Everything you need to know about Footnote and Endnote: Differences, Purposes, Uses, Importance
You must have noticed, small numbers that are written above certain words or at the end of a sentence as superscript in a document or book. These numbers either are same as the numbers placed at the bottom of the respective page that actually represent the footnotes or in other case at the end of the book or document that is known as endnotes. Footnotes and endnotes is something that provides an additional information to the reader without confusing him.
It is used by various authors in order to provide bibliographic information, copyright permission, explanatory information, outside sources and also some additional details about the topic being talked about. In this blog we are going to provide you with all the information that you will need to understand footnotes and endnotes.
Definition of Footnote
It is obvious from the name that is a note that appears at the bottom of the page. In order to cite relevant sources, provide additional details or references with respect to the definite portion of the text that is written above it. Moreover, it is written in order to simplify or add more detailed information about the text mentioned on that page.
Footnote is depicted in the form of a superscripted number or a symbol that comes just after a word or sentence. The cross-reference is given at the bottom of the same page. Footnote can be seen in books, reports, research papers, documents and articles.
Definition of Endnote
Endnote can be found at the end of the document or book or a section of the book. It contains all the sources of facts or information and extraneous information about the points that is used in the text. It is primarily used by the essay writing service writers to cite the authors and titles of the sources used in the written text.
Moreover, it is arranged in chronological order concerning the references used. Sometimes symbols are used such as asterisk (*) or it is also denoted by numbers. They usually found in books, articles, research papers, essays.
Uses of Footnotes and Endnotes
The main use of a footnote and endnote is to refer to a comment, reference, link, bibliography, and citation. In this way, the reader is able to get additional information about the sources that are mentioned by the writer in his document. Therefore, footnote and endnote is a better way take the reader to the detailed information.
Purposes of Footnotes and Endnotes
The footnotes and endnotes plays a significant role when one writes a research paper, thesis, essay, dissertation, or any other document. As it helps in identifying a particular source of information. They are added in the document to clarify information, lead the user to a particular source, and give access to details regarding other subjects, fast way to get information.
Key Differences between Footnote and Endnote
| Footnotes | Endnotes |
| Footnotes are numerically paced at the bottom of the page | Endnotes are numerically placed at the end of the page. |
| Footnote affects the page layout | Endnote doesn’t affect the page layout |
| Superscript form numbers are used. For example, It is written in the 1book | They serve as a space for reference, author’s name, relevant theory, and book. For example 1[Name of the book] |
| It is mostly used by the writers for detailed comment | It is mostly used for citation of sources |
| Footnotes can be easily found as they are generally placed at the starting paragraphs. | It is not easy to find as compare to footnotes. The reader has to move back and forth to find them. |
| It is difficult to place on a page. They also interrupts the readability of a document. |
It is much easier to place, as it is placed at the end. People find it easy to put them. |
Pros and Cons of Footnotes and Endnotes
Pros
- It helps the reader to directly find the piece of particular information that is taken as a source.
- Footnotes and endnotes also work as a source of additional information.
Cons
- If there are too many footnotes on a page then it becomes quirky, it interrupts the readability, and also distracts the reader from the topic.
- Footnotes can also get lost if there are a multiple charts and other numeric information the content.
- Moreover, for endnotes the reader have to reach to another part of the section to get extensive information.
Footnotes and Endnotes Styles
If we talk about the styles of they can be written in APA, Chicago, Harvard, or any style. There are unique formatting styles. It is usually observed that the professor asks the students to write a document using a particular style. For instance in the APA format there is an only use of reference list.
In the MLA format there can be the use of footnotes or endnotes, but it usually uses the parenthetical citations. In the Chicago format there is almost always use of footnotes and endnotes. Footnotes and endnotes both tend to be supplemented by a bibliography or work cited page. The page gives insight to the complete citation of the sources that the writer cited in each footnote and endnote throughout the paper.
It depends upon the citation style, the endnote and footnote provides more specific location information than the entry in the bibliography. If we are citing a whole book in Chicago manual of style, the page number of the cited information is placed in the footnote. However, this localized information is excluded from the source’s entry in the bibliography.
