1. Install Zotero: Make sure you've got Zotero installed, and that you've signed up for your free Zotero.org account in order to sync your account from your computer. Follow the steps on the 'Installing Zotero' page. Also make sure that you've got the MS Word plug-ins properly installed.
Click the link below to access the latest volumes of the journal Ecology, published by the Ecological Society of America.
Click the 'All Issues' link to the right to view the archives; find the issue of the month when you had your most recent birthday and click on it, then scroll down to the 'articles' section. Browse the titles of the articles and import into your Zotero library 3-4 articles which look interesting.
Practice importing articles into your Zotero library from various locations...if you can! Notice whether you can import from the from the Issue contents page, the 'full text and abstract page', the 'PDF' page, etc. You'll be able to tell if you can import an article because you'll see the ‘import into Zotero’ icon appear in or near your URL bar.
Once you've imported several articles, check to see whether the PDF was also imported by clicking on the little arrow next to the title of the article.
If so, rename the PDF by right-clicking to ‘rename from parent metadata.’
3. Organize your sources: Once you have imported at least four articles into your Zotero library, create a collection, name it anything you like, and then add your articles to that collection by dragging them over to the folder icon.
4. Export your articles: You’ve got a library full of articles; how do you get your works cited page? You will want to right click on the collection and select "create bibliography from collection'.
You'll be given the chance to select the style that you'd like to use (see 'Zotero 201' for tips about adding more styles!), and how you'd like to export it. Choose RTF, usually.
