Oh well, reading is interrupted no matter what notes are used, but at least with Footnotes I will have a better understanding of the text, and I won’t be fumbling to find my place between the pages.Īs a reader, I find imy preference depends on the substantive content of the notes. Nine out of ten times I don’t read the Endnotes, so I am probably missing a lot of information that could clarify the text. Yes, of course I could use a book mark while reading, but it is so very annoying. I rarely check the Endnotes while reading because, frankly, I am a klutz, and I will lose my place while trying to find the original page. journal/ newspaper etc…įootnotes are so much easier to refer to than are Endnotes. So, please post some information on APA/MLA formatting with a checklist in either case under all possible combinations like website/multiple authors. There is so much confusion inthis regard. I would like you to post on APA/ MLA formatting. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Ħ Responses to “Should You Use Footnotes or Endnotes?” Ultimately, though, there are no general rules, and the choice between footnotes and endnotes comes down to your individual preference or your organisation’s style guide. If you have many long notes, you may find that they are best included at the end of the document – otherwise the pages can look very cluttered. Otherwise, I would suggest using footnotes if you have a small number of references. There may be no preference, or you may find that footnotes are requested (they’re easier for the person reading – and probably marking – your essay, and it’s best not to alienate them!) If you’re writing an academic essay, consult your institution’s style guidelines to find out whether you should use footnotes or endnotes. I’d have preferred endnotes to the absent footnotes, in that situation – though at least I could use the slip as a bookmark … It’s a balls-up of the highest magnitude for which I apologise profusely. We at Fforde towers would like to apologise for this oversight, and even though I’d like to claim it’s something to do with an attempt to reduce the Stupidity Surplus, it isn’t. It included a slip of paper with the relevant footnotes on and the apology: My hardback copy of Jasper Fforde’s latest Thursday Next novel, First Among Sequels which was supposed to use footnotes for humorous effect, had none. It’s also not uncommon for footnotes to be accidentally omitted in printing. If a footnote is added or deleted, many pages may have to be redone (since the spacing of the main body of text will change), whereas if an endnote is changed, only a page or two will need resetting. I suspect the use of endnotes is becoming more and more common in order to keep typesetting costs down. There aren’t any general rules about whether footnotes or endnotes should be used, though, and this is up to individual editors and publishers. I agree that it is frustrating to have to flip to the end of a chapter or even the end of a whole book in order to read the notes. And here’s an example of what endnotes look like (notice they’re on a separate page from the text to which they refer).Īre there any rules about using footnotes and endnotes?.Here’s an example of what footnotes look like (notice they’re on the same page as the text to which they refer).Notes at the bottom (foot) of the page are called footnotes. When these notes appear in their own section at the end of a chapter (or sometimes the end of a whole book), they are called endnotes. Sometimes, an asterisk or a superscript number appears against a phrase or sentence in a piece of text, referring to a corresponding note. Nowadays in many books which are published, footnotes are sometimes printed at the end of a chapter and other times can rarely be found at all. I am a firm believer in footnotes printed on the same page where the asterisk is printed. One of our readers, Billy Green, wrote to ask:Ĭould you enlighten some of us old folks about the proper use of footnotes? Below is what I wrote to the publisher: Should You Use Footnotes or Endnotes? By Ali Hale
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