Frequently Asked Questions

How to cite references

cite

Why can't I see the references

After opening the add-in, please click the menu in the upper left corner to preview available references. If there are no issues, please select the location where you want to insert the references in your paper, and then click the Cite button.

References are not inserted automatically. It is not necessary to insert a long list of references if the paper is not yet complete. You can wait until the paper is finalized, adjust the formatting as needed, and then insert the references.

The format of the references is not what I want

After opening the add-in, please click the menu in the upper left corner and select Set Styles. The default citation style is APA, and you can click Change Styles, then search for the name of the journal you want to select it. Currently, we support the majority of English journals.

set styles

If the desired format is not available, you can email us at help@ivysci.com.

How to insert notes

note

Switch to the Notes tab, then select the note you want to insert and click Insert Note.

We do not provide a method to import all notes into Word at once. The reason is that this would make the article very long and difficult to edit.

We recommend inserting the notes as needed. When you click Insert Note, the corresponding reference for the note is already prepared and displayed at the top of the note list. You can also click Cite to reference it directly.

After citing references, it shows "{...}"

If you are using Word on Mac, check the version of MacOS. If the Mac version is earlier than 10.14, this is a known issue. Please upgrade MacOS and use it. If you do not want to upgrade but still want to use the add-in, there is currently no better solution. Please wait for future updates.

If a similar issue occurs in WPS, please make sure to only have the add-in open in one tab, and do not open multiple tabs.

If you are using Windows, this indicates a data issue. Please follow the steps below to resolve it:

Create a new document and try to cite a reference. If it is successful, it means that only the current document has a problem.
Delete the current citation and try to insert it again to see if it works.
If step 2 is not successful, check the document for any mention of "Citation Error" (in red and bold). If found, this indicates missing data. Please contact the administrator at help@ivysci.com.

After deleting a cited reference, the reference list does not automatically update

Select the citation control and click the delete icon in the upper-right corner of the citation control, the reference will be automatically removed.

If you directly delete the citation control without using the delete icon, the reference list won't update in real-time. Close and reopen the add-in to update the reference list.

Note: You cannot delete references if:

You only clear the content within the citation control without deleting the control itself. The reference will reappear when you reopen the add-in.
Your document is in Review Mode, which protects content from changes. Turn on Edit Mode before attempting to delete citations.

What is the finalize Manuscript? Can references be modified after the finalize Manuscript?

Finalizing a manuscript involves removing all IvyCite controls and converts it into regular text.

Key differences between Word and WPS are outlined below:

In Word, finalizing the manuscript allows for reactivation of controls if a new reference is inserted anywhere. This means the finalization process is reversible.
In WPS, once finalized, all controls become regular text, preventing further reference insertion or edits. Users must modify a backup file for any changes. WPS automatically creates a backup when finalizing.

Finalize only when submitting to a journal; not required during discussions or revisions with advisors. Additionally, WPS documents can be edited in Word.

After finalizing, how to convert the references in a table to plain text?

Instructions for Word documents:
First, click the table editing box to select the table, then go to the "Table Layout" tab in Word options.
Click on "Convert to Text" in the ribbon.
Choose the delimiter for the conversion.
Instructions for WPS:
Select the table, then go to the "Table Tools" tab and find the "Convert Table to Text" option.
Click on "Convert Table to Text".
If WPS displays unconventional characters after converting the table to text, go to the "Menu" tab, select "View", and uncheck the option for displaying spaces.

How to customize the citation format?

ivySCI currently supports over 10,600 journals, various variants, and the formats of most universities' theses and journals. If you need a specific style that is not currently available, you can request a custom style by following steps:

Prepare the required information: Style name, the name and ISSN of the journal, and A PDF file of the journal. If you are unsure what the journal's guidelines are, you can search for them on the journal's website.
Send an email to help@ivysci.com with the subject line "Custom Style Request".

Note:

ivySCI provides custom format services, but this feature is only available to paid members due to the high resource consumption.
Creating a new style usually takes up to a week, so it is recommended to prepare in advance.