MS-Word / General Formatting

Creating References and Sources

The first time you create a reference from a particular source, you can create a citation and enter the source data so that Word remembers it for future use. To create a citation for a new source, follow these steps:

  1. Click at the location where you want to insert the citation.
    Usually, this location is at the end of the sentence that refers to the source.
  2. Use the Style drop-down list in the Citations & Bibliography group of the References tab to select the bibliography format. (This control is shown in the margin.)
  3. Click the Insert Citation button in the Citations & Bibliography group on the References tab (shown in the margin).
  4. Choose Add New Source.
  5. Use the Type of Source drop-down list to select the source type.
  6. Enter the bibliographic information in the dialog box.
    You can select the Show All Bibliography Fields check box to expand the Create Source dialog box to include additional fields. For most bibliographies, the basic fields are sufficient, so you can safely ignore this check box.
  7. Click OK.
    The source information is added to Word's database of bibliographic sources, and a reference to the source is added to the document.

You're done! At least for this source. If you have other references and sources, repeat this procedure. And when you're ready, you can create the bibliography as described in the section "Creating a Bibliography," later in this tutorial.

Tip: Here are a few additional pointers for creating references and sources:
  • After you have created a source, that source appears on the drop-down menu for the Insert Citation button. To create another reference to the same source, just click the Insert Citation button and choose the source you want to cite.
  • If you want to create a reference but you don't yet know the details, click the Insert Citation button and choose Add New Placeholder. Enter a name for the placeholder and click OK. You can then enter the details, as described in the section "Managing Your Sources," later in this tutorial.
  • When you insert a citation, the citation itself becomes an object that you can select and edit. When you select (or click inside) a citation, an arrow appears next to the citation; you can click this arrow to reveal a menu that lets you edit the citation itself or edit the source information. On that same menu, you can convert the citation to static text and update the citation field. You can also delete the citation by selecting it and pressing Delete.
[Previous] [Contents] [Next]