Grounded Q&A for Zotero: A Comprehensive Guide

Overview

Grounded Q&A is a plugin for Zotero (version 7 and above) that allows users to ask questions about their research papers and receive answers grounded directly in the source text. A key feature is that every claim in the AI-generated answer is cited with a clickable page link, which jumps the user straight to the relevant spot in the PDF. The plugin supports single-paper queries within the reader and multi-paper queries across selected items in the library.

Benefits

Grounded Q&A offers several powerful advantages for researchers and students. It provides single-paper Q&A, allowing users to ask questions about a specific PDF currently open in the Zotero reader via a side panel. For broader research, it supports multi-paper Q&A, enabling users to select two or more items in their library and ask a single question across all of them simultaneously. This is ideal for literature comparison. Answers include inline citations that are clickable, so users can jump to the exact page number mentioned. The plugin supports flexible AI providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Ollama, DeepSeek, and Grok. API keys are stored securely within Zotero's preferences and are never sent to third parties except to the chosen AI provider. Users can also run the tool fully offline by pointing it at a local Ollama instance. A one-click test in Settings helps verify the provider, key, and model before use.

Use Cases

Grounded Q&A is designed for researchers who need to quickly find specific information within large collections of documents. Users can open a PDF in the Zotero reader and ask questions directly from the right-hand item pane. The answer appears with clickable citations that take the user to the exact page. For more complex research, users can select multiple papers in their library, right-click the selection, and choose the option to ask a question across all selected papers. The response will cite specific papers and pages, allowing the user to navigate directly to the source material. This workflow is perfect for comparing experimental setups, verifying claims across different studies, or synthesizing information from multiple sources.

Pricing

Grounded Q&A is a free, open-source plugin distributed under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license. There is no cost to install or use the plugin itself. However, users are responsible for any usage costs incurred with their chosen AI provider. If using cloud-based providers like Anthropic or OpenAI, users will need to provide their own API keys and pay for the services as per the provider's pricing. If using Ollama for local processing, there are no additional costs beyond the initial setup of the local server.

Vibes

As an open-source project hosted on GitHub, Grounded Q&A has not yet accumulated a large volume of public reviews or testimonials. The project is actively maintained, with clear documentation and a responsive development team addressing issues like PDF indexing and API key configuration. The community feedback suggests that the tool is highly effective for researchers who value accuracy and transparency in AI-generated answers. The ability to click directly to the source page for every claim has been praised for reducing hallucinations and improving research efficiency.

Additional Information

The project is built on Node.js and is available for development on GitHub. The source code is open for anyone to inspect, modify, or contribute to. The plugin requires each PDF's text to be indexed, and users can reindex items if text extraction fails. The development team provides clear instructions for obtaining API keys for various providers and troubleshooting common issues like connection errors or missing citations. The plugin is designed to work with a wide range of AI models, giving users flexibility in choosing the best tool for their needs.