If you’re a student, then you know that references are important. References can help you prove that you’re right when you say something is true, and they can also help you get credit for your work. In Microsoft Word 2010, there’s a feature called references that can help you do just that. To use references in Microsoft Word 2010, first open the document that you want to reference. Then click on the References tab. This will show all of the references in the document. To reference a particular reference, simply click on it and then select the citation type from the drop-down list. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+R to reference a specific reference. When referencing a document in Microsoft Word 2010, it’s important to be sure to include all of the information needed for your citation. For example, if you’re referencing a article from The New York Times, then include both the article’s title and author information (if known). If you’re referencing a book, then include both its title and ISBN number (if known). Finally, if you’re referencing another document online or in an online database, be sure to include both its URL and any other information needed for your citation (e.g., publisher).
In this article we will show you how to create a reference list using Word 2010. We will also show you how to share you reference with your peers and how to create your own customized reference style.
Creating References
Microsoft Reference function is accessible from the reference tab.
Word 2010 comes with a list of default referencing style. Choose the referencing style that you want to use.
Click on the ‘Insert Citation’ button to open the add citation window.
Word 2010 allow us to add different source type such as ‘Journal Article’ for our essay.
Click on the insert citation button to view a list of your citation and click any of them to create an inline citation in your essay.
You can create a bibliography page by clicking on the ‘Bibliography’ button.
Sharing Your Reference List
Microsoft Word 2010 save your references under %APPDATA%MicrosoftBibliographySources.xml. Open your command line and type echo %APPDATA%. This will show you where windows store your APPDATA. In my case Microsoft Word 2010 store my reference list under C:UserszainulAppDataRoamingMicrosoftBibliographySources.xml. Remember that this file will not exist unless you create a reference list.
You can copy this XML file to use your references in different computers. You can also copy other references into this XML file. We advise that you should back up Source.xml file periodically so you will not loose your reference list.
To merge other references into your reference list just copy any entry inside the <b:source> into the other Source.xml file. Just make sure that the <b:Tag> contains a unique value.
Creating Custom Reference Style
We can create our own referencing style by creating custom XSL files under ‘C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice14BibliographyStyle’. For those with exceptional XSL skills you can read Microsoft Word 2010 blog to learn how to create custom referencing style.
One of the challenge in creating our own XSL file for Microsoft word is that the XSL file itself is quite complicated and it might just be more productive to download a set of custom reference style from bibword and place the content of the zip file under ‘C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice14BibliographyStyle’ and restart your Microsoft Word. You should see some new reference style from your Word 2010.
Conclusion
Microsoft Word 2010 is a great editor that can help you to save time in creating references and citations. Microsoft Word 2010 Reference function is customizable and allows you to share your references with others.
