Footnotes are notes placed at the bottom of a page in a written work that provide additional information, citations, or commentary related to specific parts of the main text. They are typically indicated in the text by a superscript number or symbol, which corresponds to the matching note at the page's bottom
. Footnotes serve several purposes:
- To cite sources and give credit to original authors, helping to avoid plagiarism
- To provide extra explanations, clarifications, or background information without disrupting the flow of the main text
- To include copyright permissions or legal disclaimers, especially in academic or professional writing
They are commonly used in academic writing, especially in styles like Chicago, and are formatted according to specific style guides such as APA, MLA, or Chicago Manual of Style. Footnotes improve readability by keeping lengthy citations or digressions out of the main body of text while still providing necessary information
. In summary, footnotes are a tool for enhancing clarity, credibility, and thoroughness in writing by placing supplementary information conveniently at the bottom of the page where the referenced text appears
