If you find that your references become messy once you try and organise them alphabetically, this guidance will help.
Using particular formatting in Word will ensure that each reference stays intact when the list is sorted A - Z.
The easiest way of formatting the list is to create each reference as a separate paragraph.
- At the end of each reference, you need to use a soft line break, followed by a full line break.
- Use the 'Show formatting' button in Word to display the non printing format marks.
- Once the formatting is displayed, you will see formatting marks displayed throughout the document, a reference may look similar to one of these examples:
- At the end of each line, you may find a 'new line' marker (¶).
- Delete the forced new line (using the delete or backspace key), so that Word controls the line formatting.
- At the end of each reference, use a 'soft break' to enter a new line, but in the same paragraph . This can be achieved with the Shift & Enter keys together. It will display as an arrow (↲). Following this, use a 'full break' to separate the reference from the next one, as per this example.
- Now, when the Sort function is used, each reference will be kept intact.
- If desired, you can now turn off the formatting marks on the Word toolbar.
