[Technology] Word bibliography problem

[Blues Guitarist]

I'm using Word on a Mac to write academic papers. I can't get the Bibliography (APA) to appear in alphabetical order. On the Microsoft Community support site this problem was reported a couple of years ago, but I can't find a solution.

I've tried Microsoft "Let's Chat" - just wasted two hours of my life getting nowhere.

I can do it manually, but then it goes wrong again when I next add a reference.

Does anyone know how to get the Bibliography in alphabetical order automatically? (macOS Ventura 13.0, Word 16.93)

Thanks

 

[Seagull on the Hill]

Have you tried turning it off and on again.*






*I know, that's not at all helpful but I thought I would get in before anyone else did.

 

[PTC Gull]

Found this, hope it helps.

https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/student-paper-setup-guide.pdf

 

[Blues Guitarist]

Found this, hope it helps.

https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/student-paper-setup-guide.pdf

That doesn't address my specific problem (microsoft Word Bibliography not working properly), but it has some really useful ideas for structuring my thesis!

Thanks.

 

[METALMICKY]

Have you tried turning it off and on again.*






*I know, that's not at all helpful but I thought I would get in before anyone else did.

Should be an instant ban!

 

[BN9 BHA]

 

[maffew]

No idea how to do it in word, but maybe as a workaround if you can't figure it, there's lots of tools such as this you could try, and copy paste between the two

Alphabetizer: Sort List & Bibliography in Alphabetical Order

Use alphabetical order sorted to alphabetize list of references, sources, words, or names. Enter your data, sort alphabetically and put citations in ABC order!

studycrumb.com

 

[Marty McFly]

Do you use any kind of reference manager? I had a similar issue, but using Zotero (or Mendeley, or another) seems to have fixed the issue for me.

 

[Blues Guitarist]

No idea how to do it in word, but maybe as a workaround if you can't figure it, there's lots of tools such as this you could try, and copy paste between the two

Alphabetizer: Sort List & Bibliography in Alphabetical Order

Use alphabetical order sorted to alphabetize list of references, sources, words, or names. Enter your data, sort alphabetically and put citations in ABC order!

studycrumb.com

There is an easy way to do it in Word. Create a bibliography, convert to text, then sort the text.

But the problem (and also with your suggestion) is that the link between the references and the bibliography is then broken, so you can't add another reference and have it automatically included.

 

[Blues Guitarist]

Do you use any kind of reference manager? I had a similar issue, but using Zotero (or Mendeley, or another) seems to have fixed the issue for me.

Word has a built in reference manager. But it's about as effective as our defence was today

 

[Bodian]

Can you copy it all into excel - sort the lines alphabetically, then copy and paste back into word?

 

[Blues Guitarist]

Can you copy it all into excel - sort the lines alphabetically, then copy and paste back into word?

yes, but that's the same as #9

 

[Goldstone1976]

yes, but that's the same as #9

Keep it in excel until it’s complete, then copy and paste it into Word?

 

[Bodian]

yes, but that's the same as #9

I've never really used text, so wasn't sure what it was.

Keep it in excel until it’s complete, then copy and paste it into Word?

However, I guess the problem of losing the links between the references in the document and the bibliography is the same.

 

[Bodian]

Does this work?

Just do it at the end when all is finished.

How do I sort my reference list alphabetically in Microsoft Word? (APA) - LibAnswers

libanswers.coventry.ac.uk

 

[BrightonCottager]

I use the References tab in MS Word and Add Source as I write. It creates an automatic Reference list in alphabetical order. You have to Update the list to get it up to date at the end. I use Harvard style though.

 

[Blues Guitarist]

Does this work?

Just do it at the end when all is finished.

How do I sort my reference list alphabetically in Microsoft Word? (APA) - LibAnswers

libanswers.coventry.ac.uk

View attachment 195996

I get an error message about content control when I click OK.

 

[Blues Guitarist]

I use the References tab in MS Word and Add Source as I write. It creates an automatic Reference list in alphabetical order. You have to Update the list to get it up to date at the end. I use Harvard style though.

This is exactly what I do, but the Bibliography I get is not alphabetic. I use APA, but I just tried Harvard with the same result.

Strangely, the Citations list at the right of the Reference pane is in alphabetic order, but if you look ate the Citations Source Manager this is in the same order as the entries were introduced, which is the same order as my Bibliography.

I have a test file with three references:

(Zed, 2100)
(Apple, 2000)
(Fred, 1966)

And the Bibliography looks like this:

1 Bibliography​

Zed, z., 2100. zzz. s.l.:s.n.
Apple, A., 2000. AAA. s.l.:s.n.
Fred, 1966. s.l.:s.n.

@BrightonCottager Can you please try the same and see if your result is alphabetic?