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Zotero

 

ZoteroBib is a free online tool for that helps you build a bibliography instantly from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software.  While it doesn't have all the functionality of Zotero, it's great for short research projects!

Adding Entries to Your Bibliography

  • Go to ZoteroBib (zbib.org)
  • Type or paste an item's URL, DOI, ISBN, or title into the search bar. Then hit Cite.

You may have to select the correct citation from a list. Choose the one that fits best.

You'll see a green banner across the top of the page, confirming your citation has been added!

Note: Do not delete cookies/cache in your browser or use incognito mode, or you'll lose your bibliography. 

 

Editing Entries

  • Make sure all the correct information has been added to the citation. Notice how this citation lists a university as the author?  This is not accurate, but you can easily fix it. Click Edit. 

  • A popup will appear with several fields that you can edit. In this case, remove the "Merrimack College..." entries to leave just the authors' names remaining. Click Done.

  • Your changes are saved and now you have an accurate citation!

Selecting a Citation Style

  • Next, make sure you have the correct citation style selected. The default is MLA, 8th edition. 

Click the blue bar to expand your options. For example, you can choose APA Style, 7th edition.

  • ZoteroBib will even alert you to formatting changes it makes automatically when switching styles.

Saving & Accessing Your Bibliography

  • If you want, you can rename your "Bibliography" to something more specific.

  • Use Link to this Version to load your bibliography on another computer or share with someone else. 

  • Choose Copy URL to instantly copy link to your clipboard. Choose View to see a clean, read-only version.

Zotero recommends storing the link in the document you’re working on so you have everything in one place.  Each uploaded version is stored for at least six months from when it was created or last viewed.

Further changes you make are not uploaded unless you use Link to this version again, which will generate a new URL.

Creating In-Text Citations

  • ZoteroBib allows you to quickly create in-text citations. Click the Copy Citation icon to the right of the citation.

  • Enter the relevant page number or range from the source you're citing.  Preview your citation and copy it. 

  • Simply paste the citation into your Word or Google Doc.  Example: (Yan et al., 2020, p. 7)

For styles such as APA and MLA, if you incorporate an author’s name into a sentence (“As Smith writes…”), you can use the “Omit Author” option to include only a date and/or page number in the parenthetical citation.

  • You can also create footnote citations for Turabian and Chicago Style using the same method: 

ZoteroBib Help

Still need help using ZoteroBib?  Check out their Help Page (scroll down) or browse their FAQs.