Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 12, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365
Richard sometimes writes academic documents that include references in endnotes. There are times he wishes to refer to a particular reference several times, for example in the introduction to the paper and then in the discussion. Richard wonders if he can refer to a single endnote multiple times in a document. More importantly, he wonders if he can do so in a way that if the endnotes are renumbered, the endnote reference numbers in the text will still be correct.
Yes, there is a way to do this. Before explaining how to do it, however, you may want to check to see if doing so is consistent with whatever style guide you are following. For instance, if you follow The Chicago Manual of Style, you should not have multiple references to a single endnote (or footnote). Instead, you create a full citation at your first note location and then, in the subsequent location, you insert a second note that is a shortened citation to the same source material. Most other popular style guides suggest the same (or similar) treatment for citations.
Now to how you can actually create multiple references to an endnote: You do this using cross-references. Assuming you've already created your endnotes, you would follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Cross-reference dialog box.
The cross-reference will use the same endnote number as the endnote you chose in step 5. There is one important thing to realize here—if you insert more endnotes, it may seem to you that your cross-references are not automatically updating. This is because the cross-references are implemented through the use of fields, and fields don't automatically update unless you (1) save and open the document anew, (2) force the fields to update, or (3) make Word think you are going to print the document.
Accomplishing the first method is easy—just close and open the document. The second method is done by selecting your entire document (Ctrl+A) and then pressing F9. The third method is most often accomplished by simply pressing Ctrl+P and then pressing Esc to get back to your document. Regardless of the method you choose to use, your cross-references should all be updated to match the endnotes you want them to reference.
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