Citations and Bibliographies

This guide contains help for writing citations in APA, MLA, and other formats and also for managing your collection of citations.

Library Research Guide

Consider using Zotero if....

Zotero logo: grey hexagon with three dimensional red Z inside... you often save references from different databases or websites while researching.

... you use sources in a variety of formats, including video, audio, art, etc.

... you keep formatted notes, i.e., they contain bold or italic text, superscripts, bulleted lists, and/or you like to keep multiple notes.

... you like using tools that are customizable and configurable.

For more details about Zotero at K-State, visit our slide presentation "Grad Workshop Zotero."

We also host workshops for graduate students (although attendance is not limited to graduate students only), including sessions on citations and Zotero.

Installing and Customizing Zotero

Step 1: Install Zotero 6.0 (also known as Zotero stand-alone) 

  • Openhttps://www.zotero.org/download
  • Download and install Zotero 6.0 on each computer you regularly use. (You do not have to install on all computers at the same time), The installation automatically includes the toolbar for Word.
  • Install the Zotero Connector for each browser you use:
    • PCs - Chrome, Firefox, Safari
    • Macs - Safari, Chrome, Firefox
    • NOTE: For other browsers, check out their bookmarklet.

Step 2: Register at zotero.org to allow syncing among multiple computers.

  • Open https://www.zotero.org/user/register and complete the form. You can use any email address with Zotero.
  • Check your email to verify your account.
  • Note: When using Zotero 6.0 on a public computer be sure to sign in and out of your account in Edit/Zotero >> Preferences >> Sync.

Step 3: Customize Zotero 6.0 using Preferences

  • Open Zotero on your computer (red Z on Desktop or Dock)
  • Open Preferences by clicking Edit >> Preferences or Zotero >> Preferences
    • Sync: Enter your Zotero username and password; choose whether attachments should be synced (you have 300MB of free cloud storage, about 100 PDFs)

Step 4: Customize Zotero Connector

  • Open Preferences by right clicking the Zotero Connector in your browser >> Preferences (or options on Chrome)
  • General: select options for saving to Zotero
  • Proxies: add a configured proxy for %h.er.lib.k-state.edu/%p
  • Advanced: if you are using Google Docs select "Enable Google Docs Integration"

For instructions with images or video, use Zotero's support pages below:

Guide for K-State instructors to share with first-time Zotero users

Using Zotero for Academic Writing

Closed captions are available in this video by YouTube user mdthib.

Troubleshooting Zotero

Zotero has created clear step-by-step troubleshooting pages for these common issues:

If your problem isn't listed in the links above, browse the Zotero Knowledge Base or search the Zotero Forums: