Switch to Zotero from Citavi

End of Citavi Campus Licence 30.09.

The campus licence for the Citavi reference management programme expires on 30.09.2023. The University Library and IT Services recommend the use of Zotero.

We will be happy to support you in switching to the reference management programme and will offer the same support for Zotero as you are used to from us for Citavi. If you have any questions about the two reference management programmes and the changeover, please contact literaturverwaltung.ub(at)uni-bamberg.de or make an appointment with Ask-a-Librarian.

There is a video tutorial (7 minutes) on moving Citavi projects to Zotero.
We offer special courses on switching, aimed at people who have previously worked with Citavi (online, 60 minutes). We offer introductory courses for Zotero for anyone who is new to the topic of reference management.

Recommended action

I have not yet used a reference management programme or have only just started.

It's best to get started with Zotero right away. The University Library regularly offers introductory courses.

I mainly use Citavi as a literature database.

If you work little or not at all with the add-in for Microsoft Word, the switch to Zotero is usually possible at any time. The University Library offers courses that are specifically aimed at switching users.

I am writing a scientific paper with Citavi, which I plan to submit before 1.10.2023.

The current Citavi campus licence runs until 30.09.2023. If your text will be finished by then, you do not need to do anything for now: Continue working with Citavi as usual. It is best to switch to Zotero before you start a fresh writing project. After the campus licence expires, your references inserted in Word will be readable even without a Citavi licence.

I am writing a scientific paper with Citavi, which I would like to submit after 30.09.2023. I have not yet added any or only a few references in Word.

If possible, move your literature database to Zotero before a first longer writing phase. If you have already added bibliographic references in Word using Citavi, you will have to relink them manually in Zotero.

I am writing a scientific paper with Citavi, which I would like to edit even after 30.09.2023. I have already added many references in Word.

If you would like to continue working with Citavi after 30.09., this will only be possible via individual licences at a fee. Please contact us if you are at a point in your work where it would be very difficult to switch to Zotero. We will then try to find a solution together.

Ich benutze Citavi mit LaTeX

Zotero does not import the BibTeX keys created by Citavi. However, you can "rebuild" the keys in Zotero. To do this, please import your literature database into Zotero and then proceed as follows:

Install the Zotero plug-in Better BibTeX.
Open the Better BibTeX settings in Zotero: Tools --> Better BibTeX --> Open Better BibTeX Preferences.
Set the citation key formula to the same value as in Citavi and confirm with OK. If you have used the default setting for BibTeX keys in Citavi (Author.2023), the pattern for Better BibTeX is auth + "." + year. You can find the BibTeX key settings in Citavi under Tools --> Options --> Citation --> Customize BibTeX keys.
In Zotero, select all citations (Ctrl + A), right-click once and select Better BibTeX --> Refresh BibTex key.

The following Zotero settings are useful for working with LaTeX:

To have the BibTeX file updated automatically when you add new references, select the appropriate format under File --> Export Library (usually Better BibLaTeX) and check the box "Keep updated".
In this context menu you can also decide whether your Zotero notes should be included in the BibTeX document or not.
Under Settings --> Export you can set the format for "Quick Copy" to Better BibTeX Quick Copy: \cite{Citation Key}. You can then copy citations from Zotero with Ctrl+Shift+A and insert a citation into the document with Ctrl+V. You may have to adjust the format in the Better BibTeX settings (Export --> Quick Copy), depending on whether you use BibTeX or BibLaTeX.

I use a citation style in Citavi that I cannot find in Zotero.

In both reference management programmes, you can choose from >10,000 citation styles. If you do not find your desired Citavi style in Zotero under the same name, you can search for a suitable style using sample literature specifications. We are happy to support you in finding a suitable style, but we do not make any changes to citation styles ourselves and do not create any new citation styles.