Inserting Multiple Citations in Microsoft Word
There are several ways to insert multiple references in one in-text citation. When formatted, they appear as one multiple citation, sorted as your bibliographic style requires:
Unformatted: {Hall, 1988 #77; Baker, 1988 #16}
Formatted: (Baker, 1988; Hall, 1988)
You can insert up to 250 references in a single in-text citation, although the limit could be lower depending upon limitations on the amount of data a Word field code can contain.
Note: If one of the citations in a multiple citation is not matched during formatting, the entire citation remains unformatted. Notes cannot be inserted as part of a multiple citation.
To insert multiple citations from Word:
- On the EndNote 2025 tab, click the Insert Citation button.
- Enter a search term that will find the references you want, and press Enter or click Find.
- Hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on the desired references in the list (or hold down the Shift key to select a continuous range of references) in order to highlight the references.
- Click the Insert button.
To insert multiple selected citations from EndNote:
- In EndNote, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on the desired references in your library (or hold down the Shift key to select a continuous range of references).
- From the Tools menu in EndNote, select the Cite While You Write submenu and select Insert Selected Citation(s), or click the Insert Selected Citations button (
).
To insert multiple citations individually:
Another option is to insert citations individually, but immediately next to each other. Cite While You Write merges adjacent citations during formatting. Citations do not merge if any character separates them–including a space or punctuation mark.
Unformatted: {Hall, 1988 #77}{Baker, 1988 #16}
Formatted: (Baker, 1988; Hall, 1988)
Note: You can add citations to an existing in-text citation or change the order of citations within the delimiters with the Edit Citations dialog. See Editing Citations in Microsoft Word.
To insert, remove, or edit citations within an existing in-text citation:
- Click on the formatted citation.
- On the EndNote tab, click Edit & Manage Citation(s). All of the cited references in the document are listed, with the reference you clicked selected. Each citation will show how it is formatted above the references for that citation, as a subheading within the list. Click on the Reference tab below the list to see details for the reference.
- Highlight a citation, and then select an option from the drop-down menu at the right:
- Click Remove Citation to delete it.
- Click Insert Citation to add another reference within the same citation.
- Use the arrow buttons at the left to change the order of the citation in a multiple citation. (If a Citation Sort Order is applied by the current output style, changing the order of citations in a multiple citation has no effect.)
You can use the other features on this dialog as described in Customizing Individual Citations.