One of the most time-consuming and error-prone tasks of a copyeditor is the renumbering of incorrectly ordered reference citations. Reassigning reference numbers, reordering the reference list, and ensuring that each renumbered internal citation corresponds to the correct reference can be a difficult and frustrating chore. The Citation Renumbering feature automates these processes.

It is important to note, however, that this complex automated task still requires the careful attention of a copyeditor, as a single unidentified citation or misplaced paragraph can cause a large number of errors when automated renumbering is run. For this reason, we encourage users to run Citation Renumbering after copyediting has been completed. eXtyles also auto-saves a new baseline copy of the document before this process so that you can easily check the accuracy of renumbered citations and references.

On this page

How to use

If Check Numbered Citation Order reports a problem, Citation Renumbering can be used to renumber the internal reference citations and reorder and renumber the reference list. To use the Citation Renumbering Function, do the following:

Run eXtyles up through Check Numbered Citation Order.
Copyedit the document. Note: As discussed previously, citation order may change during copyediting—for instance, if sentences, paragraphs, table elements, or figure captions are rearranged by the editor—so we strongly recommend that Citation Renumbering be run after the completion of copyediting.
Select eXtyles > Advanced Processing > Citation Renumbering.
Select eXtyles > Compare to Baseline to review the changes.

Unlike the other eXtyles citation-processing functions, Citation Renumbering acts only on items that already have the cite_bib character style applied to them. If an editor comes across unstyled citations (i.e., citations that were not automatically identified during Citation Matching) during copyediting, he or she must apply the cite_bib style to them by hand using the Word Styles menu before running Citation Renumbering.

Additional functions

Besides renumbering citations and references, the Citation Renumbering function also:

Causes eXtyles to automatically save a baseline copy of the working document. This step enables editors to use Compare to Baseline to show only the renumbering changes.
Moves uncited references to the end of the reference list. Because uncited references will be flagged during Citation Matching, such issues should be resolved before running Citation Renumbering.
Keeps text notes following specific references with that reference during reordering.

Although Check Numbered Citation Order reports problems with figure and table callouts (e.g., the Figure 2 callout precedes the Figure 1 callout), these elements will not be automatically renumbered or reordered during Citation Renumbering, which changes reference citations only. The copyeditor must correct incorrect figure and table numbering by hand.