Maximize your word processor

I haven't had the time to blog for quite some time since it's all-hands-on-deck for me to finalized my dissertation. Now that I've completed my manuscript, here's some important reminders for anyone who is writing.

Methodical steps in writing often get things done smoothly and right. I hate wasting time and effort only to have to redo things. What can we do to organize our writing? Please note that what I share in this blog post is on using Microsoft Word. Other word processing software may have different processes.

Using automated cross-references 

First off is captioning your figures. I hope you already uses the automated numbering of captions for figures. This is especially helpful if you have a large number of figures or if you figures across different chapters or sections of your manuscript. 

But what if you have to add a new figure between two already existing figures in separate pages? For example, your page 10 has Figure 1 and your page 15 has Figure two and you need to add a new one on page 11? Or you have Figure 3 on page 16 and would like to move it to page 11? Just click the inserted figure, then choose INSERT CAPTION. Sometimes the Figure numbers will automatically adjust, if they don't then just RIGHT-CLICK on the figure number and choose UPDATE FIELD. Just repeat these on the affected ones as necessary.

But why use this when you can just type the words Figure and the corresponding number? These automated devices through the word processor can help with other parts of your writing. One is through cross-references. When you need to refer to such automated sets of items in your manuscript, what you need to do is insert a cross reference. 

Example, you have Figure 1. Then you are writing and your refer to it, such as saying "Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework." Or the conceptual framework (Figure 1)..." 

Don't type the text "Figure 1" !!!!!

Rather use the cross-reference feature of MS Word. There are two locations where the cross-reference button is located (see the photos below).

CROSS-REFERENCE button through the REFERENCE tab

CROSS-REFERENCE button through the INSERT tab

Instead of writing "Figure 1" you should place the cursor on the location in the document then click the cross-reference button. This will open the window below.

CROSS-REFERENCE window

The three important parts of this window are REFERENCE TYPE, FOR WHICH NUMBERED ITEM, and INSERT REFERENCE TO.

There are several reference types. Since y ou are writing about a figure, choose FIGURE for REFERENCE TYPE. The under FOR WHICH NUMBERED ITEM will change into the list of your existing figures. Click the figure you want to refer to, then for INSERT REFERENCE TO, choose ONLY LABEL AND NUMBER. The label and number are the text Figure and the corresponding number. Once done, click the INSERT button below the window. This will result into an automated text that will read "Figure x" depending on the number of the figure you are referring to. Because the text is cross-reference to the actual figure, then any changes in numbering that may happen, whether while you are writing or if you require revision, then the text can easily be adjust to match the changes. Just like with the caption, if you need to adjust the numbers, just RIGHT-CLICK on the figure number in the paragraph and choose UPDATE FIELD.

Anotrher useful part of cross-reference is the capacity to have auto-updating references to parts of your manuscript. Top tier journals have tables of compliance for revisions. This makes the revisions easier to track. I applied this to my own dissertation so that the comments during my proposal are summed up in a table that I placed in the appendix. A part of this table is a column of the comunts, a column for the name/s of commiittee/panel members who gave the comment, then a column of what I did in response, and a third column pointing towards the page where the revision is. This makes your work clean and professional. But what if a change in the manuscript adjusts the page numbers? Would you have to recheck each page number that you wrote? 

Well, that's sloppy. What you should be doing is use cross-reference. Regarding this, you are referring to page numbers and not to figure numbers. So, for REFERENCE TYPE, choose NUMBERED ITEM. The list on FOR WHICH NUMBERED ITEM will be similar to the ones listed above the headings (more on these later) you used. Choose which part you need to refer to (such as your framework, or literature review). For INSERT REFERENCE TO, just choose PAGE NUMBER. Clicking  INSERT will insert the page number that even hyperlinks to the specific page. And just like any of the cross-references, RIGHT-CLICK on the number and choose UPDATE FIELD. to allow it to automatically adjust if ever the pages in your manuscript has changed.

BOOKMARK button through the INSERT tab

Sometimes, you have to refer to a page containing a specific paragraph. If your manuscript uses paragraph numbers, then you can use that. But that's seldom used. What you can do is go to the paragraph, highlight it, then click BOOKMARK (see the photo above). This will record the paragraph as a specific item of bookmark. In fact, when you click the BOOKMARK button, you will be prompted to name the bookmark. One you have done all the bookmarks you need. You can select bookmark as REFERENCE TYPE. The list on FOR WHICH NUMBERED ITEM will now change to the list of bookmark names you made. Choose the one you need to refer to and choose PAGE NUMBER for INSERT REFERENCE TO. 

Using the automated table of contents and automated list of figures

Writing the table of contents can be tedious and making sure that the page numbers do refer to the correct page locations. It's again a sloppy work if you do this manually. All you need to do is click the corresponding button to insert an automated table of contents. You can also do the same for your list of figures.

Everytime you need to make sure that these two tables are correct, just RIGHT-CLICK and choose UPDATE FIELD.

TABLE OF CONTENTS button through the REFERENCES tab

TABLE OF FIGURES button through the REFERENCES tab

It is important to know that these buttons will yield black results if you did not use automated captions for figures and if you did not use the STYLE system for your headings.

The STYLE button is located in the HOME tab. You can format each of the styles of headings here depending on the writing style that you are using, whether APA or Chicago, or MLA. The formatting however is manual. You will have to assign the format for each heading number in the system with the appropriate elements such as bodlface, italics, But after you've done this, simply clicking on the STYLE button and  and selecting the appropriate style will automatically do two things. 

1. It will format the text based on the chosen style.
2. It will refer to that text based on the chosen style.

STYLE button through the HOME tab

The standard style options in MS Word

Part of writing style is the used of headings. Those are the titles of the different sections and subsections of your manuscript. For example, "Chapter 1" can be considered as Heading 1. "Introduction" and "Statement of the Problem" can be considered as Heading 2 texts. Any other sub-sections under a Heading 2 can be Heading 3 as needed. For example, "Background of the Study" can be a Heading 2. If you have 3 topics for the background, then the titles for each will be Heading 3.

These the titles that you used for each headings will be recorded in your documents system. When you generate the automated table of contents, it will list these headings and their corresponding pages. These headings will also become part of the navigation pane. Pressing CTRL+F will open the navigation pane and display each heading. You can click each heading if you want to automatically teleport to that section of your manuscript. Headings also function as REFERENCE TYPE in cross-references.

If you convert your MS Word document into a PDF, these cross-references and automated elements can function as hyperlinks so that clicking them can automatically open the page that you need. The navigation pane will also appear in the PDF and will serve as a useful tool in reaching specific sections of the document.

So, I hope you can use these helpful tools. I wrote this blog also thinking that whoever reads this at least knows how to go about MS Word even if not knowing all the special powers of this software. Please comment if there's anything that needs clarification. Also remember, these tools are meant to help make life easy. Avoid sloppy work, use the tools. We still, however need to guide the intelligence of the software i.e. updating fields whenever you know you've made significant changes.