There are many tools for managing citations during the research and writing process. At the Graduate Center, the most popular option is Zotero, a free, open source tool that is flexible and easy to use.
Zotero Basics
- ZoteroSaves and helps you to organize citations to articles, books, webpages, and more. Works with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari. Install the Zotero Word plug-in to quickly create bibliographies and add citations to papers.
Zotero Instruction
The library provides Zotero instruction in a variety of ways:
- Online Step-by-Step Guide: Check out our Using Zotero tutorial.
- Virtual Office Hours: Stephen Klein holds virtual office hours dedicated to Zotero help on Mondays from 1-2 pm during the Fall and Spring semesters, so look for Events on the homepage to see how to attend. Email him If you cannot attend on Mondays 1-2 or if you'd like assistance during Summer hours.
- Workshops: The library offers Zotero workshops every semester. Consult the library's workshop calendar for information about upcoming workshops.
- One-on-One Consultations: Request a dedicated one-on-one consultation about Zotero (or other topics).
Downloading Zotero
Go to the Zotero Downloads page. It should detect your operating system and browser, and present you with the proper version of Zotero to download, as well as the Connector for the browser you are currently in. Simply click the the appropriate buttons to download the standalone application and browser Connector.
Also browse Zotero plugins for additional tools, including plugins for Microsoft Word and LibreOffice.
Using Zotero on a GC computer? Consult our guide to adding the Zotero Connector to your browser on GC computers.