This document introduces Zotero, a free and open-source reference manager software. It can store PDF documents and citations, and connects to word processors to automatically generate bibliographies. Zotero runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and provides a cloud library. The document demonstrates how to add citations to a paper and generate a bibliography in Microsoft Word using the Zotero plugin. It also explains how to find and add citation styles to Zotero.

1. Painless way to cite:
Introduction to Zotero (v.1.0)
To the extent possible under law, the author of this document have waived all
copyright and related or neighboring rights to “Painless way to cite: Introduction to
Zotero”. This work is published from Sydney, Australia.
Dasapta Erwin Irawan
Hydrogeologist
Applied Geology Research Division
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Institut Teknologi Bandung
Indonesia
Visiting fellow
Faculty of Agriculture and Environment
University of Sydney
Australia
This document is made on Mac OSX 10.7.2
(Mountain Lion). You may expect slightly
different menus and buttons on Linux and
Windows.

2. This document is only the intro part for
Zotero. So you can tweak it more as you
move along working with your papers.
The software components and workflows
introduced in this document are common, so
it can be applied to other similar reference
manager.
But off course, they would have different
name of buttons, different names in their
menus.

3. Zotero: the easiest way to pronounce it is “zo tay ro”
What is it?
it’s a reference manager
What is reference manager?
it’s kind of your own personal digital library
What is it really?
it stores all your pdfs along with their citation infos.
Then what is a citation info?
it’s the ID of your pdf or any resources you have in you Zotero library.
How to get this citation info?
well this would be another story.

4. Where can I get Zotero?
www.zotero.org
Is it free?
Yes, it is. It’s free like breathing.
It’s also open source. So you can modified it to get a better version.
But we’re not software developer are we.
Does it run on anything?
Yes, it runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Can I connect it to word processor?
Yes, you can.
It has add-on for LibreOffice and Microsoft Office.
See the download page.
Does it provide online/cloud library?
Yes it does. Free at some limited size.
Where can I ask for more questions?
There’s a Zotero user group: https://forums.zotero.org/categories/
or just mention me @dasaptaerwin

5. Your
collections/libr
aries are listed
here
Your papers,
books,
websites,
movies,
microchip, or
whatever
are listed here

6. If you try to click one, then a column on the
right pops.
It shows the citation info of your clicked
paper.
So where it comes from?
It is from your imported BibTex (*.bib) file.
Or
You can just input the info one by one (It’s
annoying isn’t it).

7. So let’s begin:
Here’s the buttons and
what they do.
“Add new collection”
Use this to make new
collections or libraries
“Attach pdf”
Click this if you want to
attach or link you paper
item with the pdf.
“Make notes”
Use this to make notes
“Add new item”
Use this if you wish to
add a new paper in to
your library.

8. The menu is straight
forward. You can try
one by one.
Use the “import” menu
to insert a new BibTex
citation info

9. Once the add-on is installed, then
you will have a new set of menu
or icons in your word processor.
This is on Microsoft Word
And this on is on LibreOffice

10. Since many of you perhaps on Ms
Word, so how it works.
For adding your
bibiliography or
reference list at
the bottom of
your text
For adding new
citation in your
text
To set citation
style.
To modify your
previously made
bibliography or
citation

11. This is how to add a citation in
your text.
Place the cursor in your intended
place of citation.
Then hit “add citation”.
First time it will open citation style
window. Choose your style. You
will only need to do this once. Or
you can change it into another
style using “set document
preferences”
Then this pops up.
Clicking the arrow near the Z pulls
down two options.
I always use “Classic View”.
Then go to next slide.

12. Then your Zotero window pops
up.
Choose your intended library,
Choose the paper you’re going to
cite then hit “OK”.
You can use search button above
to search a keyword or an author
from your library.
The your citation will show up like
this.

13. To make Bibliography of
Reference list:
Place the cursor in your intended
location.
Then hit “add bibliography”
Now you can see your cited paper
in your reference list.
The list will be automatically
changed every time you add
new citations in the text.

14. Setting citation
style.
Choose your
intended citation
style. The
common styles
are:
- APA
- Chicago
- Harvard
- MLA
- Vancouver

15. What is you can’t
find your
intended style?
Go to Zotero app
Click
“Preferences”
If you use
Click “Styles”
section
Clicking this will opens
Zotero citation online
database. So make
sure you are connected
to the net. Then it will
opens the following
page.

16. The page of
Zotero citation
style (csl)
database.
Type in your
journal’s name,
then click the
matching style.
Then it will
download a file
with *.csl
extension.

17. Then go back to
Zotero.
Click “+”
Browse and
choose your *.csl
file
Then your
citation style is
listed in your
Zotero.

18. Thank you.
@dasaptaerwin
To the extent possible under law, the author of this document have waived all
copyright and related or neighboring rights to “Painless way to cite: Introduction to
Zotero”. This work is published from Sydney, Australia.