Word should include MLA, Turabian, and APA Style settings for aca.

Microsoft Word, as a very effective and usable word processor, lacks one
large ability that I think should be addressed. To follow any certain
academic style for research papers (which includes margins, source notation,
page numbering, cover pages, font size, subject headings, etc..., all in one
bundle) one has to set all these parameters manually. This makes it very
difficult to write a paper since the constant duress of using proper style
and format is hovering over one's mind. It makes the process much longer,
tedious, and stressful than it should ever be. In fact, Microsoft Word seems
to resist certain style rules, such as long footnotes which it tries to
spread across more than one page by default. Even though one can change a
setting to cause Word to keep notes one page, it can still take hours (I am
not exaggerating) to get the footnotes into the style that Turbian demands
since Word continually tries to auto-format what you have done, thereby
undoing what you are really trying to accomplish. Skipping to the point,
word processors do exist that allow for special academic styles, but they are
obscure and expensive. Why should Microsoft not serve this need and corner
this niche? Most students use Word for all their work, why should they have
to turn elsewhere for the really important papers? If Word could accomodate
specific academic styles, even if this was a reasonably priced add-in, it
would meet the real needs of today's students and academians. Please add
this ability to Microsoft Word!

This is a public news forum and your message is not addressed to or certain
to be viewed by anyone from Microsoft.

As for your concerns, the range of documents required to be prepared is
almost as large as the user base. Not everyone can be accommodated with
standard templates. You can set up a template to have the styles and layout
you require relatively simply and you should not have to worry about layout
unless you try to avoid using the paragraph styles.

See Creating a Template - The Basics (Part I)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...platePart1.htm

Creating a Template (Part II)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...platePart2.htm

Footnotes have admittedly been any area of contention - but see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting...OnDiffPage.htm

If you are preparing research papers, then presumably you communicate with
others in the same field of activity. One of those may even have already
prepared a suitable template?

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Seamus wrote:
Microsoft Word, as a very effective and usable word processor, lacks
one large ability that I think should be addressed. To follow any
certain academic style for research papers (which includes margins,
source notation, page numbering, cover pages, font size, subject
headings, etc..., all in one bundle) one has to set all these
parameters manually. This makes it very difficult to write a paper
since the constant duress of using proper style and format is
hovering over one's mind. It makes the process much longer, tedious,
and stressful than it should ever be. In fact, Microsoft Word seems
to resist certain style rules, such as long footnotes which it tries
to spread across more than one page by default. Even though one can
change a setting to cause Word to keep notes one page, it can still
take hours (I am not exaggerating) to get the footnotes into the
style that Turbian demands since Word continually tries to
auto-format what you have done, thereby undoing what you are really
trying to accomplish. Skipping to the point, word processors do
exist that allow for special academic styles, but they are obscure
and expensive. Why should Microsoft not serve this need and corner
this niche? Most students use Word for all their work, why should
they have to turn elsewhere for the really important papers? If Word
could accommodate specific academic styles, even if this was a
reasonably priced add-in, it would meet the real needs of today's
students and academians. Please add this ability to Microsoft Word!

I've no idea what MS's thinking on this actually is, but I suspect their
view might take into account --

1) most if not all of what you describe can be done already, and simply,
with judicious use of templates and styles. Autoformatting can be controlled
or disabled.

2) Academic users with these sort of style requirements make up less than
one percent of Word users.

3) Students are a lousy market for software. They are perennially short of
money, they know how to pirate software, and they do.




"Seamus" wrote in message
...
Microsoft Word, as a very effective and usable word processor, lacks one
large ability that I think should be addressed. To follow any certain
academic style for research papers (which includes margins, source
notation,
page numbering, cover pages, font size, subject headings, etc..., all in
one
bundle) one has to set all these parameters manually. This makes it very
difficult to write a paper since the constant duress of using proper style
and format is hovering over one's mind. It makes the process much longer,
tedious, and stressful than it should ever be. In fact, Microsoft Word
seems
to resist certain style rules, such as long footnotes which it tries to
spread across more than one page by default. Even though one can change a
setting to cause Word to keep notes one page, it can still take hours (I
am
not exaggerating) to get the footnotes into the style that Turbian demands
since Word continually tries to auto-format what you have done, thereby
undoing what you are really trying to accomplish. Skipping to the point,
word processors do exist that allow for special academic styles, but they
are
obscure and expensive. Why should Microsoft not serve this need and
corner
this niche? Most students use Word for all their work, why should they
have
to turn elsewhere for the really important papers? If Word could
accomodate
specific academic styles, even if this was a reasonably priced add-in, it
would meet the real needs of today's students and academians. Please add
this ability to Microsoft Word!

