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Zotero Support

Zotero and Word Processors

Zotero will work with Microsoft Word and LibreOffice/OpenOffice/NeoOffice to create bibliographies and insert in-text citations into your manuscript. To help you get started here are links to quick guides on using Zotero with word processors:

Zotero also works with BibTeX/LaTeX. Some information below:

Overview

Zotero now installs word processor plug ins for the supported word processing programs on installation.

Once you have installed Zotero you should see the Zotero toolbar in Word:Open a Word document and click on the 'Zotero' tab in Word:
screenshot of Word document with Zotero tab highlighted

You should now see the Zotero tools at the top of your Word document:

screenshot of Word document with Zotero tab open and Zotero tools highlighted 

Creating stand-alone bibliographies on a PC and Mac

1. Select some or all of the references in your Zotero library, Right click and select Create Bibliography from Items

PC
screenshot of Zotero library on a PC with many references highlighted and Create Bibliography from Items selected in menu
MAC
screenshot of Zotero library on a Mac with many references highlighted and Create Bibliography from Items selected in menu


 

2. Choose the Citation Style and Copy to Clipboard for pasting into a document or email.

PC
screenshot of Create Citation/Bibliography window on a PC with MLA style highlighted
MAC
screenshot of Citation Style window on a PC with MLA style highlighted


3. Paste into the document. 

screenshot of references pasted into a Word document in MLA style

Inserting Parenthetical Citations

1. Go to the place in your word document that you would like to insert the parenthetical citation and select the Zotero toolbar.

screenshot of Word document with Zotero tab open and cursor placed at end of sentence where the citation will be placed
 

2. Click on Add/Edit Citation:
screenshot of Word document with Zotero toolbar open and Add/Edit Citation highlighted

3. Select the citation style from the list and click OK.
screenshot of Document Preferences window open with APA citation style selected

4. A search box will pop up that will allow you to search your Zotero library by author, title, keyword, etc. Search and select the citation you want to add.

screenshot of search box in Word document with a search for the author to find a paper
 

5. Once you have made your selection, click on the citation in the search box:
screenshot of search window in Word with desired citation inside

6. A box opens that allows you to add page numbers and other information to the citation:
screenshot of search bar in Word document with citation and page number added

7. After adding the page number or other information press 'Enter' on your keyboard twice and your formatted parenthetical citation will now appear in your Word document.
screenshot with sentence in paper with parenthetical citation included
 

Inserting Footnotes

1. Go to the place in your word document that you would like to insert the superscript for you footnote and then select the Zotero toolbar:
screenshot of Word document with Zotero tab open and cursor placed at end of sentence where the citation will be placed


2. Click on Add/Edit Citation:
screenshot of Word document with Zotero toolbar open and Add/Edit Citation highlighted

3. Select the citation style from the list and click OK.
screenshot of Document Preferences window open with Chicago (full note) citation style selected

4. A search box will pop that will allow you to search your Zotero library by author, title, keyword, etc. Search and select the citation you want to add.
screenshot of search box with author entered

5. Once you have made your selection, click on the citation in the search box:
screenshot of desired citation in search box, with page numbers

6. A box opens that allows you to add page numbers and other information to the citation:
screenshot of search box with desired citation and dropdown box that allows you to enter page numbers, prefix, and suffix to your citation

7. After adding the page number or other information press 'Enter' on your keyboard and your formatted footnote will now appear in your Word document.
screenshot of desired citation in text and in the footnotes

Insert bibliography of in-text citations

1. After you have finished inserting your parenthetical citations or footnotes into your document place your cursor where you would like your bibliography to begin:
screenshot of in-text citations in Word document and cursor at the end of the document




2. On the Zotero toolbar click on Add/Edit Bibliography:
screenshot of cursor hovering over Add/Edit Bibliography in Zotero toolbar

 

2. You will now see a formatted bibliography in your document:
screenshot of Word document with formatted bibliography at the end of the text