Zotero

The Zotero community has created over 10,000 citation styles, in addition to the dozens already included with Zotero. To see the complete list, visit the Zotero Style Repository.

To add a style to Zotero, follow these steps:

Edit → Preferences → Cite → Styles → Get additional styles

ZoteroPreview is an extension, which is a software option that requires a separate download.

This free tool allows you to see the reference formatted in the style of your choice, directly in the software. Without the extension, you have to insert the reference in a Word document to see the formatting.

To use it, start by downloading the latest ZoteroPreview.xpi file from Github. If you have difficulty downloading the file, try a different browser.

After the download, follow these steps to install the add-on :

Tools → Add-ons → Cog icon → Install add-on from file → Choose the .xpi file from your downloads

For more information, consult the Library's Zotero guide (.pdf) (available only in French).

After installation, the new Preview tab on the right side allows you to easily check if all the necessary information is present, and formatted in the desired style (see below).

Click on Choose Preview Style to modify the style shown in the Preview tab.

Zotero : Manuel d'utilisation (.pdf) (updated September 2023)

This manual explains how to optimize Zotero's primary features (available only in French).

Once you are finished importing, and before creating bibliographies or reference lists, you need to check that each piece of information is accurate, complete and correctly written for each new reference added. To do this, look at each field in the Info section on the right side of the Zotero window.

Here are the types of questions you should be asking yourself :

• Are all the fields required for the citation style of my choice (e.g. APA) filled in ?
• Is all of the information correct ? When in doubt, check bibliographic information from another source.
• Is all of the information formatted correctly ? For example, if the title of the document is written in only upper case letters, you will have to modify it.

To find out what bibliographic information is required to cite in the style of your choice, consult the Library's guide for that style.

There are certain important fields in Zotero that must contain properly formatted information in order for the references to be created correctly according to the chosen style.

Also, use the recommendations below to check if your references have been properly imported.