Zotero Plugins Atlas
Plugins / Organising & tags

Paper Machines

by ChristianFrisson · github.com/ChristianFrisson/papermachines

Analyses and visualises a text collection for digital humanities research.

Paper Machines has Atlas grade B (use with care) because it launches programs on your computer. It's a Zotero 6 plugin, so Zotero 7 and later can't load it. What to use instead. Last checked 6 Nov 2026.

Organising & tags
View source
Downloads a .xpi file (21 MB). In Zotero, open Tools → Plugins and install it from the file.
In useAn estimate of how many copies of Zotero have it: Zotero downloads each new version once for every copy that has the plugin, so we count the downloads of its most-downloaded recent release. Rounded. Plugins that update from outside GitHub count low.
68
DownloadsAll-time downloads of its release files from GitHub, counting every update. Installs from elsewhere aren't counted.
68
ReleasesVersions published on GitHub. Everyone who has the plugin downloads each one again, which adds up in Downloads.
1
StarsPeople who starred the repository on GitHub: a rough measure of interest.
0
ContributorsPeople who have committed code to the repository.
3
LicenceThe licence the code is published under, as GitHub reports it.
BSD-2-Clause
B
Atlas gradeUse with care
because it launches programs on your computer
Applies to v0.4.9.1, released 6 Sep 2015Code checked · not yet tested in a live Zotero
Legacy plugin for Zotero 6 onlyUses the old plugin format. Zotero 7 and later can't load it.
Fork of papermachines/papermachinesA copy of another listed plugin, changed by someone else.
Another plugin uses the same IDOne other plugin shares this add-on ID. Zotero can only install one of them.
What we found in the codeSets the gradeThe worst finding in these three areas sets the grade.
Code transparencyReadable code; not yet checked against the published sourceThe developer uploaded the release file from the ChristianFrisson account. We haven't yet checked whether this file matches the public source code. 2 code files couldn't be parsed and were only scanned for known patternsUnknownWe couldn't check this yet.
Updates
Updates come from www.papermachines.orgThe update address has no version for Zotero 4
Where your data goesOnly contacts services we could identify5 addresses in 1 group.LowLow concern: normal for plugins that do this job. Listed so you know.
Scholarly services (5)
dbpedia.orgnamed in its codeThe address is in its code, but we didn't trace a request to it. It may be a link or unused.jstor.orgnamed in its codeThe address is in its code, but we didn't trace a request to it. It may be a link or unused.spotlight.dbpedia.orgsws.geonames.orgnamed in its codeThe address is in its code, but we didn't trace a request to it. It may be a link or unused.ws.geonames.org
Where we found it
spotlight.dbpedia.orgchrome/content/papermachines/processors/dbpedia.py · line 20
dbpedia_url = 'http://spotlight.dbpedia.org/rest/annotate'
ws.geonames.orgchrome/content/papermachines/processors/geoparser.py · line 210
query_url = 'http://ws.geonames.org/' \
Powerful capabilitiesLaunches programs on your computer, and 5 moreMediumMedium concern: worth reading before you install. One medium finding makes the grade B.
Medium concern (1)
Launches programs on your computer
Low concern (5)
Uses the clipboardWorks with files on your computerAdds Zotero translators it shipsKeeps its own database fileIts pages ask for web scripts, which Zotero blocks
Where we found it
Launches programs on your computerchrome/content/papermachines/papermachines.js · line 506
var proc = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/process/util;1"]
Before you installShown, not gradedFacts to help you decide. They don't change the grade.
Works withZotero 6 only (legacy plugin)Doesn't work with the current Zotero (10)MediumMedium concern: worth reading before you install. One medium finding makes the grade B.
Zotero 9 ✗ doesn't workZotero 10 ✗ doesn't workZotero 11 beta ✗ doesn't work
What you'll needNothing extra detectedDetected automatically from its code
No further detail for this area yet.
MaintenanceDormant · last release 6 Sep 20153 contributors
No further detail for this area yet.
LanguagesDocumentation in EnglishInterface: English
No further detail for this area yet.
We report what we found in the code. Open any area for the evidence.How we gradeReport a problem

What it does

Written by AI from the README

Analyses and visualises a text collection for digital humanities research. It offers word clouds, phrase nets, topic models, maps of places mentioned and DBpedia annotation, run from the collection right-click menu. Needs Java.

Gives historians and humanities researchers corpus analysis without programming or heavy computing. A legacy plugin for old Zotero versions, forked from papermachines/papermachines.

What you'll need

Detected automatically

We haven't detected any setup requirements. That isn't the same as none: check the developer's README.

Where your data goes

We found: only contacts services we could identify. 5 addresses in 1 group.

Scholarly services (5)
dbpedia.orgnamed in its codejstor.orgnamed in its codespotlight.dbpedia.orgsws.geonames.orgnamed in its codews.geonames.org
Evidence · file and line
spotlight.dbpedia.orgchrome/content/papermachines/processors/dbpedia.py · line 20
dbpedia_url = 'http://spotlight.dbpedia.org/rest/annotate'
ws.geonames.orgchrome/content/papermachines/processors/geoparser.py · line 210
query_url = 'http://ws.geonames.org/' \

Forks and copies

Fork of papermachines/papermachines.

1 other plugin uses the same ID as this one. Every Zotero plugin carries an ID, a name tag Zotero uses to tell plugins apart. These 2 plugins carry the same one, because people copied Paper Machines to make their own versions and kept its ID.Show what this means
  • You can only have one. Zotero sees them as the same plugin.
  • Installing another replaces it. If you install one of the others, it takes this one's place.
  • Check what you install. Several share this plugin's name, so make sure the file comes from the one you meant.
See all 2 and how they differ →

No forks listed.

The developer's response

The developer hasn't responded. Developers can reply here, and their reply sits next to our findings.I'm the developer

Ratings and reviews

What people who use it say. This is separate from the grade, which is what the code does, and never changes it.

No ratings yet.

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Your rating of Paper Machines v0.4.9.1

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Install Paper Machines
BUse with care
Before you install: It launches programs on your computer.Read the finding
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