[All images from zbib.org]

The makers of Zotero have created a citation generator, ZoteroBib or ZBib, which produces quality citations and bibliographies online without needing a Zotero account. ZoteroBib relies on the same Zotero technology that extracts bibliographic data and creates (mostly) accurate citations, including the over 9,000 citations styles in the Zotero style library. ZoteroBib is a handy little tool that has a few more features than a run-of-the-mill citation generator, but isn’t as robust as the full Zotero program.

To create a citation in ZoteroBib, simply input the URL of the item in the search box. If the URL isn’t generating the citation you need, or if the item is in print, you can also use the DOI, ISBN, PubMed ID, arXive ID, or title of the item for Zotero to look up the bibliographic data.

ZoteroBib will then create a citation of the item and add it to a running bibliography, which is stored in your browser until you clear your browser’s cache. That allows you to keep coming back to the same list of sources. You can also generate a link to the bibliography you have created, save it in your notes, then come back to it later or on a different computer.

Because the team at Zotero isn’t trying to sell or advertise anything, I find it easier to trust and support their products over other citation generators available. I recommend this tool to students on a regular basis, whether because they aren’t quite ready to use a citation manager or they just need something to help with citations on the fly.  I personally have used this tool to help cite my own works to add to my CV, send along citations to patrons, and even double-check student work.

For more information or to try ZoteroBib for yourself, visit www.zbib.org

Anne Marie Engelsen, Science Reference Librarian, University of Maine

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