Zotero: Citations & Bibliographies

Zotero comes with the most common bibliographic styles, but many more are available to download.

To install a style:

1. Go to the Zotero app
2. Under Edit -- choose Preferences
3. Select the Cite tab
4. Review existing styles in the Style Manager; import additional styles if required
5. To do so, click 'Get additional styles...'
6. Browse/search for the desired style template and left-click to add to the Style Manager

The new style will now appear in Zotero's style lists.

To quickly create a citation for one or more references within your Zotero library:

1. Open the Zotero app
2. Select the item(s) you wish to cite
3. Right click, and choose "Create Bibliography from Item"
4. From the dialog box that appears under Output Mode -- choose Citation
5. Select your preferred citation style. If you do not see the style you need in the list, click on the link "Manage Styles" and then select "Get Additional Styles" from the new dialog box. 

Once you have selected a citation style, you will choose whether you want the output to be a citation (i.e., and in-text citation) or a bibliography.

You can choose whether to save the output as RTF or HTML, or to copy it to your clipboard or print it. "Copy to Clipboard" is the default option, and this is probably what you will use most often if you just want to add a citation or two to an email or document.

If you are working on a long document and plan to include numerous in-text citations and a bibliography, then you may prefer to use Zotero's word processor integration.  

Creating a Bibliography from Zotero:

1. Selecting References or Collections:

   • Choose the references or collections you wish to include.
   • Hold the "control" key and click to select multiple items.

2. Generating Bibliography:

   • "Right-click" on one of the selected items.
   • Choose "Create Bibliography."

3. Configuring Output:

   • Pick the desired bibliographic style.
   • Select the output format: Save as RTF or HTML, copy to clipboard, or print.

4. Alternative Method - Drag and Drop:

   • An easier method is to drag and drop references directly from Zotero into your document.
   • The references will automatically transform into fully formatted citations.
   • Compatible with any word processor, including Google Docs.

Tip: Drag and drop the references directly from Zotero into a document and the references will turn into to formatted citations. This feature works with all word processors, including Google Docs.  Be sure to check your references! Automatically generated bibliographies may not be perfect.