Managing references, adding citations automatically and creating bibliographies – reference management software makes writing academic papers easier. You can, for example:

• Create your own collection of references
• Take over references from numerous search portals, databases and publisher's websites
• Include references as citations in a text
• Create bibliographies

The ZHAW University Library supports you in the use of Zotero. With Zotero you can save, organise and cite references from any type of source. You also have the possibility to work together in private or public groups.

Zotero is available free of charge and can be downloaded from the Zotero website. For ZHAW staff, Zotero is available via the Software Center. Please find helpful video tutorials on "Zotero Basics" and more on "Installing Zotero" on our "Reference management with Zotero" channel.

To work in groups and synchronise your library, you need to register at Zotero. Zotero offers 300 MB free file storage. As a ZHAW staff member, you have unlimited file storage when you register with your ZHAW email address.

Whether you are working on a semester paper, writing your thesis or writing up an experiment, citing sources correctly is essential in the academic world. This is because new knowledge is always based on existing, verified knowledge, and stating this allows you to demonstrate the foundation for your findings. This is simply good scientific practice; failing to cite sources is regarded as plagiarism. For further information, please consult the ZHAW fact sheet on avoiding plagiarism(PDF 187,3 KB).

The ZHAW offers access to Academic Writer, an online portal that helps you write and publish according to the APA standard.

Academic Writer
Important: Academic Writer is not compatible with Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge; therefore, it is suggested to use another browser to avoid any issues.

• Do you have questions about writing seminar papers, project work or Bachelor’s theses?
• Would you like feedback on your texts?
• Would you finally like to know how to correctly cite sources or how to structure a text?
• Or do you simply need a few helpful tips about writing?

Take advantage of our writing service and receive advice from writing experts. This free service from the ZHAW University Library Winterthur and the School of Applied Linguistics makes it easy to learn how to write for your studies.

This year, the focus was once again on taking action instead of procrastinating! Over 770 participants made the 7th ZHAW Writing Night an unforgettable experience.

It was a fantastic event, and we extend our gratitude to all participants. We look forward to the 8th ZHAW Writing Night next year.

Materials related to each session can be found in the Moodle course “7th ZHAW Writing Night 2024” (accessible with ZHAW login).

The Writing Night is offered by the University Library in collaboration with the ILC Institute of Language Competence. It includes personalised research and writing coachings, a Zotero help desk for your literature management questions, and numerous short inputs on creating and writing a thesis.

Check out our blog posts from past Writing Nights:

• Schreibblockade? Angebote rund ums Schreiben an der ZHAW Hochschulbibliothek
• Schreibnacht 2022 – Anpacken statt aufschieben!
• Die Schreibnacht verpasst? – Ein Rückblick auf die Schreibnacht vom 18. März 2021
• Schreibnacht - Bring deine Abschlussarbeit zum Erfolg!
• Die ZHAW Schreibnacht geht in die zweite Runde
• Anpacken statt Aufschieben

Choosing the right means of publication depends on a wide variety of factors, such as if the thematic focus fits the planned publication. A publisher's reputation and/or a journal's circulation is also a factor. With journals, indexing in the relevant specialist databases can be an important point.

Other criteria include publication costs, publication speed and author-friendliness. The website of the publication chosen should provide information for authors in a transparent manner, for example on editorial policies as well as the review process and its duration.

In the scientific competition, the publication output of the university is important. For the correct allocation of publications to the ZHAW, providing consistent and full affiliation information for publications by university members is essential. The following fact sheet outlines the correct affiliation information for the ZHAW, individual departments and institutes in scientific and non-scientific publications.

If you are aiming for the widest possible distribution of your publications, it is best to opt for an Open Access publication. Open access ensures free access to scientific results and contributes to more visibility of research and better subsequent reuse by science and society.

The University Library supports ZHAW employees in the free publication of research results by promoting various Open Access models.