Add-ins to MS Word and LibreOffice – citing and automatic creation of bibliographies

When you download Zotero, a Zotero toolbar should automatically appear on MS Word.

This can also be added under Zotero Preferences. Click Edit in the Zotero window, select Preferences -> Cite -> Word Processors. Choose the location where you wish to add the Zotero add-ins. Zotero allows installing add-ins to Microsoft Word and LibreOffice.

Citing

When you log on to Zotero on its home page http://www.zotero.org, you can see all of your references, but you can actively use only a few of Zotero’s functions. By clicking on your refrences you can build from them, one by one, bibliographic records in your preferred style, and copy and paste them. You cannot create in-text citations.

Adding in-text citations

Open the Zotero program. To start citing, move the cursor to the location in the text where you wish to insert the citation. In Word, click on the Zotero toolbar. Move the cursor to the far left icon Add/Edit citation.

The window Document Preferences will open, where you can choose your preferred citation style and citation language. The Zotero search box will then open. Enter a word (title, author, journal title) from the item you are searching. A list of items will open.

Select the item you need and click on it. Then you can view your citation. Click Enter and the citation will be inserted into your work. If you want to change something in the citation, e.g., add page numbers, click on it before pressing enter. 

As long as you have not yet selected and entered the citation, you can see the word {Citation} in the text in the place of the citation. This word will remain there as a marker even if you do not enter the citation. 

If you wish to choose your records from the Zotero collections, click on the red icon of Zotero and select Classic View.

To set the default classic view, click Edit on the Zotero toolbar, select Preferences -> Cite -> Word processors and mark the box Use Classic Add Citation Dialog.

Bibliography will be created of the entered citations. Move the cursor to the place where you wish to insert the bibliography and click the icon Insert Bibliography.

All citations and the completed bibliography can be revised and edited by clicking Edit Citation or Edit Bibliography on the Zotero toolbar in Word.

NB! It is advisable to revise and edit the entries by using the Zotero Editor.

The list of references will automatically change when you remove a citation from the text.