NoodleTools for Students: Print or Export a Source List

Before you print/export your source list and open it in your Word doc, NoodleTools allows you to do some basic formatting. To see the formatting options, click Print/Export at the top of your source list and select Formatting Options…

Keep in mind that formatting options affect only the list that is open. Other projects in your personal folder will not change. The formatting options are:

List title

By default, MLA8 lists are titled “Works Cited,” APA lists are titled “References,” and Chicago lists are titled “Bibliography.” These are the most common titles, but you may want a title that reflects the contents of your particular source list. For example, if you have added annotations to your MLA list, a more descriptive title would be “Annotated List of Works Cited.”

1. Click Print/Export.
2. Under Formatting Options, click Works Cited.
3. If you are creating an MLA8 style list, select one of the titles from the examples listed by clicking on the associated hyperlink, or create your own title by typing a title in and clicking Set Custom Title.

​Page header (MLA8 and APA only)

A “header” is information that appears at the top of each page of your paper. The MLA8 Handbook indicates that the header at the top of your source list should consist of your last name followed by a space and the page number.  If you are not writing a paper that will be published, a header is generally not required (you can ask your teacher what they require if you aren’t sure). NoodleTools can add the header to your source list for you, correctly formatted (although you will still need to make sure that it also appears throughout your essay).

1. Click Print/Export.
2. Under Formatting Options, click None
3. If you are creating an MLA8 style list, enter your last name and click Set Header.

Annotation spacing (MLA8 only)

The MLA8 Handbook does not include guidelines for formatting an annotated bibliography. Your teacher may assign an annotated bibliography, and your comments should begin immediately following the citation. You can use the title "Annotated Bibliography" or "Annotated List of Works Cited". 

MLA recommends that an annotation immediately follow the source reference, without any separation (see example in section 5.3.1 of the MLA8 Handbook). By default, NoodleTools displays annotations in this manner. However, your teacher may instruct you to separate annotations with an extra vertical space, for readability.

1. Click Print/Export.
2. Under Formatting Options, click Annotation follows citation on the same line.
3. Click Start annotations on a new line.
4. All annotations in your source list will be automatically updated.

Include or omit annotations

If you have included annotations in your source list but you do not wish them to appear in the version you print or export, you can omit them:

1. Click Print/Export.
2. Under Formatting Options, click Citations and annotations.
3. Click Print citations only (omit the annotations).

Note that your annotations will no longer appear in your source list, even though you can still edit existing or add new annotations.

Include or omit URLs (MLA8 only)

The current edition of the MLA8 Handbook recommends the inclusion of URLs for online sources (p.48). However the IB requires that URLs MUST be included!

If you have included URLs in your source list but you do not wish them to appear in the version you print or export, you can omit them:

1. Click Print/Export.
2. Under Formatting Options, click URLs are included in exported Works Cited.
3. Click Omit URLs from exported Works Cited.

Note that URLs will no longer appear in your source list, even though you can still see them when you edit the references.

Other formatting

To change other document formatting, such as fonts and line spacing, wait until your source list is complete and then make the changes after you have opened your source list in Word.

How to export as Word or RTF and add it to your research paper

1. Click Print/Export and choose to Word or Word Online (which generates a .docx file) or as RTF. While Microsoft Word is often used, .rtf files can be opened in any word processor that supports that file format standard (nearly all word processors do).

2. When you choose to export to a .rtf or .docx file, there are a few possible workflows:

• If your computer is configured to open Word or another word processing program automatically, your source list may immediately download and open within that word processor. This may or may not be the word processor that you have used to write the rest of your research paper. Regardless, to save the source list, use that word processor’s File> Save as… mechanism to save the document as you wish (for example, in Word, as a .docx file), to a location on your computer or network that you will remember.
• If your browser is configured to prompt you before opening the file, a browser pop-up window will appear asking you whether you would like to save or open the file. Save the file to a location on your computer or network that you will remember.
•  A security message may notify you that the browser has blocked the site from downloading the file. Click the message and allow the download, then follow options 1 or 2 above.

Now that the file has been saved to your computer, open it and copy and paste the source list to the end of your research paper. It is customary to begin your source list on a new page, not on the last page of your research paper.

NOTE: Do not re-save a .rtf file as a .rtf file after opening it in Word. Doing so can cause formatting issues due to the way Word handles certain RTF codes. Instead, save as .docx.

How to preview the source list (HTML)

NoodleTools allows you to preview your formatted source list as an HTML-based webpage: 

1. Click Print/Export.
2. Click Preview as Web Page (HTML).
3. A new window will open containing just your source list. If no window appears, disable your popup blocker and retry.

How to print your source list

The final version of your source list should always be printed after it is exported and viewed in your word processor. Do not print your source list from the Preview version because that webpage represents only a close approximation of the correct spacing and formatting.

If your teacher or EE advisor did not create an in-box on NoodleTools, but you want to share your project with them, you can email them a copy of your project. The recipient will be able to open the source list in a word processing program. The recipient is not able to log in to your personal folder or change your master project in any way – only a copy of your work is sent.

If you want to share a copy of your project with a peer-editor or collaborator, see “How to copy a project" above. 

1. On the Sources screen, click Email.

2. Enter your name.

3. Enter the recipient’s email address.

4. Optional: If you want to include notecards or an outline in addition to your annotated sources, also check the box to Include outline or / and Include notecards.

5. Click Send.

(NOTE: The Word document paper is not included in the email. If you want to email the paper to someone, log in to your Word online and email it from there.)