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Drexel Library

MEDIA LITERACY INITIATIVE : 2 CITE

2 CITATION MANAGEMENT

In this section you'll learn about the usefulness of citation management tools to save the sources for your research project. Using a citation management tool will help keep you organized and make it easy to develop a Works Cited list of sources. Watch the video below and read the content below to learn how to set up an account with Zotero, a popular open source, citation management tool.

This activity works best if you use your personal laptop/desktop computer to download the Zotero software; instructions are provided below. However, if you do not wish to or are unable to download the software, you can create an online account in Zotero and use the Web Library version. Please note that there is less functionality with the Web Library option for Zotero.

Please contact your supervisor directly to coordinate working on this activity from home if you are not able to complete it while at work in the library.

SETTING UP ZOTERO

Before you get started with your research, you want to be able to save the information and properly cite it for your research project. Next, you are going to download a free citation management system, Zotero, to collect open web sources, as well as resources found in library databases. Follow the step-by-step instructions to download and set up a Zotero account. You will need to download the software on a laptop or personal computer, along with an extension connector in your browser.

Use the links below plus the Zotero Fundamentals video to get started. Remember, If you need help with this process, please contact a Drexel librarian and they will help you troubleshoot.  

CITATION MANUALS

There are many different ways of citing resources from your research. Usually the citation style is dependent on the subject area.

ACTIVITY

Step Two: Cite

  1. Remember to set it up from your personal computer or laptop.
  2. After you downloaded the software, please create a folder (called a Collection in Zotero) for this project.
    • Create a new Collection by clicking the yellow folder icon in the top left-hand corner of the interface.
    • Name the Collection whatever is the focus of your research topic.
  3. Make the most of Zotero and be sure to follow all the steps, including downloading the web browser Connector to make saving sources from a click in your web browser of choice easy.
  4. Once you have created a Collection, in later steps you will add content to your folder that you find from step 3 Search Web and step 5 Research.
    • Saving the material to Zotero will make it easier for you to create a Works Cited listing for your the final step in your research process.
  5. For now, take a screenshot of your newly created Zotero library showing that you created a Collection/Folder named for your research project.
  6. Upload the image below.

ZOTERO FUNDAMENTALS

UPLOAD ZOTERO SCREENSHOT