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Zotero

Information about the citation management software Zotero.

ZoteroZotero

Zotero is a citation management tool that helps you import citations from the web and plugs into Word and Google Docs to insert citations as you write.

It was created in 2006 by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, and has been run by the Corporation for Digital Scholarship since 2013.

 

Note: Stevens does not have an institutional subscription to this product, so you will have to create a personal account to use it.

Zotero Tools

Zotero can be used solely as a web-based library but more functionalities are available with the downloadable desktop tool (Mac, Windows, and Linux). You can use both the web library and desktop library as they'll sync up.

The Zotero Connector is a browser plug-in (Firefox, Chrome, Edge, or Safari) that allows you to save whatever you come across online into your web/desktop library.

ZoteroBib is a free web-based citation tool that generates citations from URL metadata, and saves what you enter to create a bibliography. It's free!

Storage

Zotero's basic File Storage plan (300mb of storage) is free, but there is a charge for more storage:

  • 2GB for $20/year
  • 6GB for $60/year
  • Unlimited for $120/year

 

Group Storage

Group libraries can be created through zotero.org, and file storage for shared libraries will draw from the storage account of the group owner.

Add-Ons and Plug-Ins

As open-source software, Zotero allows its users to create fixes and tools to improve the usability and function of the citation manager.

 
Plug-ins for Google Docs, Word, and LibreOffice:
All Plug-ins

Zotero Help Documentation & Tutorials

Changing Citation Styles in Zotero

Citation management tools all come preset with many of the major styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, AMA, etc.) but Zotero can also import new CSL files to format your citations in the style of whatever journal or publisher with whom you might be working.

The process to do so is as follows:

  1. Find the style you need in one of the libraries below.
  2. Download the CSL file (which stands for Citation Style Language).
  3. Import it into Zotero by going to the Preferences menu (under the Gear icon in the plug-in), then to the Cite tab, and then Styles (see the image).
  4. Add the style you downloaded by clicking on the + button. It will then appear in the citation style options when you export your items as a bibliography.

Syncing Zotero to the Library

Connect to the Samuel C. Williams Library for greater functionality!

You can connect Zotero to the Library's OpenURL resolver so that citations can be searched for in the Library's collections through the Library Lookup tool.

Go to Preferences in Zotero Desktop, and under the Advanced tab, look for and select the resolver labeled "Stevens Institute of Technology" or enter the URL listed there (see image).