Footnote | What you need to know about it

The following article is a look at what is a footnote, including its various uses. This article will also look at how to insert and format footnotes in a Word document.

Footnote Citation

Where in academic writing do you need it?

When using the notation system to reference, the author has to place a number (in superscript) within the confines of their text. A complete reference (inclusive of all bibliographical data) is then published in the footer section of the text. In some cases, this also appears at the end of the journal/document/article as an endnote.

Authors are also required to supply a complete reference list at the very end of their assignments. Considering that this is repetitive, not all style guides advocate for this; but it does make it easier for interested readers to check up alphabetical reference lists as opposed to having to scroll through many pages of the assignment in search of the information they need.
The first footer ought to reference all the information that is needed by the reader to recognise it. This information should then be followed by a page number of the specific reference or quotation.
Subsequent references can then be abbreviated in either one of two ways: through the use of Latin abbreviations or by using details of the first citation.

How do you use footnotes?

When dealing with academic writing, this type of note is meant to provide additional details on a given topic. Authors place these notes in an article or document as a way of supplementing the main text. You have the option of placing the notes at the bottom of a page or at the end of a section.
Any note included in a document needs to be as brief as possible. The objective here is to provide a reader with additional data without getting to distract them. This type of note is referenced in the document in the same way that you would reference any citation.

They come in two main types:

I. Content: Simplifies or supplements substantive details, i.e., it is not detailed in any way.
II. Copyright Permission: Its purpose is to quote any reprinted materials or quoted text that has been used in compiling that document.

Footnotes in Microsoft Word

As mentioned elsewhere in this document, this note makes it possible for you to explain a concept or cite sources without sidetracking your primary text. Word has made it easy for authors to manage this type of notes. It automatically numbers all the new notes, with the footer section expanding and shrinking dynamically depending on the amount of text that is available.
Using the notes assist in giving the document a more professional feel as they assist in crediting the sources used and in clarifying information. It’s quite easy to use them in Word.

All you need to do is:

I. Click the section you would like to reference.
II. Head over to the References tab, click on Insert and choose the kind of note you would like to insert.
III. Input what you would like captured in the footer.
IV. Go back to your place in the text by double-clicking the symbol or number placed at the beginning of your document.

Footnote Generator

A generator is meant to educate learners on the importance of using more than one source in all their written work. It also helps them to accurately cite all the materials that they have used in the course of crafting their papers.
A generator also helps ensure that the student doesn’t inadvertently plagiarize the work that they have written due to deadlines and mounting pressure to deliver quality work. Generators are easy to use as all you need to do is follow the prompts. Make sure to provide all the required information in the available fields, and the rest should proceed smoothly.

Types of Footnotes

Common citation styles include:

I. Modern Language Association (MLA)—Best when used with Humanities, e.g., Linguistics, English, Art, and Language.
II. American Psychological Association (APA)—Recommended for use with Social Sciences, Engineering, and Education disciplines.
III. Chicago: It supports two main styles:

a. Author-Date—Best for use with Social, Natural or Physical Sciences.
b. Bibliography and Notes—Best for use with Humanities or History
Other known citation styles are:

• ACS Style
• AMA Style
• AP Stylebook
• Harvard Style
• IEEE Style

Examples

• Chicago
  James Smith, The first and last war, (New York, Hamilton, 2003)
• APA
  Caxton’s printing of the Morte Darthur—dated 14851—changes several aspects of the Pentecostal Oath.2 (The Winchester Manuscript’s version of the Oath will be discussed later in this chapter.3)
• MLA
  See Blackmur, especially chapters 3 and 4, for an insightful analysis of this trend.