Managing References

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Managing References

• Using the free reference management tool Zotero

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Overview

• Why use a reference management tool?
• Zotero functionality
• Creating your Zotero library
• Adding references to your Zotero library
• Managing your documents and references
• Creating bibliographies
• Using Zotero with MS Word

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Typical researcher writing a paper
Source flickr/toennessen
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Problem statement

• Lots of typing
• Lost references
• Mistakes

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Use a reference management tool!
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Reference management tools

• Tools that help scholars to create and manage
  their lists of references for research projects.
• Most tools are designed to organize citations
  into specific formats for the preparation of
  manuscripts and bibliographies.
• Many search tools provide ways to download
  references into reference management tools.

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Software options
Free
Subscription
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Zotero

• Zotero is a free reference management tool, that
  is available as an add-on for the Firefox web
  browser.
• The Firefox web browser can be downloaded for
  free at http//www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
• To download and install Zotero go to
  http//www.zotero.org

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Zotero functionality

• Zotero recognizes bibliographic information on
  books, journal articles, and other resources from
  websites and databases and extracts metadata from
  these sources.
• Store related PDFs, files, images, and links in
  your library
• Create a bibliography in Word or OpenOffice.
• Publish shared libraries for your organization,
  class, or research group

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Before you can install Zotero, you first need to
install the Firefox web browser. Firefox can be
downloaded from http//www.mozilla.com/en-US/fire
fox/
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Next, go to the Zotero website at
http//www.zotero.org and click on the red
Download button. A box will appear, click on
Install Now
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Exercise 1

• Open the Firefox web browser
• Go to the website www.zotero.org
• To install Zotero, click on
• After installation, restart Firefox

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To open Zotero, click on the Zotero logo in the
bottom right of the browser.
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• This will open the Zotero window within the
  browser. The window has three columns that
  represent different levels of specificity for
  your references
• The left column shows your Zotero libraries and
  collections as well as 'tags' (keywords)
• The middle column displays items contained
  within the selected library
• The right column displays information about a
  selected item.

Left column
Middle column
Right column
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Many of Zotero's features can be customized via
the Zotero preferences. To access the Zotero
preference window, open Zotero, click the actions
menu button (the 'gear' icon) at the top of the
left column and select the Preferences option
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Within Zotero you can create collections to
organize your references. To create a new
collection, click on the New Collection icon in
the left column. A box will appear prompting you
to name your new collection. Choose a name and
click OK. Your collection will appear in the left
column.
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Exercise 2

• In the Firefox web browser, click on the Zotero
  logo in the bottom right corner to open Zotero.
• In the left column, click on New Collection
  icon ( ) and name this collection Trachoma

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Adding citations to Zotero

• You can add citations to your library in several
  ways
• Manually enter citation information
• Import citation information for a single item
• Import citation information for multiple items
• Automatically cite web pages
• Add an item by identifier (ISBN, DOI or PMID)

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To create a citation manually in Zotero, click on
the New Item icon in the middle column. A
pull-down menu will appear. Select the type of
item you want to cite, here we select Journal
Article. In the right column, you will find
fields that are specific to the type of item you
selected. Fill in those fields for your item.
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Exercise 3

• In Zotero, click on the New item icon (
  )in the middle column.
• Select to add a Book and enter the following
  title, author, publisher and publication
  dateTrachoma ControlA.W. SolomonWorld Health
  Organization, 2006

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Zotero is compatible with many databases,
including PubMed. If you are looking at an
individual record in PubMed, an Article icon will
appear in the address bar of your browser. If
you click on this icon, the citation information
will be immediately added to your Zotero library.
A full overview of databases supported by Zotero
is available on http//www.zotero.org/translators

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If you are on a page with a list of PubMed
results, you will see a Folder icon in the
address bar of the browser. If you click on the
icon, a box will appear with a list of all
records to import. Select the records you would
like to import and click on OK.
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Exercise 4

• Go to PubMed and do a search for articles about
  face washing AND trachoma
• When you are on the results page, click on the
  Folder icon in the address bar
• Select some articles to import into Zotero and
  click on OK

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To import citations for webpages into your
library, click on the Create New Item from
Current Page icon in the middle
column. Information about the current webpage
will automatically be saved. You can edit the
information by clicking on the fields in the
right column.
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Another way to add a new item is by using the Add
Item by Identifier option of Zotero. You find
this icon in the middle column. You can enter an
ISBN, DOI or PMID. Zotero will look up the
information and import it into your library.
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Attaching files to items

• In Zotero, any type of file can be attached to an
  item.
• Items such as the PDF of an article or images can
  be opened in the Firefox window, while other
  file-types open in external programs.
• You can add attachments to items by clicking on
  the button in the middle column that looks like a
  paperclip
• All files stored in the Zotero library are kept
  in a folder within the Firefox profile directory
  (unless another location is specified in the
  Advanced preference tab).

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Creating bibliographies from Zotero
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Creating bibliographies from Zotero

• To create a bibliography from Zotero, highlight
  one or more references and then right-click to
  select Create Bibliography from Selected
  Item(s). Then select a citation style for your
  bibliography format and choose one of the
  following four ways to create your bibliography
• Save as RTF will allow you to save the
  bibliography as a rich text file, which can be
  opened for example in Word.
• Save as HTML will allow you to save the
  bibliography as a HTML file for viewing in a web
  browser.
• Save to Clipboard will allow you to save the
  bibliography to your clipboard to paste into any
  text field.
• Print will send your bibliography straight to a
  printer.

