Zotero is a digital research tool that will revolutionize how you collate references, and then cite these in your final paper. It is a tool that you install on your computer together with a plugin for your internet browser (Safari, Chrome or Firefox). Once these are both installed you can click on a small button in the browser and add the specific newspaper article, journal or data into your list of references. Zotero will collect the metadata from your source, such as the author, publisher, title etc. You can then fill in the gaps.
When you are ready to create your bibliography, you click to extract the references from Zotero in any chosen format, including MLA, Chicago or APA and then paste these into your paper. You can also use the MS Word plugin to add citations as you write the paper. Overall this is an excellent tool to support your research and invaluable digital skill if you are moving onto further study at university.
For more information about Zotero, watch the tutorial below. You can also visit thier website to see the detailed Quick Start Guide. I have also developed some brief resources as part of our schools Digital and Information Literacy programme,
How do I start?
Firstly, you need to download two files to set this up on your MacBook. Zotero 3.0 standalone for Mac, allows you to collate citations and then add them into Microsoft Word as you write. The Connector to Safari allows you to drop and drag resources, into your library as you work. All other download links are available here.
AGA
Digging a Little Deeper 