I'm guessing this was posted as a "suggestion" through the Communities
portal, Graham.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
This is a public news forum and your message is not addressed to or
certain
to be viewed by anyone from Microsoft.

As for your concerns, the range of documents required to be prepared is
almost as large as the user base. Not everyone can be accommodated with
standard templates. You can set up a template to have the styles and
layout
you require relatively simply and you should not have to worry about
layout
unless you try to avoid using the paragraph styles.

See Creating a Template - The Basics (Part I)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...platePart1.htm

Creating a Template (Part II)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...platePart2.htm

Footnotes have admittedly been any area of contention - but see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting...OnDiffPage.htm

If you are preparing research papers, then presumably you communicate with
others in the same field of activity. One of those may even have already
prepared a suitable template?

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org




Seamus wrote:
Microsoft Word, as a very effective and usable word processor, lacks
one large ability that I think should be addressed. To follow any
certain academic style for research papers (which includes margins,
source notation, page numbering, cover pages, font size, subject
headings, etc..., all in one bundle) one has to set all these
parameters manually. This makes it very difficult to write a paper
since the constant duress of using proper style and format is
hovering over one's mind. It makes the process much longer, tedious,
and stressful than it should ever be. In fact, Microsoft Word seems
to resist certain style rules, such as long footnotes which it tries
to spread across more than one page by default. Even though one can
change a setting to cause Word to keep notes one page, it can still
take hours (I am not exaggerating) to get the footnotes into the
style that Turbian demands since Word continually tries to
auto-format what you have done, thereby undoing what you are really
trying to accomplish. Skipping to the point, word processors do
exist that allow for special academic styles, but they are obscure
and expensive. Why should Microsoft not serve this need and corner
this niche? Most students use Word for all their work, why should
they have to turn elsewhere for the really important papers? If Word
could accommodate specific academic styles, even if this was a
reasonably priced add-in, it would meet the real needs of today's
students and academians. Please add this ability to Microsoft Word!

Well all I can say is this: I, as well as many of my fellow students and
colleagues, dropped over $300 for a word processor that can actually follow
the rigors of academic styles. Nota Bene is the one I purchased. I think
Microsoft should realize the potential for such a product both in profit and
reputation. Even if it was Word Academic Version or something along those
lines. I know, without a single doubt, that people would buy it and use it,
and be willing to pay 3x the standard Word price for it in some cases!

"Seamus" wrote:

Microsoft Word, as a very effective and usable word processor, lacks one
large ability that I think should be addressed. To follow any certain
academic style for research papers (which includes margins, source notation,
page numbering, cover pages, font size, subject headings, etc..., all in one
bundle) one has to set all these parameters manually. This makes it very
difficult to write a paper since the constant duress of using proper style
and format is hovering over one's mind. It makes the process much longer,
tedious, and stressful than it should ever be. In fact, Microsoft Word seems
to resist certain style rules, such as long footnotes which it tries to
spread across more than one page by default. Even though one can change a
setting to cause Word to keep notes one page, it can still take hours (I am
not exaggerating) to get the footnotes into the style that Turbian demands
since Word continually tries to auto-format what you have done, thereby
undoing what you are really trying to accomplish. Skipping to the point,
word processors do exist that allow for special academic styles, but they are
obscure and expensive. Why should Microsoft not serve this need and corner
this niche? Most students use Word for all their work, why should they have
to turn elsewhere for the really important papers? If Word could accomodate
specific academic styles, even if this was a reasonably priced add-in, it
would meet the real needs of today's students and academians. Please add
this ability to Microsoft Word!

Whether or not it is viewed by Microsoft depends on the number of votes the
Suggestion receives and Microsoft has committed to responding to Suggestions
with the highest number of votes.

The web interface for the newsgroups on the Microsoft web site has
"Suggestion for Microsoft" type posts and provides the ability for other
users to vote on the Suggestion.

Additionally, on the various "Contact Us" pages found on
office.microsoft.com the "Suggestion" link guides users through the "Make a
Suggestion" wizard:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...4-91038e3eb1e9

IOW, we will be seeing more Suggestion posts like it or not. ;-)

~Beth Melton

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

This is a public news forum and your message is not addressed to or certain
to be viewed by anyone from Microsoft.

Annie

Please advise me how to set APA Style settings, ANnotation Bibliography
setting
Microsoft Word, as a very effective and usable word processor.

Have you tried searching, for example via google, for an APA template? That
would probably save you some time.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP



"Annie" wrote in message
...

Annie

Please advise me how to set APA Style settings, ANnotation Bibliography
setting
Microsoft Word, as a very effective and usable word processor.