Referencing: Zotero Referencing Software

The Zotero screen is divided into three sections:

• Your folders are on the left, allowing you to sort your references by topic or according to projects. 
• In the middle you will find all the references you have added to Zotero. 
• On the right, if you've clicked on an item, you'll see the reference data  - this is what Zotero will use to create the reference in your bibliography, so always check and for missing or incorrect information, and add or change it here as required.

There are buttons allowing you to create folders and add references, notes and attachments, and additional options on the top. 

There are several ways to add book references into Zotero: 

• Use the browser connector to capture book information directly from the Library Catalogue. When you have a book record on the catalogue open, the connector button will detect the data on the page and change into a book-shaped icon. Click here to send this data to Zotero:
  
  
  
  This will also work from other library catalogues, and some websites such as Google Books. 
   
• Add books directly into Zotero using the ISBN. You will usually find this on the back cover of the book, printed under the barcode. In Zotero, click the Reference Wizard button. Simply type the ISBN in here and press return. Zotero will import the data. This may take a few moments. 
  
  

Journal article references can be added to Zotero, using the following methods:

• Imported using the browser connector. When you find an article online, the browser connector should be able to detect the reference data on the page. When it does, it will change into a small paper-shaped icon. Click here to send this data across to Zotero:
  
  
  
  Where possible, Zotero will also download a copy of the article PDF for you, and attach it to the item record in Zotero. 
   
• Added using their Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number. All journal articles are issued a unique DOI. This is usually displayed near the beginning of the article or somewhere on the record on the database. In Zotero, click the Reference Wizard button, and copy and paste the DOI here to retrieve the reference data. 
  
  
   
• Upload journal article PDFs into Zotero. Simply drag and drop the PDF from your saved files into Zotero and it will convert the data it finds into a reference. If it does not do this automatically, right click on the PDF in your reference list and click 'Retrieve Metadata for PDF'. 
  
  

Zotero can import data from some, but not all, websites. The quality of the reference generated depends on the quality of the data on the webpage. You need to be vigilant when adding website references, as important referencing data (particularly author names or dates of publication) can be missed. 

• Web references should be added using the browser connector. When websites offer high-quality data, the browser connecter button will change into an icon. For example, ​Zotero can usually read the reference data on newspaper and news media websites, and the button changes into a newspaper-shaped icon. Click here to send this data across to Zotero:
  
  
   
• When this button does not change, you can still attempt to send the reference data into Zotero. You will likely have to add some information to the reference, but these references are often almost complete. If nothing else, Zotero will capture the URL and accessed date: 
  
  
  
  Where possible, Zotero will also create a snapshot of the webpage at the time you visited it. If the website changes in the future, you will still have a record of the information on the page as it was displayed at the time you originally saw it. 

Zotero is best used with Microsoft Word. The Word Plug-In allows you to automatically insert correctly-formatted citations directly into your documents as you write. The Zotero tab should automatically appear in MS Word after you have installed Zotero. 

Select 'Document Preferences' to set your reference style to the Arts University Bournemouth style. 

When you need to insert a citation from a source in your Zotero library, click 'Add/Edit Citation'. You will then be able to search for the reference you wish to add. Zotero will format this in the correct way for AUB referencing. If you need to add page numbers to your citation, type these in manually. 

When you’ve finished writing, and have inserted all the citations you need to use, click 'Add/Edit Bibliography' and Zotero will generate a list of formatted references in alphabetical order, based on the sources you have cited throughout your work. 

As Zotero uses your computer's storage, you should create a back-up copy of your Zotero library, in case of any loss or damage to your computer.

Go to File>Export Library. Zotero will create a copy of your library, including attachments and any notes, and save this as a .RIS or a Zotero RDF file. Save this somewhere external to your computer, such as the OneDrive. In the event of any problems to your library, you can import this file back into Zotero, under File>Import, to restore that version of your Zotero library.

Be sure to create back-ups frequently, whenever you add new information to Zotero.