How to make references in Microsoft Word correctly? step by step guide

The use of references is one of the most used tools in Word when writing texts in which ideas of other authors are exposed.

There is an association that established, almost 100 years ago, the requirements that citations and references must meet in written documents. So you will have to be aware of the APA standards so that you do not make mistakes.

We have prepared this article for you to consult when you need to include different references in an essay. With Word you will be able to work in an easy way complying with international standards. Continue reading and you will know.

What are the differences between a reference and a citation in Word?

A reference is a sentence that contains certain formal requirements and that is added when writing a text in Microsoft Word. Through this, an idea is expressed in general that has been reflected by another author.

Within this sentence you can include ideas, publications, books or any other element that refers to the thought of its owner. There are certain requirements established by the APA standards for references.

Instead, a quotation is a verbatim sentence that another person has pronounced and that is used in the text as support or refutation of a certain topic. In this case, quotation marks are used to highlight the idea.

What do the APA Standards say about references in written documents?

The APA standards were born at the end of the 20s of the last century, through the American Psychological Association. It is responsible for establishing the criteria for the presentation of references or citations in written works. In this way, a uniform criterion is established, at an international level, for the documents that deal with the investigation of certain sciences.

In accordance with this, the APA standards establish that a reference must include, in the order that we indicate, the following data:

• Surname full name of the author, followed by the initials of his name.
• In brackets you must write the year in which the publication was made.
• title and subtitle of the work to which reference is made.
• Edition in which the idea that is taken as reference is found. After the second edition it is abbreviated “(ed.)”.
• placer in which the publication has been made.
• Name of the editorial.

In case it is a newspaper, in addition to the previous data, you must put the title of the article, the name of the magazine, the volume and page number.

You are obtaining a reference through the Internet you will have to write:

• Surname of the author, and then the initials of his name. Or, you can substitute with the name of the platform.
• Date of publication, if it can be known.
• Name of the document, post or article to which reference is made.
• Consultation day.
• Url address.

References are arranged in alphabetical order according to the surnames of the authors. If there is more than one reference of the same person, you will have to separate them in chronological order.

In its 6th edition it was established that the font is Times New Romanwith the size number 12a line spacing double space and margins of 1 inch. In addition, the indentation must be marked by the tab or leave 5 spaces. The alignment should be left of the page.

Steps to reference your important Microsoft Word documents

The steps you must follow to insert a reference in a Word document are:

• Place the cursor at the end of the sentence you want to reference.
• Click on the tab “References”.
• Find the function group “Citations and bibliography”.
• Click on “Insert quote”. Check that the field “Style:” be the option “APA”.
• If this is the first time you are going to reference an author or a book, you will have to choose the option “Add new source…”.
• When a new window opens, you will have to dump all the data requested by it. This will allow you to comply with the APA Standards, since Word will automatically accommodate your reference.
• You will have to choose, if the source is a book, a newspaper, a report, etc. Then you will have to write the year of publication, city, edition among other things. When you’re done, press “To accept”.