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Zotero

Use Zotero to add, manage, share and sync your references, and insert and manage citations in Word.

Microsoft Word macro issue

Zotero requires the macros in Microsoft Word to be enabled, so you can insert references from your Zotero library into your Word document, i.e. use the Cite While Your Write (CWYW) functionality.

On RMIT computers and for Microsoft Office 365 RMIT logins, the macros are disabled in Microsoft Word. 

This means you will be unable to insert your Zotero library references into a Word document.

Contact RMIT's IT Service Connect to see if they can enable the Word macros for you.

Note: Personal Office 365 accounts on personal devices are not affected.

Inserting references

Working with Zotero and Word

To work with Zotero and Word, and use Word's Cite While You Write (CWYW) function, open your Zotero library and your Word document.

Then select the Zotero tab in Word for the Zotero functions to appear.

zotero tab in word
Image: Zotero tab in Word. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.

Select Add/Edit Citation. When doing this for the first time in a new document the Document Preferences window will pop-up allowing you to select your referencing style.

Inserting a citation via the red Zotero textbox

  1. Go to your Word document and place your cursor where to you want to insert the citation.
  2. Select the Add/Edit Citation button within the Zotero tab.
    add edit citation button within zotero tab
    Image: Add/Edit Citation button within the Zotero tab in Word. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  3. In the red Zotero textbox for inserting a citation, type a word that appears in your Zotero library references, e.g. author name, part of a title, keyword. A list of citations that contain that word will appear beneath the red Zotero textbox. Select the citation you want to insert.
    insert citation zotero textbox
    Image: Red Zotero textbox for inserting a citation. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.

    The citation is then put into the Zotero textbox.
    citation within red zotero textbox
    Image: A citation within the Zotero textbox. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  4. Repeat step 3 for other citations you want to put into the red Zotero textbox.
  5. Once you have put into the red Zotero textbox all the citations you want to insert, press ENTER.
  6. The citations have now been inserted into your Word document.

Inserting a citation via Classic View

  1. Go to your Word document and place your cursor where to you want to insert the citation.
     
  2. Select the Add/Edit Citation button within the Zotero tab.
    add edit citation button within zotero tab
    Image: Add/Edit Citation button within the Zotero tab in Word. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  3. In the red Zotero textbox for inserting a citation, select the Z icon, then select Classic View.
    classic view option in red zotero textbox
    Image: Classic View option within the red Zotero textbox. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  4. To insert a single (one) citation at a time: in the Add/Edit Citation window, select the citation you want to insert, then press the OK button. The citation has now been inserted into your Word document.
    insert one citation at a time via classic view
    Image: Insert a single (one) citation at a time via the Add/Edit Citation window. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  5. To insert multiple citations at once: in the Add/Edit Citation window, press the Multiple Sources button. Select as many citations you want to insert, then press the green right arrow icon to add to the box on the further right. Press the OK button. The citations have now been inserted into your Word document.
    insert multiple citations at a time via classic view
    Image: Insert multiple citations at a time via the Add/Edit Citation window. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.

Editing a citation

  1. Go to your Zotero library and make edits/changes to the reference you want to edit, e.g. fix a misspelling, change sentence case of a title.
  2. Go back to your Word document and press the Refresh button within the Zotero tab.
    refresh button within zotero tab
    Image: Refresh button within the Zotero tab in Word. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
  3. The corresponding citation has now been updated with the new edits/changes.

Removing a citation

  1. In your Word document, put your cursor over the citation you want to delete.
  2. Press the Add/Edit Citation button within the Zotero tab. The red Zotero textbox containing the citation you want to remove will appear.
    add edit citation button within zotero tab
    Image: Add/Edit Citation button within the Zotero tab in Word. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  3. Put your cursor after the citation you want to remove, then press the Backspace button on your keyboard to delete it from the textbox. You can delete as many citations as you want.
  4. Now press ENTER. (You must press ENTER in order for the citation to be removed from your document. Pressing ENTER also ensures that you 'exit' the citation you had put your cursor over, so you can remove another if you want.)
    red zotero textbox containing citation you want to remove
    Image: Red Zotero textbox containing the citation you want to remove. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  5. That instance of the citation has now been removed from your document.

