Losing format in .doc for academic work

English
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#1

Hello,

I’m finishing my Masters, and I’m using Linux Mint. So I’m using also Libre Office, that comes with that operational system. Overall, I have no complains about it, but there just one thing that is a trouble: losing one specific formatting. As you may know, academic works demand very specific formatting, and if we don’t follow it, we lose score.

Well, the specific trouble I’ve been experiencing is that always that I put the formatting in citations of more than 3 lines, with 4 cm of spacing from the left margin, and spacing of 1.0 (simple) between lines (the standard in this kind of work is 1.5), and then I close the file and open it again, I lose just the formatting of 1.0 between lines and it goes to 1.5, as it’s applied in the whole of the work except in these parts of long citations. Just that.

Yes, I’m using “.doc” as I constantly need to share my files to other people, my professors and reviewer, who are probably using Microsoft Word… I know that the ideal thing would be using a original format of file designed for Libre Office or Open Office, but I think I have no option here as I need to send these files to them…

Could you please give me any suggestion about what to do?

#2

Just a thought – would it make a difference (prevent loss of formatting) if you kept the document in the default ODF format for preparation, editing, revision, etc., and only exported it in .doc format when you needed to share a copy? Unless that is what you are already doing …

#3

Are you formatting your paragraph with “paragraph styles” or making your adjustments manually? In the latter case it overrides settings in the style. Format>Clear direct formatting or Cntrl+M applied to a selection may cure the problem. Another possibility is you defined two paragraph styles for your citations. Check.

#4

Would your profs and reviewer accept copies in PDF format? It is very easy to export documents in .odt format to PDF.

#5

Hello, sorry, I didn’t know that there were already kind answers for me. I thought it would appear in my e-mail.

About pdf, it wouldn’t be possible, because they need my files to make editions in their Microsoft Word.

I didn’t know how to work with “paragraph styles”, I always make any and each adjustment manually. I’ll try to learn those “paragraph styles” if it may help, thanks.

I’ll also try to keep the suggested .odf format for preparation, editing, etc., and only use .doc later.

#6

I’ve always used just .doc formats because I have never had problems. Just now it appeared. Anyway, I can try to use by default odf then. And only send to them doc later. In this case, I should “save” in doc or “export” in doc? Are there both options?

#7

Surprised that you “always make adjustments manually”. Don’t you work with “style sheets” to comply wi(h in-house formatting rules? This is where you meet M$ Word paragraph styles. LO is richer with character, page, frame, list and table styles and allows you to do things more rigorously and also more conveniently.

Otherwise, always handle your work copy in .odf; File>Save As the final version to .doc but check you don’t lose formatting.

#8

Yes, I in fact never used other way than make adjustments manually, neither in Libre Office or when I used Windows/Microsoft Word. Yes, I didn’t use to work with “style sheets”. But if it reveals as a better way, more practical, surely I’ll do that.

Ok, so in the end not “export” to “doc” but “save as”, did I understand correctly?

#9

Yes, “export” is for “exotic” formats like XML or PDF

#10

Yes, “export” is for “exotic” formats like XML or PDF

#11

thank you, you all are very kind.

#12
  1. Never work with foreign file formats. For ongoing work, use only ODF and only after you have finished, export your document to another format (such as MS Word).
  2. Learn and understand styles. If you repeatedly need to apply some special set of formatting features for certain chunks of text (such as citations), then creating and using a separate style instead of ad-hoc formatting is a must. Generally, less ad-hoc formatting means less problems with preserving formatting, especially when exporting to other formats.
  3. LO can export text files to .doc and to .docx. Try the both options to see which one is better for your case.
#13

Rules 1 and 2 are golden rules. No. 1 avoids to lose formatting. No. 2 is the philosophy for success with LO.

Wrt to No. 3, I’d recommend .doc as I had problems with .docx.

#14

Usually I recommend .doc, too. However, every situation is different.

#15

Hello, people, thank you very much for your kind help. Summing up, I need to, for now on, only use odf, until the time I need to send the file to my professors and reviewer, ok. And could I just “save” in .doc in this time, or there is a possibility to “export” in .doc (for example), and this way would be better? I’ll look for that anyway.

And also you’re suggesting me to learn “paragraph styles”, ok, I’ll try to learn that, thank you.

#16

Export = Save As…

#17

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