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Zotero Citation Software

A Guide to Getting Started and Using Zotero

Using Zotero with Google Docs

Using Zotero in Google Docs works very similar to how it works in Microsoft Word but instead of having to install the Add-in like we did for Microsoft Word, you will need to make sure you are using Chrome for a web browser and are using the Zotero browser connector. If you are, the please proceed to the following directions.

  1. Open up the Google Doc you wish to add citations to.
  2. You should see a Zotero menu option across the top of your Google Doc.
  3. Click it to see the options available. They should include: Add/Edit Citation, Add Note, Add/Edit Bibliography, Document Preferences, Refresh, and more.
  4. To add a citation, click "Add/Edit Citation" and you should get a Zotero search box.
  5. The first time you do this you may be asked to give access to Zotero for your Google Account. You will need to do this in order to proceed.
  6. The first time you do this you will also be asked to verify the citation style you want to use. Select it from the list provided. You can always change this later using the Zotero dropdown menu and selecting "Document Preferences".
  7. Start by typing the author or source title into the search box. You may have more than one result come up depending on the title/author. Select the one you are looking for and click the enter key.
  8. Zotero should import your citation using the data you have saved in Zotero.

Zotero and Google Docs used "linked citations" which means that if you edit the citation information in Zotero, you can use the Zotero menu option in Google Docs and select "Refresh" to alter your citations to repopulated with the added/changed information you added in Zotero. You can also at any time change the citation style you are using by selecting "Document Preferences" in the Zotero menu in Google Docs even after you've already started adding citations. This will alter any current citations to the new style as well as add new ones using this new style.