APA (American Psychological Association) style is a citation format commonly used in the social sciences, education, and other fields. One feature of APA style is the use of footnotes to provide additional information or to reference sources.
Footnotes in APA style are numbered consecutively throughout a paper and are typically used to provide brief explanations or to cite sources. They are placed at the bottom of the page on which they appear and are distinguished from the main text by a horizontal line and smaller font size.
Here is an example of how footnotes are used in APA style:
In a recent study, researchers found that students who received extra help with their homework performed better on standardized tests (Smith, 2021).1
- Smith, J. (2021). The effect of homework assistance on student achievement. Journal of Education, 56(2), 111-124.
In this example, the footnote provides the full citation for the source mentioned in the main text. The number in the main text corresponds to the footnote at the bottom of the page.
It's important to note that footnotes should only be used sparingly in APA style, as they can interrupt the flow of the text. They should be reserved for important or necessary information that cannot be included in the main text.
In addition to providing citations, footnotes can also be used to provide additional information or clarification about a point made in the main text. For example:
Recent research has shown that exercise can improve mental health and well-being (Jones, 2020).2
- Jones, K. (2020). The benefits of exercise for mental health. Health Reports, 35(4), 234-241. In addition to the mental health benefits, regular exercise has also been linked to a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
In this example, the footnote provides additional information about the benefits of exercise beyond what was mentioned in the main text.
In conclusion, footnotes are a useful tool in APA style for providing additional information or citing sources. They should be used sparingly and only for important or necessary information.
How to do APA footnotes
Though footnotes are allowed in all essay types in APA format, try not to depend on them multiple times in one essay, especially with content footnotes. It has also reduced the font size by 1pt, which is neither required nor discouraged by APA. David Bradshaw Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008 , 11. Sherwood has a Ph. APA style offers writers footnotes and appendices as spaces where additional, relevant information might be shared within a document; this resource offers a quick overview of format and content concerns for these segments of a document. A content footnote is used to provide additional information or reference that simplifies or supplements information in the text. The formats and uses of footnotes are dictated by writing style guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style.
Footnotes
Do not define the footnote again, that is, creating a duplicate footnote. In APA and MLA style, the footnote number is superscript, there is no period after the number, and there is no space between the footnotes. If it is an image or graph you are reproducing, copyright attribution can go in the figure note or table note. Content-Based Footnotes Utilizing footnotes to provide supplementary detail can enrich the body text and reinforce the main argument of the paper. For example, EndNote allows you to type in keywords when creating notes about the source, which then shows up in a separate section of your document as hyperlinks.
APA footnotes — Format & Examples
Try to avoid footnotes in APA, but if you must use one, keep it short and simple. Footnotes should be used sparingly, if at all, in introductions and conclusions. The notes themselves go at the bottom of the page; make sure these appear on the same page as the numeral. Footnotes should be typed on a separate page before being included in the text of the paper. APA footnotes should not be repeated. In an appendix, all figures, tables, and other visuals should be labelled with the letter of the corresponding appendix followed by a number indicating the order in which each appears. What is a footnote in APA? In general, APA suggests that footnotes be used sparingly.
Using Footnotes in APA With Format Tips and Examples
Citing multiple sources from the same article or book is called "in-text citations". Smith, 2008, The Animal Journal, 77, p. A copyright permission footnote is used to give credit to the source for long quotations, tables or graphs, and other lengthy information within a text. Do not include numerous footnotes in your text at the same time e. Alternatively, a footnotes page could be created to follow the reference page. How do you cite a previous footnote? APA style requires that you put footnotes at the end of your paper. A content footnote is used to provide additional information or reference that simplifies or supplements information in the text.