Reference list not formatted to APA6th

Bobbi Pauling

I have APA6th checked off and I am using the latest version of Word. The reference list was not double spaced with no extra space between references. The references were single spaced, and there was no indent on the second line of a reference and beyond all of which is needed for APA6th. I already paid for extra storage, and this is a big problem since I am in a doctoral program and will have more and more references. What is going on?

DWL-SDCA

The line spacing is controlled by settings in your Word program. Word styles are overriding your Zotero settings.

bwiernik

Start by changing to a different style and back. That will reset the Word style to the APA standard.

Bobbi Pauling

That's funny because I was using RefWorks, but switched because Zotero seemed to make it easier to add things to the databases. I have to say that I never had this problem making a Reference List with RefWorks. I did a work around by highlighting the whole list, going to paragraphs clicking on hanging, then double space, and then checking don't make an extra space between sections. Not quite sure what you both meant. Once again, this problem didn't happen in RefWorks.

bwiernik

(To be clear, are you creating a bibliography using the Zotero tab in Word—the Automatic Word plugin—or just by dragging or exporting from the Zotero app?)

The paragraph spacing and indents are controlled by Word’s formatting styles (like Normal, Heading 1, etc.—specifically the style called Bibliography).

When you pick a citation style, Zotero will set the Bibliography Word formatting style to meet the specifications of the selected citation style. But if you change the Word formatting styles (e.g., if you changed Normal), this might change the parameters of the Bibliogrpahy.

A quick way to reset the paragraph formatting of the Bibliography is to switch to a different citation style using the Document Preferences button in the Zotero tab in Word, then switch back to APA.

(I can assure you that Zotero is much easier to use than RefWorks.)

Bobbi Pauling

As far as I know, I have never changed those settings, though I know that you can change formatting styles. I am going to try about switching it back and forth on a test case to see what happens, but meanwhile I had to get an assignment in yesterday, and fixed the problem the way I said above, which was fairly easy. Thanks for your help.

bwiernik

Word sometimes is “helpful” and changes the formatting styles in a document on its own (e.g., sometimes when copying and pasting from somewhere else), so that might be the issue here.

Changing citation styles is two clicks—just click on the Document Preferences button and select a new style. Let me know if you have any more questions!

Bobbi Pauling

Hi....So, I experimented and made another copy of the doc erased the References, did them with MLA, erased that and did it with APA, and low and behold all the Indentations are there. Thank you muchly.

bwiernik

Great. You don’t need to erase the references first. Just change the style.

Bobbi Pauling

Hi Bwiernik...I am still finding some glitchiness with the reference lists I make, so I have to go over the references to make sure there are no errors. That being said I wanted to ask you a few questions. One, is are you just someone who I happened to luck out finding who knows Zotero well, or a volunteer or the like. Secondly, I am curious why you you felt Zotero is easier to use than RefWorks. I am not doubting you, but I bet that there is a lot you know that I don't know. My school does not have a problem with using Zotero rather than RefWorks, but RefWorks is what the library uses and not Zotero, so having setup Zotero I am kind of on my own. Furthermore, it just so happens that this week I have to write a one page paper on comparing the two. My biggest difficulty using Zotero is the background for my school's library's database is EBSCO and EBSCO wants one to use RefWorks, which means that sometimes if I go to save something in Zotero it does not want to give me the whole article....What do you have to say about all of this? I am sure you have your reasons about why Zotero is is easier to use, and I would like to hear them, if you are willing to share your experiences. Thanks so much.

bwiernik

I’m just a very happy user of Zotero for many years. I volunteer time answering questions of these forums.

Regarding saving to Zotero from Ebsco, you should use the Save to Zotero button in your browser toolbar, rather than anything on the Ebsco page itself:
https://zotero.org/support/getting_stuff_into_your_library

Comparing RefWorks to Zotero, it is dramatically easier to import items into Zotero (using the button I mentioned above), and Zotero has the most accurate web import of any program. I also found the Word plugin much easier to use for Zotero compared to RefWorks.

Regarding APA style and Zotero, the formatting will be extremely accurate if you have the data stored completely and accurately in your Zotero library. Rather than manually checking a reference list, I recommend you just verify that the item is complete and accurate when you add it to your Zotero library. If there are problems you are running into, you would need to be more specific about they are.

Bobbi Pauling

Yes, that is how I am doing it actually, but it will make a record of something, but there is an X when something was EBSCO in the box that comes up and it will not let me link to the actual source, so I end up having to go to the (usually abstract page) the page that links to the whole doc, and then I have to make sure I am logged onto the school library to get to the real deal.
Yes, I like the plugin as well. Is it possible to import into Zotero the articles I put in RefWorks before I decided to use Zotero (about 60)
I also had one other question. I need to put the references into folders, and what I am finding is that if I do that it duplicates the article, which I don't really want to do. If I try to delete the one in the main library, it deletes the one in the folder as well. I think I must be doing something wrong.
Also, there is a box in the lower left that seems to have keywords and has a search but I don't know how to use that compared to the search at top of the page and making tags for the articles...there must be a difference.
Furthermore now that I think about it, even if I don't make tags will the search still look through all my titles and does it look at the body of the paper as well?
Specific would be that an author was there, but then did not show up in the reference citation, or the editor and not the author shows up, or that one of the lines that should have been indented was not or that the way it is listing a doi is with http in front but APA doesn't like that. I can't think of the rest.
This is a lot, and by me it is one in the morning. I should have been asking questions all along, but I have had a whole lot I have had to handle all at once. I apologize for laying all of this on you at one time, but maybe with the amount of experience you have these questions are easy peazy, I hope...thanks again.

dstillman

Is it possible to import into Zotero the articles I put in RefWorks before I decided to use Zotero (about 60)

Export as RIS. Import into Zotero. Folders won't be transferred.

