Formatting Issues

How to Stop Word Citation Styles Changing from IEEE to APA

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs a way to prevent the citation style in a shared document from unexpectedly switching from IEEE to APA or disappearing.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collaborating with multiple users on a shared document where the IEEE academic citation style is strictly required.
Observed behavior: The document's citation formatting automatically changes to APA style, or citations completely disappear during collaborative editing.

Before you start

Before attempting to fix the citations, verify that all co-authors have saved and closed the shared document to avoid editing conflicts while you adjust the style settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Standardize Citation Settings and Disable Auto-Updates

Ensure all collaborators are using the exact same citation settings and prevent Word from automatically updating the document styles.

Inconsistencies often occur when multiple users collaborate on a single document using different Word versions or varying default citation preferences. By forcing the style selection across all authors and disabling automatic style updates, you can stabilize the document's formatting.

Set the Required Style to IEEE

Ask every collaborator to open the shared document, navigate to the 'References' tab on the ribbon, click the 'Style' dropdown menu, and select 'IEEE'.

Disable Automatic Style Updates

Open the Templates and Add-ins dialog box (typically accessed by clicking the Developer tab and selecting 'Document Template'). Uncheck the box labeled 'Automatically update document styles' and click 'OK'.

Designate a Final Formatting Reviewer

Because different Word versions can still occasionally cause metadata conflicts, assign exactly one person on your team to perform the final citation-formatting pass before the document is published or submitted.

Important: If citations have already disappeared, they may need to be re-inserted. Always keep a local backup of your document before sharing it with multiple editors.

Manage Academic Citations Reliably with WPS Writer

WPS Office provides a highly stable environment for academic writing and document sharing. With robust compatibility and streamlined reference tools, you can easily manage your IEEE citations without worrying about sudden formatting shifts.

1. Open Your Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your academic document.
2. Navigate to the References Tab: Click on the 'References' tab located in the top ribbon to access academic formatting tools.
3. Insert and Maintain Citations: Use the built-in reference tools or seamlessly integrate with third-party citation managers to maintain consistent IEEE formatting across your document.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word document formats (.docx)Stable citation management without unexpected style reversionsIntuitive interface similar to Microsoft Word for a zero-learning-curve transitionFree and lightweight alternative for academic writing and collaboration

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Word citations keep reverting to APA format?

This commonly happens in shared documents when collaborators have APA set as their default citation style, or if the document's attached template is configured to automatically update styles and defaults to APA.

Can different versions of Microsoft Word cause citation issues?

Yes. When collaborators use different versions of Word, the underlying XML handling citations may conflict, which can cause citations to render incorrectly, change styles, or disappear completely.

How can I lock my citation formatting before sharing?

While you cannot natively 'lock' dynamic citations without converting them to static plain text, you can minimize unwanted changes by turning off the 'Automatically update document styles' setting and ensuring all authors select IEEE in their References tab.

Document & File Issues