Annotated Bibliography in MLA or Chicago Style

Peaches_Henry

First, I am NOT a computer expert. I do not know how to input code, etc. What I need to know is whether Zotero has developed a way to created an annotated bibliography from one's library using either MLA or Chicago style. I want to create a full bibliographical citation in single space. Right below it, I want to skip a space and then have a single-spaced annotation (pulled from the abstract part of an entry). Can this be done by a person such as myself who does not know how to change computer code? That is, is there a way for me to click on say MLA with annotation or Chicago with annotation? If not, when do you think Zotero will do this. I have seen forums where people were asking for this as far back as 2006. RefWorks generates an annotated bibliography such as I'm describing, but I abandoned RefWorks for Zotero and all of my data is now in Zotero. Please help.

adamsmith

There is a CMoS (Annotated Bibliography) style in the repository - it uses the contents of the extra field, not the abstract, though.
Everything else, while easy to do, requires small modifications of existing csl styles. Those don't require any programming knowledge, but just a text editor (like Notepad or TextEdit) and the ability to follow simple instructions. Let me know if you're interested.

This thread has some information - the link to the MLA annotated style is, unfortunately, dead:
http://forums.zotero.org/discussion/73/annotated-bibliography/

Peaches_Henry

Okay. I can follow simple (detailed) instructions. First, comfort me that any modifications I make will not alter my data. Then, I'm ready to follow instructions. Your instructions will enable me to create an annotated bib in MLA style that I can place on a clipboard or that will open into Word without my having to cut and paste hundreds of annotations?

adamsmith

The general instructions are here.
http://www.zotero.org/support/dev/citation_styles/style_editing_step-by-step
you won't need all of this - look at the sections
The Zotero Reference Test Pane
Change your Style Title and ID and
Using your edited style with Zotero

Specifically, pick your favorite style. Re-install it from the repository at www.zotero.org/styles to make sure you have the most recent version, then add
<text variable="abstract" display="block"/>
as the fourth to last line at the bottom, just above
</layout>, so that the bottom of your style looks like this:

<text variable="abstract" display="block"/>
</layout>
</bibliography>
</style>

Follow the instructions from the link above to get your edites style back into Zotero. Make sure you remember to change title and ID.
Any problems/questions let me know.