Zotero is a free, open source reference and citation management system. Zotero’s features include web browser integration, online syncing, generation of in-text citations, footnotes and bibliographies, an integrated PDF reader and note editor, as well as integration with Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer, and Google Docs.
Zotero was originally created at the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University and, as of 2021, is developed and maintained by the non-profit Corporation for Digital Scholarship.
This video, created by the George Mason University Libraries, shows you how to download and set up Zotero:
New citations can be added automatically, with your web browser and the Zotero Connector. They can also be added manually, using the desktop application or web interface. Entering a book’s ISBN or an article’s DOI can automatically populate a new entry with information. PDFs and other documents containing metadata will create new entries when dragged and dropped into you Zotero library.
You can:
The Zotero plugin creates a special menu within your word processing software to add citations and build reference list bibliographies. When using Google Docs, the Zotero menu appears automatically if the browser connector is installed. Keep in mind that the Zotero desktop application needs to be open and running for the connector to access and embed your citations.
This video demonstrates how to use Zotero with Microsoft Word to create in-text citations and bibliographies:
By phone
Call 973-720-2116
The Reference Desk is staffed until 10PM Sunday-Friday and until 5:00pm on Saturday.
By e-mail
Send your question to the Reference Desk via email - refdesk@wpunj.edu
For additional information, visit the Zotero website https://www.zotero.org/, the Zotero Quick Start Guide, https://www.zotero.org/support/quick_start_guide, the Zotero help documentation at https://www.zotero.org/support/, and the discussion forums, https://forums.zotero.org/discussions.