This is a compilation of the frequently asked questions about Zotero Styles:

A style describes is the layout and formatting of the output from Zotero.

Zotero uses the open standard CSL (Citation Style Language) for configuring citation formatting. CSL is independent of any particular application, document format, or programming language. More details can be found here

Well, that depends what you need to output!

If you are writing for a specific journal, it may be already supported in the Zotero Styles Repository. If not, see the next FAQ item below.

If you are writing a report or assignment, then your teacher or university might specify a format. If not, chose a journal or professional association style which is regularly used in your field, and go with it.

Resist the temptation to make your own citation based on what looks right to you: there are thousands of styles out there already, and it seems silly to add new ones. There are standards for most fields set by professional associations, and they should be perfectly adequate.

Please see this page on requesting styles.

If you have a little bit of technical know-how you can get involved helping to make or modify styles in CSL here.

A basic guide to making minor changes by yourself is here

First make sure it really is wrong! Check the latest Style guides and/or get some examples of recent publications and make sure.

Then submit an error report on the styles forum.. Use the subject Style Error:[Name of style].

The principles requesting_styles also apply .

This is a common issue due to inconsistencies in the first names in your database.

Zotero doesn't know that Jeff Smith, J. Smith and J. R. Smith are all the same person, and is trying to follow the official style rules by 'disambiguating' them as if they are different people.

Either: Go through your database and make all the names that really are the same person exactly the same:

Or: Use a style without first-name disambiguation. A simple guide to totally removing first-name disambiguation is here.

The Word plug-in formats the citations in your “Default font”

To change this, under 'Format' in Word 2003, and then 'Font', there is a button on the bottom of the window called 'Default'.

Prior to clicking the button, select the font and the size you want all text to appear, and then click the 'Default' button, it will ask you to confirm, - click 'yes' and it will make this the standard for all new text, including Zotero citations and bibliography.

Not yet, though this should be supported in upcoming releases of the CSL. Here's a workaround which might help you for the time being.

Not yet - though this may be supported in upcoming releases of the CSL. Here's a discussion and a possible workaround which might help.

Fantastic. You are the perfect person to tell us what is officially correct! Get involved by writing your own CSL format, or at least participate to get it written so it is perfect, then host it on your webpage - ideally at the “instructions for authors” section! Please post on the Styles Forum for more help.

See this page for a simple guide and some tips, or for more complex issues, ask on the styles forum