How to use Zotero with Microsoft word, Easiest way to use Zotero with words in few minutes
Zotero is a downloadable citation manager, allowing you to collect web references with one click and then easily create bibliographies. This comprehensive tutorial will take you through all the major features of Zotero, from installation, gathering research, and creating bibliographies.
First and foremost, propose of this tutorial to make best and easy way out for student who are struggling to make their bibliography better. The tutorial will also demonstrate about, how to connect the Microsoft Word with Zotero citation manager. I use Zotero during my Bachelor and Master thesis in University. I started learning from Bachelor and happened to use to during my master. It been long time, and I am sure I don’t recall many functions today. It by coincident today, when I was giving feedback to my brother for his report, I suggest him to use Zotero citation manager to make his citation look more professional. He happens to find little difficult; and I totally agree with him. So, I decided to make a simple video which will help other like my brother who are writing report or thesis in university level and are not known to Zotero can use in in simple way.
Zotero is a software with lots of promised, having lots of function sometime make hard for us to extract what exactly we are looking for! Let’s begin the tutorial.
How to install Zotero?
To install the Zotero we have to go Zotero.org and then click on the download button.
Which Zotero should I install?
Zotero have three different kind of downloadable software. First component is software downloaded to your hard drive it will take some space in your drive to store some file. Basically, they all are connected and if you want best out of it, you should start by downloading Zotero Standalone software and Browser connector extension for Google Chrome. While doing this, the Microsoft tool for Zotero will install automatically.
How to install zotero with chrome word connector
What is Zotero Connector?
A Zotero Connector is basically a bridge between your search reference finding and getting that into Zotero application you have installed in hard drive. Which also help synchronize your search save to the Zotero server and Zotero tool for Microsoft Word.
Do I need to create a account in Zotero?
Yes, it is important, because your citation will be synchronizing and they need user id for that, it will also helpful for you in future, if you need to check your reference. Since, all the citation are stored online, you can extract them from anywhere any time. Which help you sync your reference while working on real-time file, including multiple machine, as such home or school.
So, create a user and remember the password, you need them later in tutorial.
How to Synchronize the Zotero with local saved in Chrome extension?
If you setup new account, you need to setup the Zotero Sync for the first time. Which will do the all connector job as described above. To do this one, you can open Zotero on your computer, (I am using Mac) go to:
• Zotero next to file menu,
• Click to Preference menu,
• Go to Sync tab in new window that popped.
• Login to Sync tab using same user name and password you created on Zotero.org
Once login successful, your window will look like this as below.
How to sync zotero with word
How to I collect citation in Zotero?
If, you have done following steps, software is running on your computer, connector extension is running on Chrome browser. You are ready to collect the citation for your report. I would suggest you to create folder with in Zotero software. This will be more organized.
Do I need folder in Zotero?
Absolutely not, but it’s always good to organized citation if you are working on more than one project and if you happen to sharing this citation with your group member or supervisor.
What is Zotero folder/ New collection?
A folder / new collection is more of separate space for you to share with your team mate or private person where a library is collection of everything you save in Zotero. To elaborate more; anything you put into folder is available in library but not everything you put in library is available in folder. A folder can be good organized cited link to share with specify project and groups/peoples.
How do I create a group in Zotero?
To create group, just go to Zotero.org/group, your group can be public, open membership or private. Based on the research you are doing. The folder you created earlier can be listed there are group.
How do I share Zotero collection with another group member?
Sharing in Zotero citation manager is easy, just go to group page in Zotero.org, there under your group name, Click on;
• Manage Members.
• A member setting page loads, Click on Member invitations > Send more invitations.
• A new input field window will appear with your group name on top.
• Fill the Zotero user name or email address of the person you are sharing the collection.
• You can invite to multiple user using comma separate value.
How do I save citation in Zotero?
Now let’s go to scholar.google.com and try to search your research keyword. Once you found your searched file, click on the extension icon your browser we installed earlier. This extension icon will ask you to choose folder / collection location if you have already created one earlier. Choose your destination and your file is saved in the given location.
Important suggestion:
If you are still enrolled into university, always go to your university or school library website, from there you can go to the all the big libraries. If you try to access these libraries out of university library you probably have less access of documents or have difficulties extracting them. Why can’t you excess same data out of your university network? Because university network uses proxy server to bypass the access and you have external valuable data available while being from outer network will have difficulties. If you are accessing from your, you can still go to your university library and go to suggested library, which still bypass your access using proxy server.
How to insert Zotero citation with Microsoft Word?
Everything is setup and we are ready to insert Zotero citation we saved in our collection list to Microsoft word.
• Open your Microsoft file you are working on, you should see the Zotero Menu at top of your menu. In my Word window, it’s listed as follow in: Home, Insert, Design, Layout, References, Mailings, Review, View, Zotero.
If you do not see Zotero at the end, close your Microsoft Word and open again. This should resolve the issue.
• To cite the reference to your text, click into Zotero > Add/Edit citation
For the first time the citation manager will ask which style of referencing would you like to use, there are many from IEEE to American Psychological Association (ASA) 6th and (APS)7th to many more. Why there are so many citation styles? Which citation style should I choose? Because they are varying with referencing style, some shows in details including page number some does not, I suggest you to consult with your supervisor before choosing one. This process is only one time per reports but you always change the referencing style using setting icon right to add/edit last, it’s called ‘Document Preferences’.
• Now you can choose the file you saved earlier while using Google Schooler.
• You can use the multiple citations using same methods.
• You successfully inserted the citation in your Microsoft word using Zotero and connector.
How to do Add Bibliography of references in Word?
Once you are done with references, it is an easy process to add bibliography to your report.
• Go to Zotero tab in word.
• Click to add/edit bibliography
• You successfully added bibliography references to your Microsoft word using Zotero.
I also made a video to demonstrate the process, if you find the text above is difficult, please see the video below. Enjoy and good luck with your report.
I set up a long bibliography a couple of months ago, but now when I return cannot link Zotero and the article in Microsoft Word. I have tried most of the hints and nothing works. Any advice would be appreciated. I do not want to lose the 80 articles already in the Zotero database but want to link it to the article so I can continue editing.