Footnotes provide additional information for a term, phrase, or sentence mentioned in the text. The information added in the footnote should not be a continuation of the text being discussed in the text. Such information should be included in the text and not as a footnote. Include only information that provides supplementary details as a footnote.
The advantage of using a footnote is that it does not hinder the reader from the main topic discussed in the text.
You can follow either footnote style or endnote style.
In addition to providing additional information, footnotes also act as citations in some styles. For example, Chicago, Turabian, and Oscola citation styles follow footnote citation instead of the author–date citation.
Footnotes are used in two ways:
A footnote appears at the end of each page on which it is cited. An endnote, on the other hand, appears at the end of the paper under the heading “Notes.” In most citation styles, footnotes are used to provide additional information. Any supplementary information about the topic being discussed in the text can be added in the footnote. The following sections will explain how to add callouts in the text and add footnotes in the footer. A footnote will act as a short citation, whereas an endnote may act as a bibliography and provide full details of the source. You can use both footnotes and endnotes in your paper, but use different numbering styles to distinguish them.
If footnotes provide a short citation of the source (e.g., Chicago style), they need the bibliography to be added to allow the reader to see the full information of the source.
All three citation styles use footnotes. While MLA and APA use footnotes to provide additional information, Chicago uses footnotes in one of its systems of citing the sources (notes–bibliography system).
In most citation styles, footnotes are used to provide additional information. Any supplementary information about the topic being discussed in the text can be added in the footnote. The following sections will explain how to add callouts in the text and adding footnotes in the footer.
Footnotes are cited as superscript numerals in the text. You can follow either Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) or lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.) as citations. However, use them consistently in your paper. One footnote should have only one idea. Footnotes should not be overused, as having more footnotes will affect the layout of the paper. If you want to add more information, it is advisable to add the content in the text or create an appendix.
When you want to insert a footnote citation, you need to follow some basic rules of punctuation:
1. Number footnote citations consecutively according to their order of presentation in the text.
2. Add the callout of the footnote after the punctuation mark. See the below examples for your understanding:
This is a text footnote citation.1
In this work,2 the author tries to clarify the idea.
3. Place the footnote citation before the dash:
A footnote citation—against the citations3—provides an extension to the text.
4. The footnote callout should immediately follow the text or any punctuation mark without any space.
5. If you want to cite the same footnote again in the text, simply add “see Footnote #.” “#” denotes the footnote number. Note that the details of the footnote need not be added again.
Footnote text is included on the same page on which the callout appears. It is included at the end of the page as a footer. The footnote number is given in superscript. The footnote text follows the number. Do not leave any space between the number and the text. Avoid using many footnotes, as it will affect the layout and look of the page. If the content added as a footnote is part of the main text, include it in the text. As adding many footnotes is not recommended, avoid repeating the same footnotes with a new number. If you want the reader to refer to the already provided footnote, please mention the footnote number in the text.
This is an example of a sentence in the text. Do not use long sentences to avoid confusing the reader. State your ideas in simple, clear sentences.1 It is important that you avoid using too many footnotes, as using many footnotes will affect the layout of your paper.
The content you add in footnotes should only provide additional information of the word, phrase, or clause discussed in the paper and should not have points related to the main topic discussed in the text.2
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1This is the first footnote.
2Note that the footnote callout is given after the period.