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Zotero

Learn to use the bibliographic management software Zotero.

The Zotero Toolbar

Zotero can make in-text citations easy by giving you the possibility to automatically insert them in a few clicks while writing.

To use Zotero to cite while you write, Microsoft Word (or LibreOffice) needs to have the Zotero toolbar. In Word, it appears as a tab named “Zotero”.

With Zotero for Firefox

If you are using Zotero for Firefox, you will need to download a plugin to acquire the Zotero toolbar.

Follow the steps below to install the plugin.

Steps

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
  2. Access the plugin installation page on the Zotero website. 
  3. Scroll down the page to find the appropriate link for your word processing software. Available options are Word for Windows, Word for Mac, and LibreOffice.
  4. Click on the link to begin downloading the plugin.
  5. A notification will appear in the upper left corner of the screen. Click “Allow”.
  6. A window will open in the center of the screen. Click “Install now”.
  7. Another notification in the upper left corner of the screen will prompt you to restart Firefox. Click “Restart now”. Firefox will close and reopen after a few seconds.

Next time you open Word or LibreOffice, a new tab or section named Zotero will have appeared.

With Zotero Standalone

If you are using Zotero Standalone, the toolbar should appear automatically when you open Word or LibreOffice. If it does not appear, it might need to be activated.

Follow the steps below to activate the toolbar.

Steps

  1. Open Zotero Standalone.
  2. In the toolbar at the very top of the window, select the “Tools” category.
  3. Click Add-ons. A window will open.
  4. Click the “Enable” button corresponding to the software you use (Word or LibreOffice).

If, despite following those steps, the Zotero toolbar still does not appear, you might need to uninstall and reinstall Zotero. Be sure to save your references to Zotero Web before you do so to to prevent loss of data. 

Create a bibliography

Using the references you have collected, Zotero can create a bibliography in your citation style of choice in only a few clicks.

Steps

  1. Open Zotero for Firefox or Standalone.
  2. Select the references you wish to include in your bibliography.
Tip: You can select all references in a folder by pressing Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) on your keyboard. On the contrary, if you only wish to use some of the references, keep the Ctrl or Cmd key pressed while clicking the chosen references.

  1. Right click one of the selected references and click “Create bibliography from Items…”. A window will appear.
  2. In the “Citation Style” portion of the window, select the desired citation style.
  3. In the “Output method” section, select “Copy to clipboard”.
  4. Open Microsoft Word or a similar software.
  5. Paste your bibliography.
  6. Proofread your bibliography - automatically generated content can contain errors.

 

Cite while you write

Once you have the Zotero Toolbar, you are ready to enjoy citing easily with Zotero.

Steps

  1. In Microsoft Word (or a similar software) click on the Zotero tab.
  2. Click the “Add/Edit Citation” button.
  3. Select your citation style and language and press OK.
  4. In the red search bar that appears, search for the reference you would like to cite.
  5. Click on the reference in the drop-down list and press Enter on your keyboard.