Reference Management: Zotero

Ways to Add a Reference to Zotero Library 

1. Zotero Connector - a browser extension that can bring in references and full-text PDF. We recommend using either Chrome or Firefox. When you are using the Zotero Connector, please ensure that you keep the Zotero Library (Standalone or web) open.

2. Drag-and-Drop PDFs - Simply drag a PDF into Zotero to add it into your library. Zotero can automatically detect metadata for PDFs, provided it has a DOI number.

3. Using ISBN/DOI/PMID -  Click on the Add Item(s) by Identifier button and key in the ISBN/DOI/PMID.

4. Importing using .RIS files - To import a .RIS file, click on File and then select Import and choose the .RIS file you want to import. The citation information in the .RIS files will be imported automatically.

5. Entering references manually  

a. Select 'New Item' button > scroll down menu and choose More. Select the type of document you wish to add:

b. On the right hand side of Zotero, key in the details for that reference.

Ways to Organise your Zotero Library

1. Create Collections (folders) - Create a new collection by clicking the folder icon above the library pane. Create a subcollection by right clicking on an existing collection and selecting New Subcollection. You can drag and drop any citations in My Library onto the new collection or from one collection to another. Items will be in both My Library and the new collection. When a collection is selected any items you save will automatically be filed into that collection.

2. Remove Duplicates - click Duplicate Items on the left panel. If there are duplicates, Zotero will show them. Compare the references to see if they are indeed duplicates. If so, click on Merge Items to merge the references. Zotero will delete the duplicate reference.

3. Use Tags - Tags are keywords you can assign to items that allow you to characterise and group them, outside of collections. Tags can be imported from databases along with citation information or they can be added manually. All tags are searchable through the Zotero search box.

To tag items manually, select an item in Zotero and then select the 'Tags' tab in the column on the right pane. Click on 'Add.' Enter the word or phrase you want to use and press Enter. Tags can be renamed by clicking on them and deleted by using the 'minus' button. Your tags will now appear in Zotero's bottom left window pane.

4. Add Notes  - Notes are an easy way to record your thoughts directly in Zotero while reading your research materials.  To add notes to items, click on the Notes tab on the right pane, select 'Add'.

Group libraries are a great way to work privately with others on a project, and/or to share your research with others.

You can initiate the creation of a group library in two ways:

1.   Click the New Group icon in Zotero.

You will then be asked to log in to your online (Zotero cloud) account.

Choose a unique group name and group type.

Invite members to the group library by clicking Members Settings and then Send More Invitations.

Your Group Libraries will automatically sync to your Zotero desktop and will now appear below My Library collections. You can drag and drop items between private and group libraries to copy them. Anything added by any members of the Group Library, including tags and notes, will appear for all members.

Citing references and creating a bibliography in your word document involves these steps :

1. Install Microsoft Word Plugin  | 2. Insert Citation | 3. Select/Change Citation Style | 4. Add/Remove Citation Information | 5. Create Bibliography | 6. Unlink Citations/Remove Zotero Codes | 7. Making Changes to References

1. Install Microsoft Word Plugin 

In the Cite tab, click on Word Processors to get the latest version of the Microsoft Word or LibreOffice plugin. Choose the correct plugin (MS Word) to install.

After installing the word processor plug-in, please check your Microsoft Word to see if it is installed properly. Click on the Zotero ribbon and check if the Zotero toolbar is installed.

2. Insert Citation

Place your cursor where you would like to add a citation and click Insert Citation or Add Citation.

A pop-up will appear. Key in either the author's name or the title of the reference in the pop-up and choose the correct citation you want to cite and press Enter.

3. Select/Change Citation Style

The first time you insert a citation in a document you will be required to choose a citation style. You can change the citation style at anytime.

This example has selected Chicago (note). You can change citation style by clicking on Document Preferences. Zotero will insert a footnote with a formatted citation into your document.

If you do not see the style you want listed, you will need to click on Cancel and go into Zotero's Preferences. Under Cite select Styles. Click on Get additional Styles...

Search the style you want and click on the title. Click on Install to install the style. Now you will see this style listed when you go back into Word to install the first citation.

4. Add/Remove Citation Information

You can update some information of the in-text citation. To add page numbers or other information to your citation after it has been inserted, place your cursor within the citation and then click the Zotero Edit Citation button.

After selecting the citation you want, click on the citation to add the page numbers. After adding the page numbers, press Enter to insert the citation.

You can also add multiple sources in one citation. After selecting the first citation, just search for the next citation you want to insert, then press Enter to insert the citations

5. Create Bibliography

When you are done adding citations, click on Add/Edit Bibliography.  Zotero will insert a fully-formatted and alphabetised bibliography in the citation style you have previously chosen.

6. Unlink Citations/Remove Zotero Codes

You may want to send your document to your supervisor, a journal editor or a close friend. It is advisable to remove Zotero codes before you send the file to allow your readers to read your document.

Before you decide to remove the Zotero codes, please save a copy of the file as Zotero will not create a new file when you choose to remove Zotero codes. To remove Zotero codes, click on Unlink Citations. The Zotero code will be removed automatically and you should save this version with a different file name. Yes, now you will have (1) the original file with Zotero codes and (2) another version with no codes.

7. Making Changes to References

When making changes to the bibliographic information, make the changes in Zotero itself. After making the changes, you will want to click on Zotero Refresh to update the citations.

Zotero is now fully integrated with Google Docs.

This means that Google Docs users can have similar Zotero features and functionality that users of Microsoft Word have.

To use Zotero with Google Docs, you will have to:

1. Install the Zotero Standalone on your device
2. Install the Zotero Browser Connector on the browser you are using on Google Docs
3. Allow Zotero Connector to access your Google Account

Once you have done all of these, the Zotero Ribbon will appear on Google Docs:

To use Zotero with Google Docs, please ensure that:

1. Zotero Standalone is open when you are using Google Docs

The steps on how to use Zotero with Google Docs is similar to the steps that you will use in Microsoft Word.