# Zotero

Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share your research sources.

Repository: https://github.com/zotero/zotero
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/zotero
Homepage: https://www.zotero.org
Language: JavaScript
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Last push: 2026-08-26T20:39:40+00:00
Link (homepage): https://www.zotero.org
Link (site_page): https://www.zotero.org/support

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5424, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 15077, forks 1096 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:09.120757+00:00)

## What it is
Zotero is a free, open-source reference management application for collecting, organizing, annotating, citing, and sharing research sources. It includes browser capture via the Zotero Connector, a PDF reader, word processor integrations, citation style support, and optional cross-device syncing.

## Use cases
- manage references and citations for a research paper
- save articles and books from the web into a personal library
- generate bibliographies in APA, MLA, or other citation styles
- annotate PDFs and take research notes
- share a bibliography with collaborators or a class
- sync my research library across devices

## When to choose
- you need a free, open-source alternative to EndNote or Mendeley
- you want browser-based capture of research sources with one click
- you need Word, LibreOffice, or Google Docs citation integration
- you want collaborative group libraries at no cost

## When to avoid
- you only need a one-off quick bibliography without library management (ZoteroBib may suffice)
- you need a lightweight CLI or API-only tool rather than a full desktop application
- you require fully offline sync without any Zotero storage or third-party WebDAV setup

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: search-engine, pdf, web-scraping, browser-extension, documentation
- domain: education, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cross-platform
- tags: citation-management, reference-manager, bibliography, academic-writing, research-sources, pdf-annotation, sync, collaboration, research, reference-management, macos, linux, ios, android

## Member repositories
- zotero/zotero (main) score 77
- zotero/translators (plugin) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:09.120757+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:06:44.974011+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/zotero/zotero (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:09.120757+00:00, sha 0b87ff6e849b)
  - homepage: https://www.zotero.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:05:15.427703+00:00, sha e7d47cb66ad3)
  - site_page: https://www.zotero.org/support (fetched 2026-08-29T08:05:15.437441+00:00, sha 0b24636c9460)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.