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Managing references: Word's References tool

A guide to some of the systems you can use to help with referencing

Word has its own, basic referencing system available via the 'References' tab on the ribbon. This lets you add references to a document and then create a bibliography at the end of the text. References are stored in a master list, which can be used to add references to further documents.

Note: this system is not as powerful as EndNote, Mendeley or Zotero.

First steps

  1. Create your document.
  2. On the 'References' tab on the ribbon select the style you need (APA is the default).
  3. To insert a citation in the text go to the 'References' tab on the ribbon and click on 'Insert Citation' and 'Add new source'.
  4. Select the 'Type of source' and fill in the boxes.
  5. Add all the citations to your document.
  6. When you have finished, go to the end of your document and click on the 'Bibliography' option. Select from one of the preformatted options or just insert the bibliography to format yourself.

Note that the styles available in Word might not match those required for your assignments. Check them carefully and if they don't match you can convert the bibliography to editable text. See the guide below for instructions on doing this. 

Further guidance

Microsoft References introductory video

Although this video isn't for the latest version of Word, it gives a clear explanation of the basics, which haven't changed.

Microsoft also have their own video on the page linked below left.