Understanding Footnotes: What They Are and How to Use Them

Footnoting is a way of referencing sources or additional information in the text of a document, typically by using numbered notes that are placed at the bottom of the page. Footnotes are used to provide further explanation or context for certain points made in the text, and can be used to cite sources, provide definitions, or offer additional information that is not essential to the main argument of the text.

For example, if you were writing an essay about a historical event and wanted to provide additional information about one of the participants, you might use a footnote to reference a source that provides more details about that person's background or actions during the event. The footnote would typically look something like this:

"1 John Smith, The History of the Event (New York: Publisher, 2000), p. 23."

This indicates that the information in the text about John Smith comes from page 23 of The History of the Event by John Smith, which was published in 2000 by Publisher.