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Citing Sources and Research Tips: Zotero

Zotero is an open source research tool that allows you to create a library of information collected from websites, books, articles and other documents. Your Zotero library is organized into uniquely named folders (similar to an iTunes library) and fully-indexed, allowing you find a specific item, instantly. Zotero also supports numerous writing styles such as: APA, MLA, Turabian, etc. and will automatically create citations (also known as references) within Word for you according to your preferred style. 

Step 1: Register for a free Zotero account.

Step 2: Install Zotero 5.0 and the Zotero Connector to your device.

Step 3: Sync your Zotero library 

  1. Open Zotero on your device.
  2. Click the edit tab.
  3. Click preferences.
  4. Select the sync tab.
  5. Enter your Zotero username and password.
  6. Click set up syncing.
  7. Click the boxes for your desired sync settings.
  8. Lastly, click OK.

Collecting Articles from Databases

  1. Highlight the name of the collection in your Zotero library to which you’d like to add articles.
  2. Go to the Nicholson Library website.
  3. Select a database from the A-Z database list.
  4. Search for your topic of interest.
  5. Select a full-text article of your choice.
  6. Click the Zotero connector toolbar icon in the upper right corner of your browser (it should look like a sheet of paper). This will save the article to your Zotero library.

Collecting Resources from Library Catalog

  1. Highlight the name of the collection in your Zotero library to which you’d like to add items.
  2. Go to the Nicholson Library website.
  3. Search for your topic of interest or for a specific author or title.
  4. Once you find an item (book, audiovisual material, etc.) click the Zotero connector toolbar icon in the upper right side of your browser (it should look like a file folder.)

  5. A list of titles from your search results will pop up. Select the titles in which you are interested in saving to your Zotero library. 

Collecting Resources from the Web

  1. Highlight the collection in your Zotero library to which you’d like to add resources.
  2. Open your internet browser. You should see the Zotero icon in the upper-right corner of your screen.
  3. Search for your topic of interest on any website, blog, video hosting site, etc..
  4. Click the Zotero connector toolbar icon. It may look like a file folder, piece of paper, video reel, etc. depending upon the format of the information. 

Setting Up Preferred Citation Style in Microsoft Word

  1. Open your Word document
  2. Click the Zotero tab (or icon if using a Mac) at the top of the screen
  3. Click document preferences and select a style from the list
  4. If you do not see your preferred style in the list then click the manage styles link located under the list box
  5. Next, click the get additional styles link
  6. Type the name of your preferred style into the search box
  7. Click the link to your preferred style when it appears in the list of results. It is now saved to your style list. Click OK.

Adding Footnotes

  1. Make sure your Zotero library is open
  2. Open your Word document
  3. Position the cursor after the last word of the quote you would like to cite.
  4. Click the Zotero tab at the top of the screen
  5. Then click add/edit citation
  6. A search box will appear. Type the title or author of the resource that you’d like to cite.
  7. If you are citing information taken from specific page numbers in a resource, type the page numbers you’d like to include in the footnote. Then hit enter.

Adding a Bibliography

  1. Open your Word document
  2. Create a blank page at the end of the document.
  3. Click the Zotero tab at the top of the screen
  4. Next click add/edit bibliography. A bibliography of all your cited works will be created automatically.

     

Zotero 5.0 Workshop with Beth Kumar, Librarian at GTU Library

 

 

 

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