Note: Removing an instance of a citation only removes it from your Word document. It does NOT remove the citation from your Zotero library.

Creating bibliographies

Create a bibliography from Word

You can create a bibliography from the citations in your document via the Zotero tab in Word.

  1. Ensure that your Word document already has citations that you previously inserted from your Zotero library.
  2. In your Word document, place your cursor where you want to insert the bibliography.
  3. Select the Add/Edit Bibliography button within the Zotero tab.
    add edit bibliography button within zotero tab
    Image: Add/Edit Bibliography button within the Zotero tab in Word. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
  4. Your bibliography is now created.
  5. Check your bibliography to ensure it meets the referencing guidelines of your style in Easy Cite.

Create a bibliography from Zotero desktop

You can select one or more references in your Zotero library and create a bibliography from your selected references. You can then choose to copy the bibliography directly into a Word document, save as a file or print.

  1. Go to your Zotero library and select your references.
  2. Right-click on your selected references and select the Create Bibliography from Items option.
  3. In the Create Citation/Bibliography window, select the citation style you are using. Then select Bibliography for Output Mode and select your desired option for Output Method (Tip: choose Copy to Clipboard if you want to copy the bibliography directly into a Word document).
    create cifation bibliography window where you can create a bibliography from your selected references
    Image: Create Citations/Bibliography window within Zotero desktop where you can create a bibliography from your selected references. Permission granted for educational use.
  4. Select the OK button.
  5. If you have selected the Copy to Clipboard option for Output Method, go to your Word document and paste in the bibliography.
  6. Check your bibliography to ensure it meets the referencing guidelines of your style in Easy Cite.

Create a bibliography using Zotero.org

You can select one or more references in your Zotero library and create a bibliography from your selected references. You can then choose to copy the bibliography directly into a Word document, save as a file or print.

  1. Go to your Zotero library and select your references.
  2. Select the Create Bibliography icon from the top toolbar.
    create bibliography icon that you can use to create a bibliography from your selected references
    Image: Create Bibliography icon within Zotero that you can use to create a bibliography from your selected references. Permission granted for educational use.
     
  3. In the Bibliography window, select the citation style you are using. The bibliography entries will change according to the style you select.
    bibliography window where you can copy the bibliography created from your selected references
    Image: Bibliography window within Zotero where you can copy the bibliography created from your selected references. Permission granted for educational use.
     
  4. On the bottom right of the same Bibliography window, press the Copy to Clipboard button.
  5. Go to your Word document and paste in the bibliography.
  6. Check your bibliography to ensure it meets the referencing guidelines of your style in Easy Cite.

Drag-and-drop ('quick copy')

You can select one or more references in your Zotero library and drag-and-drop them into your Word document. This will then create their full reference entry in your document.

Note: This process only applies to Zotero desktop and is not possible when using Zotero.org.

  1. Go to your Zotero library and select your references.
  2. Ensure your Word document is open. Drag-and-drop your selected references into the document.
  3. Your bibliography is now created.
  4. Check your bibliography to ensure it meets the referencing guidelines of your style in Easy Cite.

Selecting referencing styles

In Word, you can select the referencing style you are using so your citations will appear in the format of that style. You can do this at any time.

  1. Press the Document Preferences button within the Zotero tab.
    document preferences button within the zotero tab
    Image: Document Preferences button within the Zotero tab in Word. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  2. The Document Preferences window will appear.
    document preferences window
    Image: Document Preferences window. Copyright © Microsoft. Used under licence.
     
  3. In the Citation Style box, select the style you are using. If your style is not there, select Manage Styles to locate and add it in.
  4. Select the OK button.

Note: RMIT Harvard users -- the referencing style in Zotero that is the closest match to RMIT Harvard is called the Style Manual - Australian Government (author-date). If you use RMIT Harvard, you will need to select this. The 'Style Manual - Australian Government (author-date)' style, however, is not a perfect match with the RMIT Harvard style. You will still need to check for inaccuracies or errors with your referencing when using it. Ensure your referencing follows the guidelines for RMIT Harvard on Easy Cite.