such as literature, documents, and notes. It is free of charge and can be used with standard Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems.

In addition, Zotero can be connected to various word processing programs so that you can use the collected references while writing the text. The SciFlow text editor is particularly suitable for this purpose, allowing the references to be dragged and dropped to the desired text location. When exporting, the text is then formatted in the chosen citation style.

Zotero Download - get it for free

As already mentioned, Zotero is open source and free of charge. You can download it directly from the provider.

If you want to store your data not only locally on your computer but in the Zotero cloud, you can do this up to a volume of 300 MB without additional costs. More space is available for little money in three tiers, from 2 GB ($20 per year) to unlimited storage ($120 per year).

Connect Zotero library to SciFlow & format automatically

The SciFlow text editor is designed to meet the specific needs of scientific writing. This includes connectivity to all popular reference managers (such as Zotero, Mendeley, or Citavi), automatic formatting of references according to the selected citation style, and easy positioning of sources in the body text.

1. Connect Zotero with SciFlow

After signing up, you can connect Zotero to SciFlow in just a few steps. Your library will be automatically synchronized and can also be shared in the document with all co-writers for easy collaboration. Through synchronization, changes in your Zotero library are also directly available in SciFlow.

2. Place references in SciFlow

Your references can be easily dragged and dropped to where you want to place the source citation, formatting to the selected format, and citation style automatically by SciFlow when exporting.

3. References format automatically

When exporting, SciFlow applies the selected citation rules to all references in the document and automatically creates the bibliography. When you add new references, they are automatically added to the bibliography.

The finished text file is generated with one click according to the publisher's or institute's specifications and can then be distributed.

Extra tip: write with colleages and share your references

If you are writing a publication with several co-authors, you probably know the hurdle of combining references from different literature management programs into one document. This is not a problem with SciFlow: all references cited in a paper are visible to all participants without them having to have their own Zotero account.

"SciFlow is a collaborative and user-friendly platform that simplifies the writing of scientific texts. With the help of the templates, my texts are properly formatted, and the integrated reference management saves me time when writing. A large database of templates will further increase the importance of SciFlow for science."