
- #Microsoft word find and replace match case serial#
- #Microsoft word find and replace match case full#
Run find and replace with the “Match Case” option selected to ensure the consistent capitalization of any term.
#Microsoft word find and replace match case serial#
This preferences panel also has a setting to flag the use of the serial comma (always/never). To do this, open Word > Preferences > Spelling and Grammar then click the “Settings…” button and select the option for two spaces between sentences (vs. This strategy is also not particularly helpful if you want to use two spaces between sentences rather than one! For this special case, you can set the spellcheck settings in Word to ensure that all sentences are separated by two spaces and catch extra spaces elsewhere. Note that you will not want to use ‘replace all’ here if you have used multiple spaces for formatting reasons (e.g., instead of a tab to indent a paragraph or to align the items in a table). You can also eliminate inadvertent extra spaces by searching for two spaces and replacing it with one: Be sure to run this find and replace twice – once with the space and digit on the left of the operator and once with the space and digit on the right. Similar strategies can be used to standardize the spacing around mathematical operators (e.g.,, =, ±). In the following example, using the wildcard term “” allows you to search for and add a space after any digit directly followed by a given unit instead of having to perform the search separately for each digit.

This case is slightly trickier because it involves the use of wildcards (i.e., you will need to check the “Use wildcards” box in the find and replace tool).

#Microsoft word find and replace match case full#
To ensure that abbreviations are used consistently, search for the full definition to ensure that it only comes up once in the main text, and then replace subsequent instances with the acronym, if necessary. Ensuring that the conventions you choose to apply are consistent with their guidelines means that you won’t have to repeat the formatting procedure later on! Abbreviation/acronym usageĪbbreviations and acronyms are typically defined the first time they are used within the abstract or main text and then used throughout the remainder of the manuscript. I do suggest that you consult your target journal before starting, as well. Each category includes an example, and some also include a screenshot of the process. In this article, I’ve compiled a list of several common inconsistencies and their find/replace solutions, which I hope will help make this process a little easier. In my experience, the find and replace tool in Microsoft Word can be very helpful in addressing these issues. Finding and eliminating inconsistencies in spacing, punctuation, abbreviation/acronym usage and so on can be one of the most frustrating and time-consuming parts of preparing a manuscript.
