Zotero: Citation Made Easy: Setting up Zotero

Zotero is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and it works with Firefox, Chrome, and Safari web browsers. 

To download Zotero, visit the Zotero download page.

When you get to the page, you will see options for downloading Zotero as a Firefox extension or a standalone application.

For most people, the standalone application will be the best option, but Zotero for Firefox works well if you already use Firefox as your browser. This guide assumes that you will choose the standalone version.

Click on the red Zotero button that matches your operating system to begin the download. Once the Zotero file has downloaded, double click on it to begin the installation, and follow the instructions the installer gives you.

Setting up an account with Zotero is optional. We highly recommend that you consider doing this. The primary reason for setting up an account with Zotero is that you can access your account on multiple devices. Data syncing is also a helpful tool that connects your local computer with the Zotero servers, allowing you to access your data from any computer with Zotero installed. 

Setting up your account and syncing is a two step process:

First, register for an account with Zotero at zotero.org. You will then be able to log in, view/upload content from your standalone version, and upload PDFs. Be aware that Zotero grants you limited space for uploads. 

Second, in order to sync your standalone version of Zotero with the Zotero servers, open the standalone version and select "Preferences" (for Mac users) or "Tools" and then "Preferences" (for PC users). Select the Sync option. Fill out the required information. You can select automatic syncing or syncing full text. 

There are three different ways to organize Zotero. These will help you to find your content easily, connect content by subjects, and connect content that is related.

• Folders: Creating folders allows you to connect your library to certain types of subjects or class projects. Anything that is in a folder can be found in your library. However, a folder allows you to see just the content related to the folder/project. Anything deleted from the folder can still be found in your library, just not in that particular folder.
• Tags: Tags can either be imported into Zotero when you import items in from databases or the internet. Or, you can create tags for particular subjects/projects. Once you associate tags with documents, you can click on the tag and see all items that relate to that tag even if they are located in separate folders.
• Related: Think of related items as hyperlinks between items. For example, perhaps you are reading a journal article and in the article the author interacts heavily with another scholar's dissertation. You can import (or create) the bibliographic information into Zotero for the dissertation and then create a relationship between the dissertation and the article that interacts with it.

Downloading Zotero standalone provides you with one part of Zotero's functionality. To fully benefit from Zotero, you also have to install a browser extension for your preferred browser. 

You can get a browser extension on the download page, directly below the download button.

Click on the extension for the browser you use, and follow the instructions. For Chrome extensions, the dialog will take you to the Chrome Web Store where you will need to click on "Add to Chrome."

Once your browser extension is installed, follow the instructions below to synchronize Zotero. 

Make sure that the citation style that you need is loaded in Zotero. In order to do this: (You will have to add Turabian or SBL to Zotero after your download).

• (If using a Windows computer) click "Tools" and then "Preferences."
• (If using a Mac computer) click on Zotero and then "Preferences."
• Choose the Tab "Cite" and then click on the sub-tab "Styles."
• Styles are listed alphabetically, if you do not see your citation style click "get additional styles."
• Search for the name of your citation style (e.g. Society of Biblical Literature Style) and download it.
  • Note: Be sure to remember where you saved the file. You'll need that for the next step.
• Go back to Zotero Preferences. Click the "+" to the right underneath the alphabetical list of citation styles.
• Select the file you just downloaded and your style will be added.