Spectral Docs

Web client for Zotero — manage, import, and export your bibliographic references

Quick Start

1. Open Refero in your browser
2. Log in via Spectral Cloud Portal
3. Select a Zotero library (personal or group)
4. Browse your collections and references
5. Add, edit, import, or export items

Interface

Refero uses a three-pane layout:

The interface is fully responsive — on smaller screens the panels adapt to a single-column layout.

Toolbar

The toolbar at the top provides access to:

• Library selector (personal or group libraries)
• New item creation
• Import and export
• ISBN scanner
• Settings
• Language switcher (French / English)

Authentication

Refero connects to Zotero securely through Spectral Cloud:

1. Log in via the Spectral Cloud Portal
2. Your Zotero API key is stored encrypted on the server
3. All requests are proxied through Supabase Edge Functions — your API key is never exposed to the browser

Collections

Collections are displayed as a tree view in the left panel.

• Create a new collection or sub-collection via the context menu
• Rename or delete collections from the context menu
• Navigate by clicking a collection to display its items
• My Library shows all items across all collections

Working with Items

Browsing

• Click a collection to display its items
• Use the search bar to filter items by title, author, or year
• Click a column header to sort (title, creator, date, item type)
• Virtual scrolling handles large collections efficiently

Creating Items

Click the + button in the toolbar and choose an item type (book, article, thesis, report, etc.). A new empty item is created in the current collection.

Editing Items

Select an item to view its details in the right panel. Click Edit to modify fields:

• Standard fields: title, authors/creators, date, publisher, ISBN, DOI, URL, etc.
• Each item type has its own set of relevant fields
• Creators can have multiple entries with role selection (author, editor, translator, etc.)

Changes are saved to your Zotero library in real time.

Field Configuration

In Settings, you can customize which fields appear for each item type:

• Enable/disable fields to show only what you need
• Custom fields are stored in Zotero’s “Extra” field and synchronized across devices

Importing References

Refero offers multiple ways to add references to your library.

Catalog Search

Search external library catalogs directly from Refero:

Search by title, author, ISBN, or keyword. Select one or more results and import them into your Zotero collection.

File Import

Drag and drop or browse to import bibliography files:

• BibTeX (.bib)
• RIS (.ris)
• CSL JSON (.json)

ISBN Scanner

Click the barcode icon to open the camera-based ISBN scanner:

1. Point your camera at a book’s barcode
2. Refero searches multiple catalogs automatically (Sudoc, BnF, Swisscovery, Harvard, Open Library)
3. The best result is selected via quality scoring
4. Confirm to add the reference to your library

Exporting References

Select items and click Export to generate bibliographic output.

Export Formats

Bibliography Generation

Generate formatted bibliographies using citation styles:

• APA, MLA, Chicago, and many more
• Preview the formatted output
• Copy to clipboard or download as a file

Settings

Access settings from the toolbar:

Preferences are saved locally in the browser and persist across sessions.

Supported Item Types

Refero supports all Zotero item types, including:

• Book, book section, edited book
• Journal article, magazine article, newspaper article
• Thesis, dissertation
• Conference paper, presentation
• Report, document
• Web page, blog post
• Film, video recording, audio recording
• Map, artwork, patent
• And many more

Refero — Spectral Lab