Zotero has a plug in for Word and Google Docs. The plugin adds a Zotero toolbar so that you can add citations to your document and create your reference list as you write. The Zotero desktop app needs to be open for this to work. 

This plug in is added during the installation process. Word should have been closed at the time of installation.

 

What does the toolbar look like?

The toolbar looks different on different devices and word processors. 

Word Toolbar

 

Top Tip

The Word plugin may not install correctly if Word was open at the time you installed Zotero. To fix this:

• Close Word and navigate to Zotero preferences (Edit option in Windows and the Zotero option in MacOS)
• Select the 'Cite' tab
• Then the 'Word Processors' tab
• Click ‘Install Microsoft Word Add-in' 

Google Docs Toolbar

The Google Docs plug in is part of the Zotero browser connector and the first time you use the Zotero plug in you may be asked to make sure that the Google Docs integration is enabled. Further details can be found on the Zotero support pages: Using Zotero with Google Docs
 

How to add a citation

• Place cursor where you would like the citation
• Click 'Add/Edit Citation' in the toolbar
• Search for the reference you want to add
• Press Enter

Top Tip

The first time you add a citation to a document, you will be asked to choose a citation style (choose the correct style from the list and click OK). You can change bibliographic styles with the "Document Preferences" button.

How to edit your citation

• Click on the citation (highlighted grey)
• Click 'Add/Edit Citation' in the toolbar
• Click on the highlighted citation in the search box to bring up the edit box

Here you can:

• Add page numbers for quotes: e.g. (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007, p. 89)
• Tick the box to suppress the Author (where you have already mentioned them in the sentence) e.g. Cohen states that… (2007, p. 89)
• Add a Prefix: e.g. when quoting from a secondary source e.g. (as cited in Bayat, 2015)

Top Tip

If you spot any errors in your citation or an entry in your reference list, edit these within your Zotero library and hit Refresh in the toolbar (this will apply any changes made to all instances of the citation as well as the reference list entry). Changes made manually to a document will be overwritten the next time you add a citation using the plug in.

How to create your reference list

At the end of your paper, click the 'Add/Edit Bibliography' button. Your bibliography will appear, and new citations will be added automatically in the correct order.

Creating a standalone bibliography from a collection or selection of items in your Zotero library

• Select the collection or highlight the individual items that you would like to create a bibliography from (use CTRL or Command to select individual items)
• Right-click and select 'Create Bibliography from Collection'
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• In the pop-up window, select the Citation Style you would like to use and set the Output Mode to 'Bibliography' and the Output Method to 'Copy to Clipboard'
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• Paste into your document (make sure you select 'Merge Formatting ' in the paste options to keep the formatting)
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