How to Mark Citations in a Table of Authorities in MS Word

A table of authorities is typically used in documents that pertain to legal matters. Its purpose is to list the various legal sources that have been cited throughout a document. Marking citations in Microsoft Word involves selecting each quote or excerpt and entering specific information about its origin.

Instructions

1. Select a phrase in your document that was extracted from a legal source. Click the "References" tab on the Word ribbon at the top of the screen and select the "Mark Citation" button in the "Table of Authorities" group area. This brings up the small "Mark Citation" window.

   Users of Word versions prior to 2007 can hold down the "Alt," "Shift" and "L" keys simultaneously to access the window.

2. Type the full name of the work cited in the "Selected text" space provided. Select the category or type of citation from the drop-down "Category" list. You can choose from cases, statutes, other authorities, rules, treatises, regulations or constitutional provisions. If these categories are not applicable, click the "Category" button to customize up to nine of your own categories.

3. Type an abbreviated name for the work cited in the "Short citation" space provided.

4. Click the "Mark" button to mark only the current selection with the work cited, or click "Mark all" to mark all citations in the document that match the current selection.

References

• Microsoft Office Online: Create a Table of Authorities