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How to cross-reference footnotes and endnotes in Microsoft Word

Cross-referencing is defined as discussing a detail found in another location, often within the same book, paper, or article.

To cross-reference, you may use an endnote or a footnote to refer to more than one part of a text containing related information.

For example, if you discuss the need to switch to environmentally friendly packaging in three different parts of a text, it is unnecessary to have three separate endnotes or footnotes. You can use one and ‘cross-reference it’ in the other two locations.

This article will guide you on how to cross-reference in Word.

Open the document where you would like to cross-reference

The first step is adding the footnote(s) or endnote(s)

First, go to the section of the text where you would like to add the footnote or endnote. Leave the clicker at the end of a sentence or a paragraph.

Go to the references tab at the top of your screen and select the large ‘Insert Footnote’ icon.

Two superscript numbers will appear when you do this, one besides the text area where you want to note your source and a corresponding one at the bottom of the page. This number will guide the reader on which footnote belongs to which text.

At the bottom of the text, you can start typing out your footnote.

For endnotes, in the references tab, click ‘Insert Endnote.’

The same superscript numbers will appear, and you can type out your endnote under the long horizontal line that appears.

Now let us get to cross-referencing.

  1. After inserting two or three more endnotes/ footnotes, go to the part of your text where you would like to insert a footnote/ endnote you have already used.
  1. Instead of going to the references tab, go to ‘insert.’

In the sixth column, select ‘cross-reference.’

A pop-up box will appear.

  1. Reference type

Here, select the kind of reference you would like to have. Choose either the endnote or footnote.

  1. Insert as hyperlink

Check this box

  1. Insert reference to

In step 3, if you selected a footnote, then choose the footnote number (formatted). If you picked an endnote, then the corresponding choice is the endnote number (formatted).

  1. To which reference

Earlier, we added two or three more endnotes/footnotes.

They will appear under a box with ‘to which reference.’

Select the already existing footnote/endnote that contains related information to the text you want to cross-reference.

When you are done checking all the necessary boxes, click insert,

The same superscript number corresponding to the already existing footnote/endnote will appear next to the text that you have cross-referenced.

You can repeat this for as many parts of a text as you want.

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