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Zotero: Citation Manager

Adding Citations in Zotero

Add items using the Magic Wand

Zotero can add items automatically by ISBN number, Digital Object Identifier (DOI), arcIX, or PubMed ID, using the Magic Wand button.

The Zotero Magic Wand icon.

  • Make sure you are in the folder you want to save the item to.
  • Click on the icon for the Magic wand on the top tool bar.
  • Enter the ISBN number, Digital Object Identifier (DOI), or PubMed ID.

Import Items into Zotero from Third Party Sources

You can download citation information from third party sources like databases and import them directly into Zotero. To see how to download the files from mainly of our databases, see the information in the next box.

  • In Zotero, click on File > Import.
  • In the presiding dialog box, choose A file (BibTex, RIS, Zotero, RDF, etc.) and click Next.
  • Choose the file to import.
  • In the next dialog box, you can choose to have the file being imported into a new collection. If you want the item to be imported in the folder you have chosen, uncheck this box. Then click Next.

Manually Adding Items into Zotero

If you are unable to add an item's record using the previous two steps, you can manually enter the information. This is a good option for primary sources or sources you can only find a print copy of.

  • Click on the new item icon The Zotero new item icon. in the middle toolbar.
  • Select the appropriate item type.
  • The item's information and metadata can be added by hand in the right-hand pane.

Add items using a PDF

When you have a pdf (from a database, from interlibrary loan, from a colleague…), it can easily be added to your Zotero Library.

Simply open the folder where you saved the PDF, then drag the PDF file into the middle column of Zotero. You can drag it into your main Library, or into a specific Collection / Folder.

It should create a new item automatically, using the information from the PDF. If it doesn't, right click on the pdf in the center pane and choose “Retrieve Metadata for PDF.” Note however that Zotero can not create items from nonstandard PDFs, for example it won't be able to pull information from a Word file saved as a PDF. This will only work with native PDF articles.

Adding Citations from Third Parties

You can import records from third party databases or websites into Zotero. You will just need to download the record and then use File > Import in Zotero and select the file you would like to import.

For more information on how to use specific databases and resource listed below click on the resource for instruction how to use it to add items to Zotero.

Web of Science

Web of Science

Adding a Single Item

  1. Click on the title of an item in the Web of Science results page
  2. Click on More just to the right of Export to EndNote Desktop
  3. When the box opens up you can choose Full Record under Record Content and Plain Text under File Format and click Export

Adding Multiple Items

  1. Check the boxes next to the title of the items you want to get the record of.
  2. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for adding a single item.

Try it Out:

  • Web of Science
    Web of Science provides seamless access to current and retrospective multidisciplinary information from approximately 8,700 of the most prestigious, high impact research journals in the world.

Zotero Connector

The Zotero Connector in your browser toolbar quickly adds whatever item is in the browser to your Zotero library. The Connector changes to reflect the type of source open in the browser. The folder symbol shows up when the webpage contains multiple items. Clicking this allows you to select and save multiple items at once.

Adding Zotero Connecter to your Browser

  1. Download the Zotero Connector extension from the Google Chrome Store.
  2. Download the Zotero Connector extension for Firefox.

      3. Safari 13 browser no longer supports the Zotero Connector.

Import citation with Zotero Connector

  1. When you are on a website or in the record of an item that you would like to add, click on the Zotero Connector extension in your browser.
    • It is recommended that you use database records pages or publisher records pages for scholarly records
  2. A dialog box will open and the with the item's information. The drop down menu allows you tol choose which folder in Zotero you would like to save the citation.
  3. If there are multiple items on the website to save, the Zotero Connector icon will change to a folder. Clicking this allows you to select and save multiple items at once.

EbscoHost Database

  1. Click on the title of an item in an EbscoHost Database
  2. In the right-hand column under Tools select Export and choose Direct Export in RIS Format (e.g. CITAVI, EasyBib, EndNote, ProCite, Reference Manager, Zotero)

Try it Out

  • EbscoHost Databases
    EBSCOhost databases are cross-searchable, providing coverage for journal articles and other information in academic disciplines." Select some or all of the databases and check the boxes to limit results to [Black and White Photograph] or [Color Photograph]

Proquest Databases

  1. Click on the title of an item in a Proquest Database
  2. On the right-hand side of the page click on All options.
  3. Choose RIS (works with EndNote, Citavi, etc)

Try it Out

  • Proquest Databases
    All Proquest databases, cross-searchable, providing coverage for journal articles and other information in academic disciplines.

Worldcat Discovery

  1. Click on the title of the item in Worldcat Discovery
  2. Click on Cite in the top right-hand corner of the record
  3. Choose Export to RIS

Try it Out

  • WVU WorldCat
    WVU Libraries online catalog; use it to find books, articles, periodicals, microforms, and A/V media owned by the libraries.

Google Scholar

Set up Google Scholar

  1. Click on the Menu Button in the top left-hand corner
  2. Choose Settings
  3. Under Bibliography Settings click on Show links to import citations into
  4. Choose Refman and click on Save

Import with Google Scholar

  1. On your Results page click on the link for Import into RefMan underneath the items description.
  2. The file will download to your browser's default location.

Try it Out

  • Google Scholar
    Scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research, with full text accessible via WVU Library subscriptions. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web.

PubMed

  1. Click on the title of the item you would like to add
  2. Click on Send to in the top right-hand corner of the page.
  3. Under Choose Destination choose Citation Manager and click on Create File

      Try it Out

      • PubMed
        PubMed is the National Library of Medicine's gateway to MEDLINE, a National Library of Medicine bibliographic database covering the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pre-clinical sciences. MEDLINE contains bibliographic citations and author abstracts from more than 5,200 biomedical journals published in the United States and 70 other countries.