Obsidian Zotero Linker

Obsidian Zotero Linker

An Obsidian plugin that creates bidirectional links between Obsidian notes and Zotero references, streamlining academic research workflows by seamlessly connecting your note-taking and reference management systems.

Development

Obsidian Zotero Linker

An Obsidian plugin that creates bidirectional links between Obsidian notes and Zotero references, streamlining academic research workflows by seamlessly connecting your note-taking and reference management systems.

Client
Personal Project
Role
Developer
Date
November 2024
Technologies
Typescript
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Obsidian Zotero Linker

This plugin transforms Obsidian into a powerful research environment by deeply integrating it with your Zotero library. It goes beyond simple linking to offer an AI-powered, automated workflow for capturing, managing, and citing academic references seamlessly.

Project Overview

Obsidian Zotero Linker is an Obsidian plugin designed to bridge the gap between note-taking and reference management. It creates a seamless connection to your Zotero library and introduces a powerful AI-driven engine to automate citation extraction from various sources, including web pages, PDFs, and documents. The entire workflow is optimized for efficiency, allowing researchers and writers to focus on their work, not on manual data entry.

Key Features

Core Zotero Integration

  • Direct Library Access: Search and insert references from your Zotero library directly within Obsidian.
  • Advanced Document Export: Export notes to PDF, DOCX, and HTML with properly formatted citations and bibliographies generated by Pandoc.
  • Customizable Templates: Tailor how citation links appear in your notes with flexible templates.

AI-Powered Citation Engine

  • Automated Metadata Extraction: Automatically extract full citation data from URLs, PDFs, and documents using AI.
  • Multi-Provider Support: Integrates with multiple AI providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, and Google Gemini.
  • Identifier-Based Retrieval: Instantly fetches metadata by detecting and processing identifiers like DOI, PMID, and arXiv.

Intelligent & Efficient Workflow

  • URL-Centric Processing: Analyzes each unique URL only once, saving time and avoiding redundant operations.
  • Batch Processing: Process multiple links simultaneously with real-time progress tracking.
  • Smart Duplicate Detection: Intelligently identifies existing items to prevent clutter in your Zotero library.
  • Visual Status Indicators: At-a-glance feedback on how each link will be processed, ensuring transparency and control.

Technical Implementation

Built with TypeScript, the plugin leverages Obsidian's plugin API to create a seamless user experience. It integrates with the Zotero API for library management and uses Pandoc for robust document exporting with academic-grade citations. The AI features are modular, supporting various providers to ensure flexibility and resilience.

Use Cases

  • Academic Researchers: Efficiently manage hundreds of sources and streamline the citation process for papers and articles.
  • Students & Writers: Automate the tedious process of bibliography creation and source management.
  • Knowledge Workers: Aggregate information from diverse online sources and capture structured, citable references with ease.