Footnotes for a beginner

PFB56

Hello, I’m new to using Zotero. When I want to insert a bibliographic reference in a footnote following a personal comment, am I required to systematically create the reference note first and then add my personal comment, or can I add the reference by using Zotero’s citation insertion feature after my comment? Because, in practice, the second method doesn’t work for me, even though it would be the most convenient. Thank you very much. Pierre

adamsmith

You can insert the reference after writing in a footnote, yes. If that doesn't work, you'd have to say more (what exactly are you doing in what software with which citation style in Zotero, what exactly do you see happening (or not) etc.; this certainly works in general.

PFB56

Thanks a lot; ok so :

I work under Word 2024
I do "insert citation" with zotero tool after putting my mouse in the footnote, just after the last words of my purpose.

Everything is going as normal (i mean choice of citation, and process of insertion) but at the end there is nothing done : the citation doesn't appear. Nothing.

adamsmith

"Insert Citation" is not a Zotero button. Do you mean "Add/edit citation", or are you using the button for a different tool (Word's built-in tool uses insert Citation, e.g.)

PFB56

Yes, I apologize for the lack of precision in my expression. It is indeed the Zotero Add/Edit Citation button.

adamsmith

Which citation style are you using?

PFB56

I use "Institut catholique de Paris" wich is i think one "declinason" of "transversalités"

adamsmith

That should work just fine and does for me.
So just to walk through this:
1. In Word, from the References ribbon, insert a footnote
2. Type whatever text you want in the footnote.
3. With the cursor still in the footnote, click add/edit citation in the Zotero Word ribbon
4. You should see {citation} appearing as a placeholder in Word
5. In the red insert citation dialog, select the citation you want to
6. Press return to insert the citation
7. The citation appears in the footnote right where your cursor was.

PFB56

Hello Adam, indeed i do exactly as you say, that the problem. It doesn't work. I have well the {citation} but the process end without nothing in the footnote, except that all full texte of the doc (not the text of all footnotes) become on "selected"

adamsmith

Are you (or can you) testing this in a fresh document with just one footnote to make sure we have a minimal case in which this is broken?

PFB56

hello Adam, i thank you - i was out of my home for few days -. Indeed i works with only one footnote.