I need to put the references into folders, and what I am finding is that if I do that it duplicates the article, which I don't really want to do.

https://www.zotero.org/support/collections_and_tags#the_zotero_collections_model

https://www.zotero.org/support/collections_and_tags#adding_items_to_collections

Also, there is a box in the lower left that seems to have keywords and has a search but I don't know how to use that compared to the search at top of the page and making tags for the articles...there must be a difference.

https://www.zotero.org/support/collections_and_tags#the_tag_selector

Furthermore now that I think about it, even if I don't make tags will the search still look through all my titles and does it look at the body of the paper as well?

https://www.zotero.org/support/searching

bwiernik

Specific would be that an author was there, but then did not show up in the reference citation, or the editor and not the author shows up

No, by “specific” I mean show me what you are expecting to see, and what you are getting instead. This is likely correct, but would need to see what you mean exactly.

or that one of the lines that should have been indented was not

Again, what specifically do you mean, and are you inserting citations using the Word plugin (with the buttons in Word) or another way?

or that the way it is listing a doi is with http in front but APA doesn't like that.

You’re mistaken. Correct current APA style is to format the DOIs as URLs with https://doi.org/

https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2017/03/doi-display-guidelines-update-march-2017.html


Honestly, all of these sound like either (1) misunderstandings about correct APA style, or (2) potentially you don’t have data entered well into your Zotero library. I would need to know exactly what you mean regarding indenting.

Please believe me when I tell you that the APA CSL style really does handle all of the issues you describe correctly.

Bobbi Pauling

I don't have a lot of time this morning, but you sound very proficient in APA. Yet, on page 191 of the 6th it says, "Use this format for the DOI references: doi:XXXXXXX"
The rest I'll get back about later. Again, thanks for your help.

adamsmith

And as the linked blogpost (by APA) explains, APA has since amended its guidance on the topic and now prefers https://doi.org, although the old format continues to be acceptable.

Bobbi Pauling

Adam, I have no idea what you are talking about..In my dissertation program I use the 6th. I don't have any amendment in the copy I just got. My teacher just marked a paper where I did as I mentioned from the book and I told her about the discrepancy I saw. She said nothing to me about your thought, and she is a peer reviewer herself, so I don't get it.

Bobbi Pauling

bweirnik
I just went to that link. We can do it both ways according to what it says. The funny thing is that my teacher did not mention it to me.

Bobbi Pauling

hmmm...the strange thing is that my print version of the 6th has a print date of aug 2017 and the blog post says March 2017

bwiernik

APA has changed their preferred formatting twice since the printing of the 6th edition manual. First, in the 2012 APA Style Guide to Electronic References (http://www.misericordia.edu/uploaded/documents/library/Books/APAStyle.pdf?1436800286903). Second, in 2017 on the APA Style Blog (https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2017/03/doi-display-guidelines-update-march-2017.html). The format used by Zotero is the preferred format by CrossRef, doi.org, and APA. Many researchers and instructors are not aware of these changes, but they are very much correct.

This is what @adamsmith was saying.

Bobbi Pauling

What you have helped me with is very useful, and I appreciate it. My one thing that is still confusing me is what is happening with EBSCO not wanting me to be able to save the PDF, unless it is saved in Ref works. Therefore, I have to do a work around to get to the PDF, instead of going directly to it, after it is saved. Please understand that the background of my school's library is EBSCO. How things will show up is X EBSCO Full Text instead of snapshot and it will be in red. Sometimes it is easy enough to get to the PDF, but if I am not in the school library and I try and get to it, then I have problems. Do you have any answer about what to do about this?

bwiernik

Let’s keep that discussion in the other thread https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/74189/ebsco-no-longer-saving-pdf

rcolkett

I am also having an issue where the formatting of the bibliography is not correct, no hanging indent, and no spacing. It seems to be the document, could it be that the document is corrupt as this is happening to more than one user in the same document. We are only using one style, a custom style we are only using for our company. We delete all the other styles out of Zotero. If I paste all the content in a new document it seems to correct the formatting somewhat, but I still had to fix the font type and size manually.

bwiernik

Try to change to a different style and back. Is the formatting fixed.

rcolkett

I will have to re-install the other styles and give this a try

bwiernik

You can reset the default styles Advanced pane of Zotero preferences, on the Files and folders tab.

rcolkett

Switching to a different style solved this problem.

WmDoubledee

What about italics? APA 6th edition requires the title be in italics not the rest. Is there a way to set that up. I have to go through and change every one.

dstillman

@WmDoubledee: Zotero's APA style properly italicizes titles, as you can see by hovering over the style on the styles page. See Italics in Word Bibliographies for troubleshooting. Don't change this in the document itself.