LibGuides: Tech for Lawyering Competencies: Research & Writing: Zotero

Installation

Zotero is now on version 7. It is compatible with Windows and Mac OS (as well as Linux and iOS). You will also need a connector (like an add-on or extension) for your browser. All the major browsers are supported.

Safari Connector

Be sure to note that there may be additional steps to do in order to make Zotero functional if you are using Safari.

Creating Bibliography

It's easy to create a bibliography from your Zotero library.

Select the references or collections you want to include. Hold the control key and click to select multiple items. Right-click one of the selected items and choose Create Bibliography. Choose the bibliographic style you want, and select the output format: Save as RTF or HTML, copy to clipboard or print. (The RTF file format is compatible with all word processors.)

Add Notes

Adding notes to resources is easy with Zotero. Right-click on the resource and select Add Note. The note will be attached to the resource and is now searchable.

Saving Citations

Once installed and enabled, the connector provides a convenient way to save embedded data to your Zotero account. It is recommended you go to you Zotero app and double-check the citation to make sure all fields are complete and accurate.

Zotero and Google Docs

Zotero now works in Google Docs. See https://www.zotero.org/support/google_docs for more information.

Group Collaboration

You can share your work with others so they can add and edit the collections.

Zotero on iOS

Zotero is now available on iOS for the iPhone and iPad.

Bluebook Citations

To generate Bluebook citations with Zotero, you must first add the Bluebook style to your Zotero library:

Open Zotero and go to Edit from the main menu.
Select Settings.
Select Cite, located at the side of the Zotero Settings window.
Click on the link to Get Additional Styles.
Select the Bluebook Law Review style, and click Install.
Return to the Zotero settings window.

You should now see Bluebook Law Review listed in the Style Manager.

Now make Bluebook your default style:

Open Zotero and go to Edit from the main menu.
Select Settings.
Select Export, located at the side of the Zotero preferences window.
Under Quick Copy Item Format, select Bluebook Law Review from the drop-down menu.
You may now exit the Zotero preferences window.

Zotero will now automatically use the Bluebook format when generating citations.

Citations from Legal Cases

Use Google Scholar: Copy the case citation from Westlaw or Lexis, and search for the case with Google Scholar. Save the case directly to Zotero from Google Scholar by clicking on the Zotero icon (looks like a scale: ) in your web browser. This is the fastest way to save a copy of the case with the complete citation information to Zotero.