Zotero Citation Management: Zotero

About Zotero

Zotero is a free citation app that collects, manages, cites, and shares your research sources. The browser extension saves the citation info about articles, books, and more, then connects with the desktop Zotero to create citations and work with Google Docs (you need both desktop and browser extension). 

More info at https://libguides.willamette.edu/zotero

For Zotero help, contact:
Bill Kelm, bkelm@willamette.edu or
John Repplinger, jrepplin@willamette.edu

THE BASICS

How do I get Zotero?

1. Setup a free account at Zotero.org. You can use your Willamette login or use a different one.

2. Download two things: Zotero AND the browser extension.
Mac or PC instructions are available at: https://www.zotero.org/support/installation.
A beta version for Chromebooks is also available.

3. Zotero has issues with Safari. We recommend using Chrome or Firefox or Edge (directions below).

4. Zotero can be opened from your operating system's dock or file manager like any other program. Once open, click on the green circle-arrow (top right of the screen). Log into Zotero when prompted, and click the green circle-arrow again to sync. 

COLLECTING ITEMS

What kind of items can Zotero collect? 

Items can be everything from books, articles, and reports to web pages, artwork, films, letters, manuscripts, sound recordings, bills, cases, or statutes, among many others. Every item contains different metadata, depending on what type it is. If available, Zotero will automatically save a link to the full text. 

How do I import items into Zotero?

1. Run a search in a database such as Google Scholar or Academic Search Complete.

2. The Zotero icon probably changed. If the save icon is a book, article, image, or other single item, clicking on it will add the item to the current collection in Zotero. If the save icon is a folder, the webpage contains multiple items. Select which items you want to save and then "OK." 

3. If Zotero  does not recognize data on the page, clicking the icon will save it as a Web Page with an attached snapshot. Web pages will save only basic metadata (title, URL, access date). You may need to fill in additional metadata from the page by hand.

Can I manually add an item?

Yes. To add an item manually, within Zotero click green circle with a plus sign , select the item type. 

How do I change the information about an item?

To change or modify any of the metadata about an item from the Zotero desktop client, select an item and in the right panel edit the metadata. 

IN-TEXT CITATIONS AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES

How do add an in-text citation?

Click the Zotero tab within Word, Google Docs, or LibreOffice, then select Add/Edit Citation. A red search bar will appear where you can lookup a particular item. Select the time and hit Enter to add an in-text citation. In-text citations, footnotes and endnotes are all supported.

How do add a bibliography?

When you are ready for a bibliography/reference list, select Add/Edit Bibliography and Enter. 

For more information, visit the The A, B, C's of "Z"

Quickly download the Zotero Firefox Add-on:

• Open Firefox
• Go to the Zotero download site.
• Install the standalone Zotero program and the Zotero Firefox Connector.
• Start collecting sources!

 

Quickly download the Zotero Chrome Add-on:

• Open Chrome
• Go to the Zotero download site.
• Install the standalone Zotero program and the Zotero Chrome Connector.
  • Note: if you are signed into Chrome with your Willamette Gmail account you may see this message:
    "We are sorry, but you do not have access to this service. Please contact your Organization Administrator for access."
  • You can simply sign out of your Google Account in Gmail to add the extension. 
• Start collecting sources!