Determine whether you are using MLA or APA style guide citations for your paper.
Proper citation is a critical component of any academic paper. Failure to properly cite sources can lead to a lower grade on your paper and, in some cases, academic dishonesty charges. Footnotes are an efficient and clear way to cite your sources. Footnotes numerically mark cited references and lead the reader to the proper citation at the bottom of the page. Footnotes are more commonly used in Modern Language Association (MLA) style citations, while the American Psychological Association (APA) style only uses footnotes to add further information to the cited source. Consult with your course instructor to learn more about required citation formats.
Instructions
1. Determine the citation style required for the paper. The course instructor will state whether it should be in APA, MLA or another format. Write down the author's name, the publication title, article title, location of publication, year of publication and page numbers when selecting research materials.
2. A paraphrased or quoted sentence in your paper should be followed by a footnote. Access the reference menu under "Insert" on Microsoft Word. Select "Footnote" to add a number after the punctuation mark. The number will be repeated at the bottom of the paper. Write the full bibliographic citation.
3. Omit bibliographic information for an APA style footnote. Elaborate or add further information on the cited information instead.
4. Write only a partial citation for a source referenced more than once. Include the author's name and the page number for an MLA style footnote. Add the publication or article title if the author's name is not available.
5. Add a works-cited page at the end of the paper. List in alphabetical order the full bibliographic citations used in the footnotes. Consult your course instructor or an MLA or APA guidebook for proper citation format.
