For example, if a footnote refers you to an illustration, it would be placed outside of the illustration since it would overlap with other text.įootnotes are useful for adding reference material or information that does not fit into the main body of the essay. Footnotes are necessary in cases where the text does not conform to the endnote marker. Endnotes also allow for more freedom in the formatting of text. An author uses endnotes when they want to refer to a passage but cannot fit the sentence structure into a normal paragraph. Many individuals use footnotes for extensive remarks and endnotes for source citation.Įndnotes can be used in place of citations. In printed texts, footnotes and endnotes are used to explain, comment on, or offer references to material. What is the use of endnotes and footnotes? An endnote is like a bookmark for the book of life it points back to something outside of itself. For example, if you were writing on Thomas Jefferson's ideas on education and needed to refer to one of his writings as evidence for your claims, an endnote would be the right tool for the job.

In this case, you would use a footnote to indicate where you found information about Jefferson's views on education.Įndnotes are used to refer back to material contained in another work, but that other work is not part of the current discussion or analysis. The other work could be one written by Jefferson himself, or one published after his death. For example, if you were writing a paper on Thomas Jefferson's ideas on education, you would need to reference some other work to explain what he said about it. Footnotes are often referred to as 'in-text' notes because they serve to clarify a point within the body of the work itself, while endnotes are referred to as 'foot'-noting those parts of the work that don't belong directly there.įootnotes are used to refer back to material contained in other works.

The main distinction between footnotes and endnotes is that footnotes appear at the bottom of the page on which a work is cited, whereas endnotes appear at the end of a text. What is the difference between endnotes and footnotes in Chicago?

What is an endnote system