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Zotero: Create Bibliographies

Developed by the Center for History and New Media at the George Mason University, Virginia, Zotero is an open source easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources.

Create a bibliography from Zotero

To create a bibliography on Word from your Zotero references:

  • Select the references or collections you want to include.
  • Hold the control key and click to select multiple items.
  • Right-click on the selected items and choose Create Bibliography.
  • You can also create a bibliography from a subcollection in your library by right clicking on the collection.

Choose the bibliographic style you want.

Select the output format: Save as RTF or HTML, copy to clipboard or print. (The RTF file format is compatible with all word processors.)

Bibliography Quick Copy

If you just want to quickly add references to a paper or email, Zotero's drag-and-drop Quick Copy is the easiest to go.

  • Simply select items in the center column and drag them into any text field.
  • Zotero will automatically create a formatted bibliography for you.

Set up Reference default Export styles

To configure your Quick Copy preferences:

Go to the Edit tab, scroll down to Preferences.

Within the Preferences pop-up window, select Export. The Export option allows you to:

  • Set the style to be used when copying a reference to the clipboard using the Quick Copy shortcut keys, or drag-and-drop.
  • Set the default export format.
  • Set up site-specific export settings.
  • Choose whether you want Zotero to include HTML markup when copying.
  • Read more.