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Citation 101

Librarian-crafted instructional guide for how to cite and manage sources

Special Resource - Zotero!

Once you start collecting sources for a project, you may find yourself with loads of articles or other materials to sift through - ever wish there was a tool that could help you do that? Say hello to Zotero, the citation management software!

Zotero is a free tool that you can download onto your computer that does a lot of things for you:

  • grab PDFs and webpage links from your browser and import them into your personal Zotero library
  • organize and search your Zotero library by creating folders, assigning tags, and more
  • set up an online Zotero account to sync your library across computers and online
  • form groups with other Zotero members to share items from your libraries
  • create in-text citations and works cited lists in any citation style using Zotero's plugins for Word and Google Docs

All you need is to go to Zotero.org to download both the free application for Windows/Mac and connector for your Chrome or other browsers. These will set up your Zotero library on your computer and install a button on your browser window that you can click for anything you want to import to your library; the download also automatically installs plugins with Word and Google Docs so you can create citations for items saved in your library with one click (Zotero does not yet work with Pages). Once you've downloaded those two pieces, you can register for a free Zotero account online, creating a username and password, which will allow you to sync your library and create groups. 

Zotero is great for keeping all your research resources in one spot, and it has the ability to grab citation information from the things you import to create citations for you automatically. It isn't perfect, and you should always double check that the information is correct, but it's a good way to get started, and it's especially nice for sharing sources with your partners in a group project.

Interested in finding out more? Check out the video and information below, or ask a librarian for details or help with installation!

Download and Register Zotero

Videos and Guides for Getting Started with Zotero

Getting Started with Zotero - Video made by Laurier Library (2020), taken from Youtube

New Feature - ZBib!