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Currently, some coworkers and I are using Word's default (terrible) bibliography generator, with no possibility of using any third party software.

How can we share bibliographical references with each other using only Word?

4 Answers 4

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Use the Sources Manager dialogue box

From the Ribbon, go to REFERENCES > Manage Sources (grouped under Citation & Bibliography)

From the dialogue box, click Browse...

From the Open Source List box explorer, there is a file named Sources.xml, copy it to a flash drive. From the other computer, Follow the same procedure to open the Open Source List box explorer and then paste the file from your flash drive. Load the file.

Be aware that replacing the Sources.xml in the other computer will remove that computer's list with yours, unless there's a document that was used to create new resources entries. So, it's better that one of you should be creating the list solely and then share it with the other to guarantee a central list with no duplicates. If this is not possible, you'll have to go through copying from the Current List to Master List on both computers.

After you have prepared your references list, insert the bibliography using REFERENCES > Bibliography (grouped under Citation & Bibliography) in the Ribbon.

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  • Perfect. Although it unfortunately is terrible to have to do it this way, this is the answer. Thank you. Apr 4, 2016 at 19:30
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"using only Word"

The only facilities that Word provides are the ability to change the "master" Sources list temporarily (it reverts to the standard one when you next restart Word), the ability to copy individual sources between the current master list and the current document's list, and the ability to do those things in VBA.

"Master" sources lists are XML files whose content needs to conform with word's expectations.

So you can in effect keep lists either in those XML files, or in Word documents you maintain purely for the purpose of keeping bibliographic lists, then use the "Source Manager" dialog to copy between any given XML list and the current active document in Word.

But that is all. Further, once you have changed to a new master list in source manager, you need to remember to revert to the original master list before adding any new entries, and that requires you either to know where that list is, or to restart Word.

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Looked at the 'Building Blocks' and "Quick Parts" features of Word (there's a description here). They let you share sections of your Word docs for reuse.

I think you just highlight the part of the document you want to share and save it as a quick part. You can save it on a shared/network drive across many Word documents.

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  • Welcome to Super User. Asking a question in the answer area is really a comment, not an answer. With a bit more rep, you will be able to post comments. Alternately, you can edit your question to be an actual answer with steps how to use it.
    – CharlieRB
    Mar 4, 2016 at 19:16
  • It looks like you're suggesting some tools that might be relevant, but your instructions are a bit sketchy and not very definitive. This link sort of discusses what you're suggesting, but not exactly, and just a link is also comment fodder. Can you flesh out your answer a little more?
    – fixer1234
    Mar 4, 2016 at 20:22
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Simplify:

  1. Cut and paste the bibliography from the 'source' document into the 'shared' document.

  2. Go to 'references'; 'manage sources'; select the sources you are sharing on the 'current list'- press copy (you will see the arrow switch directions indicating you are copying from current to master.

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