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• To create a Zotero bibliography
• Select the items you want to include in the
  middle column.
• Next, right-click the selected items.
• Choose the option Create Bibliography from
  Selected Items, a new dialog box will appear.
• Choose the Citation Style you would like to use
• Choose the Format (RTF or HTML) to save your
  document.
• Click on OK

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This is an example of a Zotero bibliography that
was created using the Harvard citation style and
RTF as format.
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Exercise 5

• In Zotero, Select the items you have imported
  from PubMed in the middle column.
• Next, right-click the selected items.
• Choose the option Create Bibliography from
  Selected Items, a new dialog box will appear.
• Choose the Citation Style you would like to use
• Choose the Format RTF
• Click on OK
• Open the saved document with MS Word

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Word Processor Integration

• Zotero's Word and OpenOffice plugins allow users
  to insert citations directly from their word
  processing software.
• You can find a link to install the plugin on the
  Zotero homepage (www.zotero.org).
• After installation of the plugin you should see
  this row of icons in your Microsoft Word toolbar
• These six buttons allow you to manage references
  and bibliographies in your Microsoft Word
  documents.

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Citing in Word - example
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Using The Zotero Word Plugin

• If this is the first citation you have added to
  the document the Document Preferences window will
  open. Chose the bibliographic format you would
  like to use from the list and click OK.

Click on the Zotero Insert Citation icon
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Adding a Citation in Word

• Once you have chosen a format, the Add Citation
  window will pop up. Sort through your collection
  in this window, select the item you would like to
  cite and click on OK.

You can add the specific page number in the text
box at the bottom of the window.
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Generating a bibliography

• To generate a bibliography from all the items you
  have referenced, click the Zotero Insert
  Bibliography button ( ) on the Zotero
  toolbar in Word.
• The edit citation ( ) and edit bibliography
  ( ) buttons allow you to edit citations and
  bibliographies you have already inserted into
  your documents. Click inside a citation or
  bibliography and click either button to edit.
• Never use your word processor to edit citations!
  Anything you type into (or delete from) a
  citation using Word will be automatically
  reverted the next time Zotero updates your
  document.

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Generating a bibliography

• The fifth button on the toolbar, Zotero Refresh
  ( ) updates your references to any changes
  in your Zotero collection.
• The sixth button on the toolbar ( ) will
  open the Document Preferences window again,
  allowing you to change your bibliographic style
  instantly.

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Citation Styles

• A core feature of Zotero is its ability to
  automatically format citations and
  bibliographies.
• By default Zotero comes with a selection of
  popular styles (such as APA, Harvard and
  Vancouver), but many more are available through
  the online Zotero Style Repository
  athttp//www.zotero.org/styles
• Visit the Style Repository and click the
  Install link next to the style you wish to
  install.

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Zotero Citation Style Repository
Click on the Install link next to the style
you wish to install.
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Which citation style to use?

• Most journals provide information on which
  reference style to use in their Instructions to
  authors. Look for the heading References.
• The Mulford Library Instructions to Authors in
  the Health Sciences Guide provides links to web
  sites which provide instructions to authors for
  over 6,000 journals in health and life
  scienceshttp//mulford.meduohio.edu/instr/

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Zotero web account

• On www.zotero.org you can create a Zotero
  account.
• You need a Zotero account to synchronize your
  library, participate in groups, or post to the
  support forums.
• Data synchronization transfers library items,
  notes, links, tags, etc.everything except
  attachment filesbetween your local computer and
  the Zotero servers, allowing you to work with
  your data from any computer with the Zotero
  extension. It also allows you to view your
  library online on www.zotero.org.
• To synchronize your data with the Zotero web
  server, open Zotero's Sync preferences tab and
  enter your login information in the Zotero Sync
  Server section.

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Zotero Online Library
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Zotero Groups

• Zotero Groups provide a way to share collections
  with a class, work with colleagues on a project
  or keep track of conversations in a specific
  field of research.
• Groups can be private or public.
• To create a group in ZoteroClick the New Group
  icon located in the top left corner of the left
  column in Zotero and follow the instructions.

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Using Zotero with Portable Firefox

• If you are unable to install Firefox on a
  computer, you may still be able to use Zotero
  by using Portable Firefox from anexternal drive
  (for example a USB drive).
• In order to use Zotero through Portable Firefox
  on your external drive, you will need to
• Install Portable Firefox and Zotero onto your
  external drive
• Move your Zotero library onto the external drive
• Specify the location of your library in Zotero
• See for detailed instructionshttp//www.zotero.o
  rg/support/kb/portable_firefox

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Zotero Support

• On the Support page on the Zotero website
  (http//www.zotero.org/support/), which is
  available in several languages, you can find
  documentation on additional features of Zotero as
  well as Frequently Asked Questions and a number
  of screencast tutorials.

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http//www.zotero.org/support/screencast_tutorials
Zotero Screencasts demonstrate many of the basic
functions of Zotero, such as adding references,
managing your library, and how to use Zotero in
Word.
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References

• A Beginners Guide to Using Zotero - UBC
  Biomedical Branch Library. Available at
  http//www.slideshare.net/giustinid/beginners-guid
  e-to-zotero.
• Zotero Quick Start Guide. Available at
  http//www.zotero.org/support/quick_start_guide.

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• This module was developed by
• Ingeborg Nagel, MSc
• Information Specialist
• Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) The Netherlands
• Updated 2011 08