How to remove fields in a Word document

When 'Magic Manuscripts' inserts citations or formats your manuscript in Microsoft Word, it uses "fields", which you can typically recognize as boxes that turn grey when the insertion point is placed inside one of them. In some cases, you might want to remove those fields, and replace them with just normal text. Typically, the publisher or the editor of your manuscript may ask for such a modification (they might even mistake those for the similar fields inserted by EndNote).

Here is how to remove the fields in a Microsoft Word document:

1. Make a copy of your document before removing the fields. Otherwise, you won't be able to use Magic Manuscripts again. It might be easiest to save your document with a new file name, or something like "Filename_submission.doc" so you can distinguish between the original and the edited version.

2. Select the text to process (or select all with Cmd-A).

3. Press Cmd-Shift-(Fn)-F9, or Cmd-Shift-F9 (depending on your Keyboard preferences).

4. Save