Endnotes may be used sometimes, but sparingly. Scientific papers do not usually include footnotes. The information on the title page would include the authors’ names and affiliations, corresponding author, members of affiliated groups, etc. AMA also discourages the use of footnotes but allows them on the title page. Your particular journal guidelines will provide that information.Ī third style guide, the American Medical Association (AMA), is used mostly with papers in the biological and medical sciences. In contrast, the American Psychological Association (APA), the style for the behavioral and social sciences, does not usually allow footnotes. MLA suggests using “content” footnotes when necessary to avoid interrupting the text with an explanation or other details. See, especially chapters 3 and 4, for an insightful analysis of this trend. The MLA style for these notes is shown in the example below and the number corresponds to the superscript number noted in the referenced text: These are to provide the reader with other sources for more information on the subject covered.
Most scientific journals use specific reference formats however, some style guides do not allow footnotes and endnotes.įor example, the Modern Language Association (MLA), which deals specifically with disciplines in the humanities allows limited use of footnotes. Format for Footnotes, Endnotes, and HeadnotesĪlthough the format for footnotes and endnotes is almost similar, there are specific rules depending on the journal where the paper is submitted. Because tables and figures should be able to “stand alone” without the main text, headnotes should always be used. Headnotes are used to define acronyms used, units of measure, significance, etc. They are placed below the table itself or just below the figure title and typed in a font size that is smaller than the main text (e.g., 8- or 10-point font). In academic writing, headnotes are explanatory notes included with tables and figures. Headnotes are used as introductions in legal documents or as summaries of the text that follows them. The format is the same as that for footnotes. Endnotes, as footnotes, are numerically noted in superscript. In many cases, the book publisher decides the best placement. In books, they can be placed after each chapter or at the end of the book. EndnotesĮndnotes are much the same as footnotes except that they are placed at the end your research paper instead of at the bottom of a page. Ibid is short for the Latin “ ibidem”, which means “in the same place.” This format was previously used in most printed text but rarely used now. Some older journals use “ ibid” instead of a shortened version of the reference. When citing the same reference again, the footnote can be shortened as follows: The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998), 623. The format of footnotes is fairly standard (see below for specific rules) and is the same as that for references as follows:Īdrian Johns. Copyright permission: Cites quoted text and any reprinted materials used in the text.Content: Supplements or simplifies substantive information not detailed.When writing your research paper, you would use a footnote for two major reasons: the referenced text is followed by a superscript numeral ( 1), which corresponds to the numbered footnote at the bottom of the page.
They are referenced in the text in the same way as a citation i.e. What Are They and Why Use Them? FootnotesĪ footnote is a reference placed at the bottom of a page or footer.
We discuss the different types of notes, how to use them, and their pros and cons. The objective is to provide more information without distracting the reader. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America is published two times a year in May and October by the University of Chicago Press on behalf of ARLIS/NA (Art Libraries Society of North America).The notes should be kept as brief as possible. It is a key resource for professionals entering the field as well as those more seasoned professionals. Art Documentation will publish articles pertinent to issues surrounding the documentation of art and the use of visual resources in academic, special libraries and museum settings. The journal has established itself as a vital publication for art information professionals, acting as a forum for issues relating to both the documentation of art, and the practice and theory of art librarianship and visual resources curatorship. Read the latest issue.Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America is a peer-reviewed journal presenting issues of concern to librarians working within art history, art criticism, the history of architecture, archaeology, and similar areas. Current issues are now on the Chicago Journals website.