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Learn to collect, organise, read, cite and share research with Zotero, the free reference manager. Eight short lessons, hands-on activities, quizzes and a certificate.
Unlimited Duration
October 2, 2026
25
6 hours, 10 minutes
Stop losing papers and retyping reference lists. This short, practical course shows you how a reference manager works, how the main ones compare, and how to use Zotero, which is free, from first install to a finished paragraph with a correct reference list in any style.
Who this is for
Physiotherapy students, clinicians writing a dissertation, audit or case report, and early researchers. You do not need to have used a reference manager before.
Every activity uses Zotero, because it is free, runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, and works in Word, LibreOffice and Google Docs. Mendeley, EndNote and other tools are compared so you can choose with your eyes open.
What you will be able to do
- Explain what a reference manager does, and compare Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote and others.
- Install Zotero and the browser Connector, and set up sync.
- Save papers from PubMed, PEDro, the Cochrane Library and journal sites in one click, and check the details.
- Organise a library with collections, tags and saved searches, and remove duplicates.
- Read and annotate PDFs, and turn highlights into notes that keep their page references.
- Insert citations and a reference list as you write, and switch between Vancouver, APA and journal styles in one click.
- Share a library with a supervisor or a review team, and back it up properly.
How each lesson works
| Part | What you do |
|---|---|
| Read and watch | A written guide, plus one or two short videos chosen from the most-watched Zotero tutorials. |
| Do | One hands-on task in Zotero, on a physiotherapy practice question. Everything is free. |
| Check | A short quiz, marked straight away, with an explanation for every question. |
The lessons
| Lesson | Topic | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Why a reference manager, and which one | 20 min |
| 2 | Install and set up | 20 min |
| 3 | Collect | 30 min |
| 4 | Organise | 25 min |
| 5 | Read and annotate | 25 min |
| 6 | Cite while you write | 30 min |
| 7 | Sync, share and keep it safe | 20 min |
| 8 | Final activity | 40 min |
How grading works
Each lesson ends with a short quiz. You need 70 per cent to pass a quiz, and you can retake it. After each attempt you will see which answers were right, with a short explanation for every question.
The course ends with a final activity: a small Zotero library and a cited paragraph on a physiotherapy question of your choice, checked against a self-assessment checklist.
You receive a certificate of completion when you have passed every quiz at 70 per cent or above and submitted the final activity.
Next step
About to search the literature? Searching the Databases: Literature Searching for Physiotherapists takes you from a clinical question to a complete, recorded search, and ends by exporting it into the Zotero library you build here.
Course author: Karthik Muthumayandi. Part of: the Physiodemy Research Specialisation.
Course Currilcum
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- Lesson 1: Why a reference manager, and which one 00:20:00
- Lesson 1 quiz: Why a reference manager, and which one 00:20:00
- Lesson 2: Install and set up 00:20:00
- Lesson 2 quiz: Install and set up 00:20:00
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- Lesson 3: Collect 00:30:00
- Lesson 3 quiz: Collect 00:20:00
- Lesson 4: Organise 00:25:00
- Lesson 4 quiz: Organise 00:20:00
- Lesson 5: Read and annotate 00:25:00
- Lesson 5 quiz: Read and annotate 00:20:00
- Lesson 6: Cite while you write 00:30:00
- Lesson 6 quiz: Cite while you write 00:20:00
- Lesson 7: Sync, share and keep it safe 00:20:00
- Lesson 7 quiz: Sync, share and keep it safe 00:20:00
