The main function of Zotero is to create citations in your chosen referencing style (Chicago, APA, Harvard, etc.). The other main function is to generate correct, alphabetised, and formatted bibliographies (reference lists) so that you don't have to list everything yourself manually.
Using the sources you collected using the methods on the previous tab, you can then select what ones you wish to include as a citation or as an entry in your bibliography, and create one automatically from within Zotero or MS Word/Google Docs/Libre Office.
The boxes below will walk you through how to do this.
Ask your lecturer what referencing/citation style you are meant to use. When you know that:
and select 'Preferences'. Then click the 'Cite' tab, and 'Styles'.Then scroll through the list and select the citation style that you need to use. All your citations and references that Zotero generates will now be done in the correct style for you:
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, select 'Bibliography', 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.) We recommend copy to clipboard and pasting in to your document, as it is the most straightforward.
Or you can just drag and drop references from Zotero into your document! They'll turn into fully formatted citations. This works with any word processor including Google Docs.
Zotero offers word processing plugins for Microsoft Word and LibreOffice. The plugin adds a Zotero toolbar to your word processor that allows you to add citations to your document while you write.
To add a citation, click the first button ("Insert Citation") on the toolbar.
You can either type directly in the box that pops up and select your reference from there:
Or, you can select the dropdown arrow, select classic view, and select your reference from the window that appears:
Zotero will add the citation at your cursor.
At the end of your paper, click the third button ("Insert Bibliography"). Your bibliography will appear, and new citations will be added automatically. Change bibliographic styles with the last button on the toolbar ("Set Doc Prefs").
You can search your entire Zotero library, notes included, by using this search box on the top right of the middle column:
Click the magnifying glass to the left of the search box to select "search everything". Save the search so it will update automatically as you add new items.
We would love feedback if this page was useful to you! If you have additional questions please reach out to us and we can try our best to help.
IADT LibGuides are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC-BY-NC 4.0)