Upgrade StorageA lightweight Zotero plugin for looking up scientific terms without leaving your paper! No AI!
Link to download: https://github.com/AriyanBe/Science-Lense
Science Lens is a lightweight Zotero plugin designed to help researchers and students quickly look up unfamiliar scientific terms while reading academic literature.
The plugin was developed around a simple principle: provide enough information to clarify an unfamiliar term without interrupting the process of reading and critically interpreting the literature.
While reading a PDF in Zotero, users can highlight a term and select “Define · Wikipedia” from the context menu. Science Lens then displays a compact reference panel containing a definition, source information, and links for further reading when needed.
Unlike tools designed to summarize or interpret scientific literature, Science Lens intentionally remains a reference tool rather than a reading assistant. It does not summarize papers, interpret arguments, or generate explanations of the authors’ conclusions. The reader remains responsible for understanding and evaluating the scientific work.
Future development will remain consistent with this minimalist approach, including support for useful visual references such as images of organisms, biological structures, and other scientific subjects.
Science Lens is currently in early development, and feedback from students, researchers, and regular Zotero users is welcome. Suggestions, bug reports, and contributions can help guide its continued development.
Science Lens is a lightweight Zotero plugin designed to help researchers and students quickly look up unfamiliar scientific terms while reading academic literature.
The plugin was developed around a simple principle: provide enough information to clarify an unfamiliar term without interrupting the process of reading and critically interpreting the literature.
While reading a PDF in Zotero, users can highlight a term and select “Define · Wikipedia” from the context menu. Science Lens then displays a compact reference panel containing a definition, source information, and links for further reading when needed.
Unlike tools designed to summarize or interpret scientific literature, Science Lens intentionally remains a reference tool rather than a reading assistant. It does not summarize papers, interpret arguments, or generate explanations of the authors’ conclusions. The reader remains responsible for understanding and evaluating the scientific work.
Future development will remain consistent with this minimalist approach, including support for useful visual references such as images of organisms, biological structures, and other scientific subjects.
Science Lens is currently in early development, and feedback from students, researchers, and regular Zotero users is welcome. Suggestions, bug reports, and contributions can help guide its continued development.