The settings in the citation Numbering panel apply only when "Bibliography Number" is used in the Citation Template. This creates uniquely numbered citations in the text of the paper; the numbers correspond to entries in the bibliography. For papers formatted with a numbered style, these options are relevant to multiple citations grouped within one set of citation delimiters. When unformatted, a multiple citation looks like this:
{Keys, 1998 #93; Jen, 1996 #88;
When this option is checked, consecutive bibliography numbers appearing in a multiple citation are joined by a single hyphen, for example:
…as shown by the Berkeley studies conducted in 19873-6and 19891,7.
The Grouped Reference option allows you to cite with one number any references that always appear together in the paper as multiple citations. The citations are not given their own numbers, but rather one number is used both in the text and the bibliography to identify the whole group of citations. With this setting, you also have the option to specify how the grouped references in the bibliography should be separated.
This option shows a semicolon and a space as a separator:
McCormick, MP,Geophysical Research Letters(1999)15, 907;
Within grouped references, you can differentiate individual citations with letters.
To define a composite citation:
Select the box to “Use letters to separate grouped references.”
Use the “Present letters in” list to select Lowercase or Uppercase letters.
Select the appropriate letter format for in-text formatted citations. The examples illustrate how letters and numbers appear for consecutive citations and ranges.
(1a, 1b), (1a, 1b, 2a-c)
The number always appears with a stand-alone letter or with the first letter of a range. This is the default setting.
(1a, b), (1a, b, 2a-c)
Only the letter of the first citation of the composite is preceded with the number.
(1a, b), (1a, 1b, 2a-c)
The letter of the first citation of the composite is preceded with a number; additional letters include a number only if there could be ambiguity.
(1a, 1b), (1a, 1b, 2a-2c)
Letters are always preceded by a number.
Use the “Precede by” and “Follow by” boxes to enter any character(s) that you want to surround the letter in the bibliography.