Stratum

From Zotero notes to a finished paper, all in Obsidian.

Read and annotate in Zotero. Use Stratum to bring your sources into Obsidian, connect them with your ideas, and develop your argument. Write in your preferred citation style, then create a polished PDF.

Install Stratum in Obsidian

Read the user guide

Join the Discord community

Bring your next paper together

Read and collect

Turn sources from your personal and group Zotero libraries into literature notes. Import source details, abstracts, Zotero notes, and highlights with links back to Zotero. Browse imported notes by collection, including subcollections.

Sync keeps imported material current. Write your own notes above the Synced source content notice so Stratum preserves them during sync.

For sources with a DOI, available OpenAlex data adds context such as citation counts, open access links, and retraction flags.

Connect and compare

Link literature notes with other notes and ideas in your vault. Insert a source summary with prompts for your own analysis, then build your argument in a writing note.

Compare sources in tables using metadata and research properties you record, such as methods, findings, and limitations. Dataview is not required.

Write and cite

Compose citations with multiple sources, page numbers, and other locators. Choose APA, IEEE, Chicago Notes, or another CSL style. Reading view formats citations and generates bibliographies or citation notes.

The Citations sidebar brings your draft's sources together and flags citation problems. Open a source in the sidebar Reader while keeping your draft in its main tab.

Switch citation styles without rewriting your prose. Formatting works offline when the required reference data, style, and language are available locally.

Publish your paper

Create PDFs on your computer. Set document details, author information, citation style, and layout options. Preview your PDFs in Obsidian and save copies to share.

Download additional publishing templates through Settings → Publishing → Manage templates, or use the gear beside Publish → Create → Template. Downloads come from Stratum’s public template mirror at templates.stratumnotes.com; no manuscript or reference data is sent. Installed files are verified and reused offline, provided the compiler’s supporting packages and fonts are also cached. See Publishing for setup and options.

Get started

1. Install Stratum in Obsidian and enable the plugin.
2. Open Settings → Stratum, select Sign in, and complete the email code process in your browser.
3. Select Connect Zotero and approve access to your Zotero account.
4. Keep Zotero running on the same computer. Enable Bulk sync under Settings → Stratum → Sync, then sync a library or collection from the sidebar's Sync tab.

To import one source on desktop or mobile, run Stratum: Open library view, search for a source, and select it.

Read the user guide for sync, source summaries, comparison tables, citations, and publishing instructions.

Update through Settings → Community plugins → Check for updates.

Requirements and privacy

Stratum requires Obsidian 1.11.4 or newer, a Stratum account, and internet access for sign-in, Zotero authorization, and cloud imports. Bulk sync and PDF publishing require desktop Obsidian. Publishing also requires Pandoc and Tectonic; the guide explains setup.

Your literature notes are Markdown files in your vault. Stratum does not upload your Obsidian drafts or personal writing. Cloud imports use Stratum's service to fetch Zotero source material. The plugin has no telemetry or analytics.

Read Privacy and connections for service, caching, and network details.

Optional Zotero plugins

Install Stratum in Zotero to import area annotation images through Zotero's local API on desktop.

Community and contributing

Join the Stratum community on Discord to ask questions, share your research workflow, and help shape Stratum.

Found a bug or have a suggestion? Open an issue. To work on the plugin, see Contributing.

Stratum is open source, released under the MIT License.