In this post, we run through everything you need to know about using footnotes and endnotes in academic writing. If you are unsure about how to use endnotes, consult with your professor. Use footnotes or endnotes to identify the sources of this information. If you are using footnotes, the note will appear on the same page as the information you are documenting, at the bottom (or “foot”) of the page. If you are using endnotes, the note will appear together with all other notes on a separate page at the end of your report, just before the bibliography.

And then immediately shifts focus to the footnote pane and places the insertion point at your new footnote, so you can start typing it right away. Word adds a small superscript number where you placed the insertion point. Below, we will cover how to create superscript in a Google Doc, in a Word document, and via HTML. If there are more than three authors, list only the first author followed by “et al.” List all the authors in the bibliography. To provide supplementary information to text, such as clarifying an idea or expounding on it for further inquiry.

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For example, a footnote in MLA style may suggest where a reader can find more information on a subject mentioned in a piece of writing. Footnotes and endnotes are tools writers can use to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is when writers take other writers’ research or ideas and pass them off as their own.

• If you’re a student, researcher or writer who often incorporates citations, learning more about how to use footnotes correctly can help you provide accurate information.
• Copyright permissions are obtained through written inquiries to copyright holders and are required for any copyrighted material that is intended to be reproduced.
• Place the cursor in the text where you want to footnote mark to appear.
• If you do move vital evidence or analysis to a note, the person marking your work may ignore it.
• We’re often asked whether to include footnotes and endnotes in the word count for papers.
• Chicago Manual footnotes also utilize additional spacing to improve footnote legibility.

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There can be more than one of these groups’ lists in the Notes, References and other similarly purposed sections. The first time you insert a note, it’s a footnote by default.

Fire up Microsoft Word, and then open the document to which you’d like to add footnotes (or create a new document if you’re just getting started). The DOI is usually only included in a source’s full reference in the bibliography. Most citation styles favor a certain in-text citation format, but allow flexibility to use notes if needed. Sometimes you may not be able to find all of the information generally included in a citation. If this happens, just use the information you have to form the citation. This is your how-to guide for footnotes following the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. It will help you understand footnotes vs endnotes, teach you how to create them, and show real examples you can learn from.

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You can change how text looks for a single note, or for all notes in the document. Click in the text where you want to insert the symbol for a footnote or an endnote. The first Chicago style consists of one note style, either foot- or end-notes, and a bibliography. In the Cross-Reference window, choose either “Footnote” or “Endnote” from the “Reference Type” https://accounting-services.net/ dropdown menu. To change the continuity of your numbering series, click the dropdown menu arrow next to the “Numbering” option. To add a footnote, place your insertion point in your text where you want the footnote to appear, and then click the “Insert Footnote” button. Get help with footnotes by using the EasyBib Plus Chicago footnotes generator.

Footnotes are citations that signal to a reader that there’s more information available about a specific topic or fact mentioned in a piece of writing. Many professionals use footnotes to provide readers with additional details about information in written documents and to cite sources they might use for research. If you’re a student, researcher or writer who often incorporates citations, learning more about how to use footnotes correctly can help you provide accurate information. Footnotes are formatted to improve the flow of a piece of writing and utilize a superscript Arabic numeral to denote the presence of supplemental information. The formats and uses of footnotes are dictated by writing style guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style. Sometimes you may be asked to include these — especially if you have used a parenthetical style of citation. A “works cited” page is a list of all the works from which you have borrowed material.

Creating a Bibliography and Formatting a Paper with Footnotes or EndNotes

Under “Location” in the Footnote and Endnote menu, find the “Footnotes” option . Open the dropdown menu to the right of that option and you can change your footnote location to either the bottom of the page or below the text. If you choose the latter option, Word places your footnotes immediately after the main body of text instead of at the bottom of the page. This brings up a Footnote and Endnote window where you can customize the location, appearance, and format of all your footnotes and endnotes. We also have guides to help anyone make APA citations for books, websites, and other sources. A footnote is a note that provides additional information or references for the reader.

A footnote is indicated with a superscript numeral within the text that corresponds to the same numeral at the bottom of the page, which is followed by the reference or additional information. The footnote should be included directly following the text it pertains to, usually after any punctuation. Citations attribute information and ideas to their original authors and publishers. Citations also provide readers with information about where to further research referenced information, whether it be in the form of a quote, figure, or general idea.

Using the citation toolbar to insert additional references to the first source. Note that the footnote labels in the reference list show only the numbers and not the group name.

The “Footnote Number” option inserts the number of the footnote in regular text, while the “Footnote Number ” option inserts the number of the footnote in superscript. The “Page Number” option inserts the number of the referenced page instead of the footnote number.

No matter which of these types of in-text citations you use, you will need to include a works cited list or bibliography at the end of your paper that includes the full references for your sources. Your instructor may also ask you to create an annotated bibliography where you also include a short paragraph summarizing and evaluating each source along with its full reference. The main difference between footnotes and endnotes is that footnotes are included at the bottom of each page, whereas How and When to Use Footnotes endnotes are included at the end of a chapter, article, or book. While tastefully incorporated footnotes are an effective way to include additional information into a text, excessive use can be distracting. Footnotes are often printed in a smaller font than the main text of the work to denote their status as footnotes. The presence of footnotes also requires a reader’s eye to move up and down a page more frequently; coupled with the small font size typical of footnote formatting.