What You Will Learn

• Select a citation style such as APA, MLA, or Chicago.
• Add a source to Word using Manage Sources.
• Enter one or more authors correctly.
• Understand the Master List and Current List in Source Manager.
• Insert an in-text citation from a saved source.
• Create a References, Bibliography, or Works Cited list.
• Update the reference list after adding additional sources.

Why Use Word's Citation Tools?

When you are writing a college paper, report, or other research document, you may need to cite the sources you use and create a bibliography or reference list. Microsoft Word can store source information, insert in-text citations, and build the final source list for you. This saves time and helps keep the citation information consistent throughout the document.

Choose the Citation Style

Before entering sources, determine which citation style your instructor or organization requires. In the video, APA is used. Word also provides other styles, including MLA and Chicago.

1. Click the References tab.
2. Locate the Citations & Bibliography group.
3. Use the Style list to select the required citation style.

Add a New Source

In the demonstration, the report is about backyard chickens and a book will be used as a source. Before Word can cite the book, its information must be added to the source list.

1. Click the References tab.
2. In the Citations & Bibliography group, click Manage Sources.
3. In Source Manager, click New.
4. In the Create Source dialog box, choose the Type of Source. The demonstration uses Book.

Enter the Author Information

You can enter an author directly, but the Edit button is especially useful when a source has multiple authors because it provides separate fields for last name, first name, and middle name or initial.

1. Beside the Author field, click Edit.
2. Enter the first author's last name, first name, and middle name or initial as appropriate.
3. If the source has another author, click Add and enter the second author's information.
4. Continue adding authors as needed.
5. Click OK when the author list is complete.

Complete the Source Information

After entering the author or authors, complete the remaining fields for the source. The exact fields depend on the source type you selected.

For the book example in the video, Word asks for information such as:

• Title
• Year
• City
• Publisher

When the source information is complete, click OK.

Understand the Master List and Current List

Source Manager contains a Master List and a Current List. The Current List contains sources available to the document you are working on. The Master List can make sources available for use in other Word documents.

This can be helpful when a large project is divided among several documents. For example, a student working on different sections of a dissertation can reuse source information rather than entering the same sources again.

Within Source Manager, you can also:

• Copy sources between the Master List and Current List.
• Delete a source from a list when it is no longer needed.
• Edit a source to correct a typo or change its information.

Insert an In-Text Citation

After a source has been entered, you can insert a citation at the appropriate location in your report.

1. Place the insertion point at the location where the citation should appear.
2. Click the References tab.
3. Confirm that the correct citation Style is selected.
4. Click Insert Citation.
5. Select the appropriate source from the list.

Word inserts the citation using the selected style. In the video, APA formatting is used. You can repeat this process anywhere in the document that requires a citation.

Create the Bibliography or Reference List

After inserting citations, Word can build the source list automatically from the sources used in the document.

1. Move to the location where the source list should appear. In the demonstration, a new page is created.
2. Click the References tab.
3. Click Bibliography.
4. Choose the type of list required, such as References, Bibliography, or Works Cited.

Update the Reference List

If you add another source or citation after creating the reference list, you do not have to rebuild the list manually.

1. Return to the existing bibliography or reference list.
2. Right-click the bibliography field.
3. Choose Update Field.

Word updates the list to reflect the additional source information.

A Simple Workflow to Remember

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Entering a source before confirming the citation style required by your instructor.
• Choosing the wrong source type, which can cause Word to request the wrong bibliographic fields.
• Typing multiple authors into one unstructured author field when the Edit option can separate their names.
• Failing to correct typos in Source Manager before generating citations and the reference list.
• Manually typing citations or a reference list when the source has already been entered in Word.
• Forgetting to update the bibliography after adding new source information.
• Assuming Word's generated output removes the need to follow your instructor's specific assignment requirements.

Suggested Practice

Create a short research document on a topic of your choice. Select a citation style, then use Manage Sources to enter at least two sources. Include one source with two authors if possible. Insert at least two in-text citations in the document. Create a new page and insert the appropriate bibliography or reference list. Finally, add another source and use Update Field to refresh the list.