Citation Management

Why Use A Citation Manager

When it comes to managing and formatting your citations, there are many options available. We recommend a citation manager, such as Zotero, over paste+copy sites, such as EasyBib, for the following reasons:

• Free
• Easy to Use
• Keeps a library of your sources, allowing you to return to and reuse sources for different kinds of papers
• Creates in-text citations and Bibliography/Works Cited pages in various formats (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
• Ensures proper citation by connecting citations to your reference list and vice versa, which prevents dropped citations
• Offers additional space for taking notes, adding keywords, and scaffolding citations through subjects and themes, not only authors

 

Zotero allows you to spend less time focusing on the details of formatting and more time reading and thinking carefully about the issues of your research paper.

 

That said, you should still have an understanding of academic integrity, why writers cite their sources, and how your citations fit into an overall conversation in your learning and in your discipline or profession. For more on that, check out our resources on academic integrity.

To learn how to download and use Zotero to save, organize, and cite your sources, check out the video below or go directly to Zotero.org. Links to an external site.

 

Video Tutorial for Downloading and Using Zotero