Hi Lisa
Master-Sub-documents remain a problem in Word for a job of the kind you
describe. IncludeText and RD fields don't cause problems, so they may be
a good solution.
Miscellaneous advice for creating large documents:
1. Turn Fast Saves off (at Tools > Options > Save).
2. Don't use Word's Versioning functionality.
3. Use styles as much as possible. Avoid direct formatting.
4. Avoid hard page breaks. Where appropriate, modify a style or
paragraph with Page Break Before.
5. Avoid section breaks unless you really need them to change columns or
to get Word to create chapter numbers.
6. Consider linking, rather than embedding, graphics. This will reduce
file size.
7. Read the following before you begin:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm,
then create a template from which you will create all the relevant
documents.
8. Develop a "style guide" before you begin writing. It should include
info on how you will set up headings, table of contents, headers and
footers, tables, figures, captions, appendixes, cross-references etc.
There's some info on numbering at
http://www.ShaunaKelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html.
Incorporate your decisions into your template.
9. Politely discourage the person on your team that will suggest a
page-width full-colour graphic in headers or footers. They make life
very difficult when someone else on the team wants a few pages in
landscape orientation; they never look good printed in black and white;
and they take on slightly different colours on every printer, which
drives the corporate communications people mad.
Hope this helps.
Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word