Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find an overview or a summary of the cross-referencing process in Microsoft Word?

Please review the books "Creating Research and Scientific Documents Using Microsoft Word" (2013) and "Technical Writing for Teams: The STREAM Tools Handbook" (2010) for exact instructions on how to cross-reference figures, tables, equations, and citations. 

These resources also provide other great writing tips that may be beneficial for the aspiring graduate student.

How do I update all of my automated numbering, so that everything remains numbered in sequential order?

Highlight the entire document (control+A), and press F9 on your keyboard to automatically update field codes. 

Alternatively, you can highlight the entire document, right-click on the text, and click the "Update field."

I have a lot of citations... what should I do?

We recommend that you use dedicated citation managing software to manage all of your citations. One possible option might be EndNote.

How do I set up the cross-referencing process for equations?

The exact mouse clicks will vary based on the version of Microsoft Word. Every version of Microsoft Word has a slightly different user interface. However, the general process for cross-referencing equations is the same across all versions. 

If you're using Word 2013, 

1. place mouse cursor where you want the automated numbering to be entered 

2. go into the "References" tab 

3. click the "Insert Caption" button 

4. select the label "Equation" from the drop-down menu

5. click "Exclude Label from caption" 

6. hit "OK".