Creating or Editing an In-Text or Numbered Citation (Microsoft Word)

To create a citation in Microsoft Word, open your document and look to the Zotero tab.

(The Microsoft Word Zotero extension is added when you install the Zotero program. If you don't see your the Zotero tab in your Word document, close all Word documents open on your computer before reopening your document of interest again. The Zotero tab should now be there.) 

A Microsoft Word document, with an arrow pointing to the Zotero tab.

 

Click first on the place within your document where you want to add the citation.

On the Zotero tab, select the option 'Add/Edit Citation.' 

A Microsoft Word document, with the Zotero "Add/Edit Citation" button highlighted.

 

If this your first time using Zotero within this document, you will be prompted to choose your citation style.

(Zotero comes with a set of standard citation styles, but if you don't see the one you want, close this 'Document Preferences' window, and follow these instructions.) 

A Microsoft Word document, with the Zotero "Document Preferences" menu displayed.

 

Select your citation style and click 'OK.' 

A red bar will appear. If you have clicked one or more entries in your Zotero program before clicking "Add/Edit Citation" in Word, or have PDFs open in the Zotero program, Zotero will automatically suggest those items to cite in Microsoft Word. You can hit the 'Enter' key cite that item. 

A Microsoft Word document, showing a red Zotero citation bar with the 'Selected Items' prompt.

 

However, you don't need to pre-select an item in your Zotero library. You can begin typing any identifying information for your reference of choice, such as a title or author(s) name(s), into the red bar. Zotero will start providing suggestions based on what's in your Zotero library. 

A Microsoft Word document, with a red banner displayed and a few letters typed into it.

 

Click on the correct citation from the list of suggestions.

A Microsoft Word document, with a red banner displayed. An in text citation appears within the banner.

 

If that is the one source you want to cite in this spot, click 'Enter' on your keyboard now.

If you'd like to cite 2 or more sources in this exact place in the document, repeat the previous step and list as many sources as you want. Then click 'Enter.'

A Microsoft Word document, displaying text with a footnote.

 

Your citation (either an in-text citation enclosed in parentheses, or a number), will appear. A full bibliography will not appear until you click 'Add/Edit Bibliography.' 

You may want to cite an article with some variation in the in-text citation, such as adding a page number or omitting the authors' names from the parentheses. To do so, click 'Add/Edit Citation,' but instead of typing in the name of the authors, click the 'Z' in the red bar, and choose 'Classic View' from the 2 options that appear. 

A Microsoft Word document, with a red banner displayed and the option "Classic View" highlighted.

 

From there, you can use the 'Add/Edit Citation' options to select the article of your choice, and apply any variations. 

A Microsoft Word document, with a pop-up titled "Add/Edit Citation" with a page field and an omit author check-box.

 

If you want to edit a citation you've already placed, select the citation with your cursor and then click 'Add/Edit Citation.' The red bar will appear, allowing you to make any changes (deleting the citation, adding a second citation in this same spot, or opening up the 'Classic View' editor as described above).