Asked by: James Traylor

In an academic context, having “additional thoughts” in footnotes could be seen as extraneous and amateurish. However, in a personal essay written for a class, “additional thoughts” might do well in footnotes. (Some writers have used footnotes in this manner in fiction.)

How many footnotes is too many footnotes?

A lot of people do add 7–8 footnotes, which might be good if they are extremely relevant. However, even so, 2–3 footnotes, which is the average, are more than enough per page.

Is there such a thing as too many footnotes?

The number of footnotes to be used in a 20-30 page essay varies from student to student and subject to subject. If you begin your essay with four or five footnotes per page and then only have one footnote for the next six pages, then something is amiss.

How often should I use footnotes?

4.1.

Like MLA, APA discourages the use of footnotes unless absolutely necessary. Even then, the guide recommends that footnotes only be used to provide content notes (such as providing brief, supplemental information about the text or directing readers to additional information) and to denote copyright permissions.

Can you use footnotes for definitions?

Another great use of footnotes is to define or explain a word or idea that might require further explanation to a general audience. A definition or explanation can be provided within the footnote without any visual or logical disruption in the text.

How many footnotes should you have for a 2000 word essay?

25-50 footnotes

Your instructor will be much happier to discuss the issue of too many footnotes or endnotes than failing to provide any. A first year research essay that is 8-10 double-spaced pages in length or roughly 1500-2000 words will likely have 25-50 footnotes or endnotes.

How many footnotes do you need for 10000 words?

D. Bachelors: A Bachelors level dissertation contains words from 10,000 to 12,000. For this type of word count, 45 to 50 references will most likely be needed at least and the maximum, 100 reference will also be a respectable benchmark to add references.

Can you reference too much?

Using too many references does not leave much room for your personal standpoint to shine through. As a general rule, you should aim to use one to three, to support each key point you make. This of course depends on subject matter and the point you are discussing, but acts as a good general guide.

Can you use too many sources?

If you have too many references, readers may wonder if you did any original research at all. Unless you’re writing a literature review, your paper’s primary focus should be on your investigation and findings. Don’t bury your hard work under strings of citations and discussion regarding other works.

How many works cited is too many?

Number of words

The longer the assignment, the greater the number of references required. As a general rule, there should be between 8 – 12 references for every 1,000 words.

Can you use the same footnote number more than once?

You’re able to reference footnotes multiple times in Microsoft Word by using cross-references. However, cross-references have a minor limitation – if you insert another footnote above the original one, the footnote number will update, automatically, immediately, but the cross-reference number will not.

How do you use footnotes correctly?

Using footnotes or endnotes involves placing a superscript number at the end of a sentence with information (paraphrase, quotation or data) that you wish to cite. The superscript numbers should generally be placed at the end of the sentence to which they refer.

How do I use footnotes in a research paper?

A footnote is a reference, explanation, or comment¹ placed below the main text on a printed page. Footnotes are identified in the text by a numeral or a symbol. In research papers and reports, footnotes commonly acknowledge the sources of facts and quotations that appear in the text.

Why do we use footnotes?

Footnotes are notes indicated in your text with numbers and placed at the bottom of the page. They’re used to provide: Citations (e.g., in Chicago notes and bibliography) Additional information that would disrupt the flow of the main text.

What terms are commonly used for footnotes?

Here is a list of the most common footnote abbreviations:

• anon. – anonymous.
• ante. – before.
• ca. or c. (circa) – around a given date, as in c. …
• cf. …
• ch. or chs. …
• ed. or eds. …
• et al. …
• et seq.

Do footnotes replace bibliography?

You still need a bibliography – With the occasional exception found in the Oxford referencing system, the use of footnotes does not replace the need for a bibliography at the end of your essay, despite the fact that extensive footnotes can make them seem superfluous.

What is the difference between footnote and reference?

As nouns the difference between reference and footnote

is that reference is a relationship or relation ((to) something) while footnote is a short piece of text, often numbered, placed at the bottom of a printed page, that adds a comment, citation, reference etc, to a designated part of the main text.

What is difference between footnote and citation?

Citation refers to a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in an academic work. Footnote refers to a piece of information printed at the bottom of a page.

Can I use footnotes in Harvard referencing?

Harvard Referencing with Footnotes

Short references in parentheses are used in the text, directly referring to the reference list. In addition, footnotes are used (even though they are not part of Harvard referencing), for additional comments only, not for source citations.

Do footnotes count in word count?

Do footnotes count when doing a word count? No, footnotes don’t count in the word count in most cases. When a teacher or professor gives an assignment with a minimum or maximum limit, it’s usually done with the intent of being applicable to the topic being assigned.

What is an endnote vs footnote?

Footnotes appear the bottom of a page whereas endnotes will appear at the end of the article, chapter, or back of the book. Footnotes are more common in scholarly works due to their ease of access for quick reference.

Should footnotes be on the same page?

To keep a footnote on the same page as its reference, for all versions of Microsoft Word, you will need to format the line spacing of the body text paragraphs (not the footnotes themselves) to an Exact amount (in the Paragraph dialog).