There are many tools to help you efficiently create and/or manage the references you cite in your works. These range all the way from simple one-at-a-time citation creators (ZoteroBib, NoodleTools Express) to sophisticated citation management software that can work inside Word and Google Docs (Zotero, Endnote). Two equally important things to remember about ALL of them are:
Don't waste time on the drudgery of citation building. These tools offer various ways to generate citations so that you aren't re-typing all of the information you find in a database results list. However...
None of these is fool-proof. Always read through a generated citation for accuracy. You are still the editor!
Zotero USING ZOTERO
INSTALLATION OPTIONS: (available at http://www.zotero.org/download/):
You'll know you have successfully installed the Zotero connector/plug-in when you see Zotero icons appear in the top right-hand corner of the browser window. Remember that to use Zotero, you need to have the Zotero software up and running while you are searching in your browser. If you use multiple installations of Zotero (i.e. on your laptop and on a thumbdrive), turn on the Sync function in each installation so that the computer you are currently using will be updated to have all citations saved using your username anywhere. First create a account on the Zotero webpage. Then open up the Zotero software, choose Preferences from the Edit menu. Click on the Sync tab and enter your username and password and click on Ok. **Portability issues: As of January 2024, Zotero has no portable version of their software. Using the full version on a thumb drive is possible but has two issues: 1) citations you download will save to the host computer's hard drive instead of to your thumb drive and 2) you must re-enter your account information and re-sync each time you move the thumb drive to a new computer. If using the full version on a thumb drive always login and sync each time so data will not be lost. An independently-developed portable version of Zotero is available at GitHub and PortableApps. It solves the data storage and account login/sync issues but new versions aren't automatically downloaded. You will need to check for and manually install them. . |
The WIU Libraries offer access to EndNote Basic through our subscription to Web of Science (Science Citation Index Expanded). Like Zotero, it will assist you in collecting and organizing citations and integrating them into your research. For more information, see:
Many databases include citation tools that allow you to generate or copy a "suggested' citation for a source in one of several popular styles. For instance, EBSCO databases like Academic Search Complete have a "Cite" tool in the list on the right-hand side of a source's full record display. Note: always read and and edit the citations you find in databases, checking them against the correct style rules to catch errors. |
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After you click on the "Cite" option in an EBSCO database, a citation window will open up in the middle of the record display. Simply scroll up and down in the list to find the desired style. It will list the proper heading for the page (Works Cited, References, Bibliography, etc.) and then the suggested citation. Different database companies provide different style options.