We speak of cross-reference when you want to refer to a type of information or data that can serve to further understand the topic that is being discussed. It also serves to refer to the dependence, similarity or relationship of one thing with respect to another. In short, the term is related to the action and effect of the reference.
Cross references are used in conventional printed documents (novels, essays, textbooks or research articles) and on the Internet. In any case, the cross-reference variants are very diverse: an asterisk or a small number that accompanies a word in a text (footnotes), an explanatory table, a hyperlink, bookmarks, images, numbered lists, etc. In this way, just as in reading a printed document we use a marker to indicate a word or a paragraph, in virtual reading there appear indications that allow us to mark the information.
In summary, cross references can be understood as an instrument or tool at the service of knowledge.
Also in the Internet area there is a cross reference. In this case, its notation is a hyperlink or underlined text by which, when clicked, it takes you to the corresponding explanation or page where the subject in question is located.
Within the Microsoft Word program you can create cross-references to link two elements of the same document that are in different places. Therefore, this reference can be used for titles, footnotes, bookmarks, or numbered paragraphs. In this way, you can get a well-ordered document in which any associated topic can be instantly connected.
To create this type of reference in Word, the first thing you need to do is type some introductory text and then insert the cross-reference. For this, you just have to choose the type of element to be referenced and select a name that can be a numbered paragraph, a chapter, etc.
There is no single answer to the question, as the usefulness of this tool is very broad. First, it facilitates the reading of a text and its understanding. Second, a certain explanatory command is provided.
On the other hand, cross-references allow the information to be permanently updated. Finally, this tool multiplies the possibilities of increasing the volume of information on a given topic.
