Zotero will run on any operating system. The plug-in or add-on requires Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or greater and installation only takes a few seconds. Zotero Standalone can work with any browser, although it does not offer some of the features the plug-in version allows.

To install:

1. Go to http://www.zotero.org/ and click the red "Download" button.
2. Click "Install Now" and follow the instructions.
3. If you see the message “Firefox prevented this site from asking you to install software on your computer," click "Allow".
4. Restart Firefox and you're all set! You'll see a small Zotero button at the bottom of your Firefox window.

If you have any problems, check the Zotero installation page. Zotero offers word processing plugins for Word and OpenOffice. The plugin adds a Zotero toolbar to your word processor that allows you to add citations to your document while you write.

Organize research, collaborate, and discover new knowledge [Mendeley]

Mendeley Desktop organizes your research paper collection and citations. It automatically extracts references from documents, generates bibliographies, and is freely available on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

Mendeley Web lets you access your research paper library from anywhere, share documents in closed groups, and collaborate on research projects online. It connects you to like-minded academics and puts the latest research trend statistics at your fingertips.

Visit their website for more information and tutorials on how to use the citation management service.