Zotero

One of the coolest features of Zotero is its ability to create in-text citations and bibliographies as you type. If you have Microsoft Word, the Zotero add-in should automatically install when you download Zotero. It will appear as a tab across the top of your Word documents. If you're using Google Docs, a Zotero tab should automatically appear as long as the browser you're using has the Zotero connector installed.

1. Make sure the desktop version of Zotero is open on your computer
2. Place your cursor in the text document where you want the citation to appear
3. Click the "Zotero" tab (found in the row of tabs across the top of the document)
4. Click the "Add/Edit Citation" button
5. Choose your citation style - APA, MLA, etc. (This is only for the first citation in each document; Zotero will remember your style. If you don't see the citation style you need listed, you can download it by going to zotero.org/styles)
6. A red search box should appear; start typing the author or title of source you want to cite
7. Click on the correct item from the dropdown menu
8. If necessary for your citation style, click on the citation to add information such as page numbers
9. Hit "Enter." Your in-text citation is now created.
10. Review your citations for accuracy. They are computer-generated, and it is your responsibility to make sure the information is correct and properly formatted.

Zotero can also instantly generate a list of sources used in your document

1. Place your cursor in the text document where you want the bibliography to appear (usually at the very end)
2. Click the "Zotero" tab (found in the row of tabs across the top of the document)
3. Click the "Add/Edit Bibliography" button
4. A full list of sources (in alphabetic order and the right style) will appear
5. Review your bibliography for accuracy. These citations are computer-generated, and it is your responsibility to make sure the information is correct and properly formatted.

When you install the desktop version of Zotero, a few citation formats are automatically installed. However, there are thousands more you can install. This way you can format your paper according to your needs.

Installing Citation Styles

1. In your desktop Zotero program, click "Edit" (PC) or "Zotero" (Mac), then click "Settings"
2. In the Settings panel, click the "Cite" tab
3. Click the "Get additional styles..." link
4. Search for and click on the style you need to add it to your list of style options
5. The new citation style should now be available in the list of style options displayed in the "Cite" tab of the settings panel.

Your new style is now saved to Zotero and will be in the list of options the first time you enter a citation into a new document

Editing Citations in Zotero

Do not try to edit citations directly in your document, or your changes will be overwritten the next time Zotero syncs with your document. Instead, if you need to edit the content of your citations (for example, to correct a year of publication, add an author, fix a title that's displaying in all capital letters, etc.), go directly to your Zotero library and correct the information in the item record. Afterwards, return to your document and click the "Zotero" tab, then click "Refresh." This will update your citations so that the corrected information is displayed.

If you need to display information in italics (for example, genus and species names), you will need to edit the Zotero record. Type <i> where you want the italics to begin, and </i> where you want them to end.

• For example, here's what an article title would look like in Zotero:
  • Microplastic study reveals the presence of natural and synthetic fibres in the diet of King Penguins <i>(Aptenodytes patagonicus)</i> foraging from South Georgia
• And here's what that same article title would look like in your Word document or Google doc:
  • Microplastic study reveals the presence of natural and synthetic fibres in the diet of King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) foraging from South Georgia.

Unlinking Citations

If you prefer, you can instead "unlink" your citations from your Zotero library. This will allow you to edit the text of your citations directly in Word or Google Docs, but means that you will no longer be able to edit or update those citations through Zotero. To unlink your citations, click the "Zotero" tab in your document, then click "Unlink Citations."

If you're having issues getting Zotero to work with Google Docs or Microsoft Word, or if you're creating citations for a different program, you can still use Zotero to generate bibliographies.

1. In Zotero, select all the items you wish to include in the bibliography. To select multiple items, hold down the Control key (Windows) or Command key (Mac), then click on each item you wish to include.
2. Once all the items you wish to include are selected, right-click anywhere on the list. From the dropdown menu that appears, click "Create Bibliography from Items."
   • Alternatively, you can cite everything in a collection at once by right-clicking on the title of the collection, then clicking "Create Bibliography from Collection."
3. Select the citation style you wish to use, then choose "Bibliography" as your output mode and select an output method. Choosing "Copy to Clipboard" as your output method will allow you to paste the bibliography into your document.

You can also follow this process to create in-text citations. Follow the steps above, but select only one item to cite at a time (unless you want to cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical) and choose "Citations" as your output mode.