Chemistry 251 - Introduction to Forensic Science

What follows should be considered a "Zotero Quick Start" for Chemistry 251.  For more extensive online Zotero support including how to register an online account, backup your library to the cloud, and enable a citation preview, please consult our full Zotero Libguide.

To set up Zotero, you will need to install two components on your computer: the Zotero desktop application and the Zotero Connector, a browser extension that will allow you to save sources with a single click.

To begin, go to zotero.org/download, then follow these steps:

1. Download the desktop application installer (on the left side of the download webpage)
2. Open the desktop application installer, and follow the installation instructions.
3. Install the Zotero Connector browser extension (on the right side of the download webpage)

System Requirements and Plug-ins

Zotero can be used on macOS10.11 or later, Windows 7 or later, Linux, and iOS 15.6 or later operating systems. Zotero is not compatible with Chromebooks.

Browser connectors are available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. The Zotero Connector for Safari is bundled with Zotero. You can enable it from the Extensions pane in the Safari settings.

Plug-ins are available that integrate Zotero into Microsoft Word and Google Docs. For more information on setting up and using word processor plug-ins, visit Add Citations and Bibliographies to Documents.

Importing citation information for a source is typically accomplished using the Zotero Connector browser plugin.

The Zotero Connector plug-in is available for the Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Safari browsers.  The Zotero Connector for the Safari browser is bundled with Zotero and can be enabled from the Extensions pane in the Safari settings after installing Zotero. 
Zotero Connector for the Firefox, Chrome, Edge browsers can be downloaded from the zotero.org/download.

Adding Items to Your Zotero Library With The Connector

The Zotero Connector can be used to import citation information automatically from the following sources or item information:

• Databases (e.g. LibrarySearch, PsycInfo, ProQuest News and Newspapers, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar)
• Generic webpages
• PDFs

More detailed instructions for creating Zotero library items using the Connector can be found at the Zotero documentation website

Creating formatted citations and bibliographies from sources in your collections can be done in a few different ways. 

Options include:

1. Using the Google Docs plug-in to create synched citations and bibliographies in your documents 
2. Using the Microsoft Word plug-in to create synched citations and bibliographies in your documents
3. Exporting static citations and bibliographies from the Zotero desktop application

The Docs and Word plug-ins allow you to insert citations into your text while you write. When citations are added this way, linked bibliographies will be automatically generated and updated to include each added source. Edits made to sources in Zotero will automatically updated in your synced documents. 

You can install styles from the Zotero Style Repository by"

1. Selecting "Settings" from the "Edit" pulldown menu option.

2. Click on the “Get additional styles…” option in the "Cite" panel of the Zotero Style Manager.

3. Search for "American Chemical Society" and then select the "American Chemical Society" link from the results.

4. Make sure the American Chemical Society citation style is highlighted and then close the Zotero Settings/Style Manager window.

Search for the style you want and click the style title to install it into Zotero. You can also visit the Zotero Style Repository webpage in Firefox or Chrome with the Zotero Connector plugin installed to install styles directly into Zotero.