Cite with Local Zotero in Collabora by michaelveale

Cite with Local Zotero in Collabora integrates your local Zotero desktop application directly with Collabora Online. It provides full citation and bibliography management within the browser editor while maintaining exact file compatibility with LibreOffice desktop.

Unlike cloud-based API integrations, this extension utilizes the standard Zotero HTTP connector protocol to communicate with your local Zotero client. In that respect it is similar to the Zotero Connector's integration with Google Docs. This ensures that documents edited in Collabora Online use the exact same underlying field structures (ReferenceMarks and text sections) as the native LibreOffice plugin.

Key Features:

• Round-Trip Compatibility: Edit the same .odt file interchangeably between Collabora Online and LibreOffice desktop. Zotero fields are fully preserved and editable in both environments.
• Comprehensive Style Support: Utilizes the Zotero desktop citation engine, supporting all available styles, including complex note-based styles (e.g., OSCOLA, Chicago) with automatic footnote conversion, and tab-aligned numbered styles (e.g., IEEE, Vancouver).
• Full Citation Operations: Insert, edit, and delete citations, generate bibliographies, and modify document preferences directly from the browser.
• Offline Capability: Requires no external API keys or cloud connections. The transaction occurs locally between your browser and your Zotero desktop application.
• Citation Export: Export cited items directly from the document into CSL-JSON, BibTeX, or RIS formats without needing to run Zotero.
• Any WOPI Host: Compatible with Nextcloud, ownCloud, Seafile, or custom WOPI servers.
• Any User: Guests who have a Collabora file shared with them via a link, such as collaborators, can use this too, unlike the Nextcloud version.

Important Prerequisites:

This extension requires specific software and server configurations to function:
1. Zotero Desktop: Version 7.x or later must be running locally on the same machine as your browser.
2. Collabora Server Configuration: Your Collabora Online server administrator must copy the accompanying Python scripts into the LibreOffice Kit trusted script directory and set macro execution security to Level 3 or lower (High, instead of the default Very High). Details are here. The extension cannot manipulate document fields without this server-side component.

Privacy & Data Collection: This extension acts solely as a bridge between your Collabora Online session and your local Zotero desktop application; it does not collect, store, or transmit personal data or library information to any external servers.

This is an unofficial add-on for both Zotero and Collabora. Trademarked names are used on the basis of nominative fair use.