Footnotes

Footnotes are details placed at the bottom of the page tied to superscripts (ex. 1 ) in the text. Footnotes are encouraged to be used limitedly and not for explanations. There are two main kinds of footnotes in MLA: bibliographic notes and content notes. Bibliographic notes are primarily used for additional information (usually another source) a reader can consult alongside the information you already present. 

  1. See Johnson, particularly chapter 3, for other emotions appearing in writing center work.

Content notes, on the other hand, are used to add additional information with an already present source. 

  1. Johnson also adds that reflective journaling “adds value to a tutor’s work” (33).

Footnotes are added in numerical order of appearance as superscripts. The superscripts are typically placed after all punctuation (periods, commas, etc.) except for dashes and parentheses, where the superscript is placed before it. Below are instructions for adding footnotes in Google Docs and Microsoft Word:*

Google Docs

  1. On the Google Docs toolbar on the left-hand side of the screen, click “Insert.” 
  2. In the dropdown menu, click the “Footnote” option. 
  3. A superscript and footnote at the bottom of the page will appear. 

Microsoft Word

  1. On the Microsoft Word toolbar near the top of the screen, click “References.” 
  2. In the menu below, click “Insert Footnote.”
  3. A superscript and footnote at the bottom of the page will appear.

Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl/Command + Alt/Option + F.

*When moving a document from Google Docs to Microsoft Word or vice versa, double check your footnotes to make sure they transferred clearly before submitting. 

For additional information on footnotes, visit Purdue OWL’s guide on Footnotes.