Zotero

Zotero is an intuitive and user-friendly piece of software whose main function is to assist you in creating, adding and managing citations or other references that you may use in your research studies.

Functional interface

Following an uneventful installation process, you can begin working with the application right away, as it does not require any special training or knowledge with similar tools.
It features a straight-forward interface, with three panels, the first comprising 'My Library', the second listing the reference 'Titles' while the third features 'Info' about a selected entry, such as 'Item Type', 'Author', 'URL' and others. Here, you can also add 'Notes', 'Tags' or connect 'Related' items between themselves.

Collect references by creating them yourself or by importing them

From 'My Library', you can create a 'New Group' or a 'New Collection' enabling you to thoroughly organize all your references into functional categories, so you can quickly locate them when you need to use them.
In order to add a 'New Item', you first need to select its corresponding type from the dedicated submenu, with options ranging between 'Book', 'Document', 'Journal Article', 'Artwork', 'Blog Post', to 'Email', 'Map', 'Film', 'Manuscript', 'Podcast', 'Report', 'Thesis', 'Interview' and many others. It will automatically be listed in the middle panel, allowing you to complete its 'Info' details.
Subsequently, you can add the 'Title', 'Author', 'Publisher', 'Date', 'Language', 'Short Title', 'URL', 'Archive', 'Library Catalog', 'Call Number', 'Rights', 'Date Added', and several other details. The 'Notes' you add can be personal thoughts, opinions, links, or anything else that is relevant for that entry. By entering 'Tags', you can locate the reference more easily.
At the same time, you also have the option to 'Import' citations from a wide range of file formats, such as XML, RIS, BIB, HTML, JSON, EDU, TXT, RDF and many others. Similarly, your library can be exported to countless formats, so you can use it with other apps unrestricted.

Efficient reference manager

All in all, Zotero is a comprehensive and efficient utility which can successfully assist you in fully managing your research sources, enabling you to keep track of all the books, articles or any other type of information you have used.