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Microsoft Word and EndNote

Create a reference list

Word and EndNote will automatically insert a reference list at the end of your document, which will build up as you continue inserting citations. In EndNote the reference list is called a bibliography.

If new references are not automatically appearing in your reference list when you insert citations, look on the EndNote toolbar in Word and check that the “Instant Formatting” button says “Instant Formatting is On”. If it is off, turn it on, and the reference list should appear.

Change how your reference list displays

The order in which the references appear in the bibliography is dictated by the output style in EndNote. For example, LeedsUniHarvard references will appear in alphabetical order by surname, while LeedsUniNumeric references will appear in order of appearance in the text.

You can change the way your references display, for example, if you want to add a line space between each reference or remove the indent from the second line of each reference.

Format your reference list by:

  • selecting the “Configure Bibliography” button (a small box with an arrow coming out of it) underneath the instant formatting options
  • choosing the “layout” tab from the pop-up box that appears.

You can then adjust the line spacing and indent settings.

Edit references in your reference list

To edit a reference that you have inserted into a Word document, you need to make the changes to the reference in your EndNote library and save the changes.

Then return to Word and click on “Update Citations and Bibliography” in the EndNote toolbar. The reference will then update in Word.

If the reference does not display as you need it to, check that the Reference Type is set correctly, eg Journal Article, Electronic Book, etc. If the reference is still not displaying correctly, you might need to edit the reference style in EndNote.