If you are a Law student you need to use OSCOLA, and can ignore the Harvard/APA tab.
You should read through the other sections of this guide first, before looking at this page which focusses on the specifics of adding resources from the legal databases into Zotero, and citing in OSCOLA in Word using the Zotero add-in.
The word processor plugins are bundled with Zotero and should be installed as a Word ribbon automatically on your computer when you first start Zotero. Zotero has over 10,000 styles, including OSCOLA as well as the key journal styles in use.
Change styles from the Zotero Styles Repository.
In Word, on the Zotero ribbon, click Document Preferences:
Under the list of citation styles choose OSCOLA and click OK at the bottom of the box.
On the item record in Westlaw click the Zotero browser connector to capture the record:
Click download and follow the instructions on Westlaw:
In Zotero right-click on the library item and Attach Saved Copy of File:
Browse to the PDF you downloaded and save it. You will now have the bibliographic record and the PDF attached:
Lexis:
Repeat as for Westlaw - Use the web connector to capture the item and then choose Download and make sure Portable Document File (PDF) is selected:
In Zotero you must change the item type to Case or Legislation and then complete the bibliographic details:
Paste the Case Name from the database into the Case Name field:
Next paste the legal citation from the database into the Reporter Volume field:
For Legislation repeat as above but choose Statutes and paste the title into the Name of Act field:
Pay close attention to ensure you paste the information correctly as Zotero relies on the accuracy of this information for correct citation in your work.
Sometimes the legal databases don’t work very well with the web connector. You can add PDFs of journal articles or commentary to Zotero (follow the guidance in Adding to your Library tab in this guide) and these typically contain the bibliographic data Zotero needs.
For Cases and Legislation, you may need to manually create records in Zotero but this is very quick:
Click the green + button, choose Case. If you cannot see Case listed click More and choose from the drop-down menu:
Now click into the fields in the right-hand column and add the information. Paste the Case Name from the database into the Case Name field:
Next paste the legal citation from the database into the Reporter Volume field:
For Legislation choose Statutes and paste the title into the Name of Act field:
Pay close attention to ensure you paste the information correctly as Zotero relies on the accuracy of this information for correct citation in your work.
You can begin citing with Zotero by clicking the “Add/Edit Citation” button. Pressing the button brings up the red citation dialog:
This is useful if you know exactly what you are citing, but it is recommend that you click on the arrow next to the ‘Z’ icon in the red dialog and choose “Classic View”:
This shows your entire library structure and additional options e.g. Omit Author, add Page numbers, add Multiple Sources. Select the source you want, choose any relevant options and click OK:
You will now see a superscript number in the place you chose, and the Footnote will be at the bottom of the page. Hover your mouse over any superscript to see a pop up of the full citation:
You can also double-click a superscript to jump to the footnote. Zotero will automatically add ibid to any repeat footnotes.
Citations changed in Word will revert back to the Zotero version when your document refreshes so always make sure to return to Zotero and correct the bibliographic data in the relevant item field.
To edit a citation already inserted into Word from Zotero, e.g. to add page numbers, remove author name, select the citation in the text so it highlights grey, then click on Insert/Edit citation. Click on the citation in the search pane to open the quick edit box and make your changes.
OSCOLA does not require you to make a bibliography but if you ever want a list of your citations follow the instructions below:
Of cited items
Clicking the “Add/Edit Bibliography” button inserts a bibliography at the cursor location. You can edit which items appear in the bibliography by clicking the “Add/Edit Bibliography” button again, which will open the bibliography editor. See below. Manual edits made to the bibliography in Word will be overwritten if you choose to refresh Zotero, it is best to make changes in the library or just before submission.
Of your whole library / a collection
Select the references or collections you want to include. You can select multiple items by holding the control key, or CTRL+A for the whole library. Right-click one of the selected items and choose "Create Bibliography." Keep in mind you can select multiple items and "Create Bibliography from Items" or you can select a collection and "Create Bibliography from Collection". A window will prompt you to select multiple options:
