ZoteroBib – a free alternative

Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles

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What is ZoteroBib?

ZoteroBib is basically an extension of the Zotero reference management software that focuses only on generating references online. Zotero Bib (also referred to as ZBib) includes the ZoteroBib APA, ZoteroBib MLA, ZoteroBib Chicago, and a range of other citation generator tools for different citation styles.

What are the pros and cons of the ZoteroBib citation generator?

Pros:

  • Zotero Bib is free;
  • it allows citing in almost 10,000 citation styles.

Cons:

  • the Zotero Bib APA, Zotero Bib MLA, Zotero Bib Chicago, and all other Zotero Bib citation generators copy all errors of the desktop Zotero app;
  • ZoteroBib provides incorrect ordering of references for your chosen citation style and fails to take into account even basic rules such as the addition of Latin lowercase letters to the year value in APA lists of references;
  • ZoteroBib generates incorrect in-text citations as soon as you go beyond one author: do not expect that different authors with the same last name will be cited correctly in either APA, MLA, or other citation styles: you will copy erroneous citations from Zbib;
  • the service is not adapted to different types of devices and is not quite user-friendly;
  • while you can search for a source across different databases, the results can be disappointing. For example, the retrieval of author and title data from webpages is weak;
  • you cannot cite many source types such as a preprint or an archival document;
  • you get automated translation of bibliography items with many errors: for example, the date and edition number of your source will be translated incorrectly into French or Ukrainian, and your ‘Original published’ string will remain untranslated at all.

How is Grafiati better than ZoteroBib?

We’ve already described how we are developing our service differently than Zotero here. To put it simply, we do not take the same source code with multiple faults that you will get from Zotero, Mendeley, or Citethisforme. We study each publication manual and develop a custom citation system in this particular style for you.

So, why would you choose Grafiati instead of ZoteroBib:

  • Grafiati allows you getting the most correct references and citations on the web: avoid the errors of Zotero, Citation Machine, and the like services.
  • We provide the correct ordering of references you need taking into account even the tiniest nuances in the requirements of the APA Publication Manual, the MLA Handbook, the Chicago Manual of Style, and the official editions of other citation styles.
  • In contrast to Zotero Bib, we deliver accurate in-text citations updated dynamically taking into account the contents of your bibliographic list.
  • All our services are accessible online and are adapted to all kinds of devices.
  • We focus on the best user experience and deliver the most user-friendly and easy-to-master interface.
  • We offer great depth combined with simplicity: you can cite different types of sources, go as far as you need with the roles of contributors, specify source location data, and so on.
  • We are open to our users’ feedback and recommendations.

How to use your bibliographic management service?

You can use Grafiati for free or subscribe to one of our paid plans that can meet your particular needs.

For more information on how to use our website, visit the help section.

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