Windows/Mac Oscola Zotero Footnoting 16 Min Tutorial

Abstract
This case study considers the main features of three referencing software programs - Endnote, Refworks and Zotero - and their advantages and disadvantages for legal scholars. It defines the key useful features of referencing software as being a database for storing information about references or citations; an interface for downloading bibliographic data from catalogues and databases; an interface for inserting that information into footnotes and creating bibliographies; and the possibility of having a variety of styles in which citations can be formatted (OSCOLA, Bluebook, AGLC etc). The software is considered in light of responses to a survey of Oxford University Law Faculty academics and research students about how they manage reference information. A skills level rating is provided for each aspect of the three software programs considered. Other issues, such as storage and annotation of PDFs, sharing libraries and cross referencing of footnotes are also briefly considered.

Keywords: technology, referencing, bibliographic software, OSCOLA, Endnote, Refworks, Zotero

1. Introduction

In this paper, the term 'referencing software' is used to describe computer programs that hold bibliographic data and insert that data in various styles into word-processed documents. These programs are also known as reference managers and bibliographic software. The term 'bibliographic data' is used to describe the information used in a reference or citation: author, title, publisher, year of publication and so on. The term 'reference' describes individual items in a referencing software library, and, interchangeably with 'citation', 'reference' also describes bibliographic data presented in a particular order or style in a footnote or bibliography, or in an online database. Finally, 'style' describes the order, punctuation and fonts used to present the reference in a document: a book title may be in italics or quotation marks, for example; the city of publication may or may not be included. Chicago and MLA are styles, as are OSCOLA and Bluebook.

2. About the survey
The anonymous online survey of academics and research students in the Oxford Law Faculty was completed by 65 people: 51% were academics, 41% were Doctoral students and 8% were Masters students. The main question in the survey was: 'Which of the following do you use to manage citations? That is, to record bibliographic information about sources/references/citations, and put that information into footnotes and bibliographies, and perhaps even into reading lists. You may tick more than one.' The options were: index cards; handwritten notes; notes in a word processor; Excel or Access; Endnote; Refworks; Zotero; MLZ Zotero; Mendeley; Other. The survey also asked participants to note which methods of recording citations they had tried and abandoned, and the advantages and disadvantages of the system they used.

[pandukawb]

I'm starting my MPhil in law and checking for a reference manager. This seems to be good.

[eagle_]

Thank you a lot for this wonderful tutorial. It helped me a lot.