Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page where their numbered callout occurs. Endnotes are collected later, usually at the end of a chapter or document. The main difference is placement. Either can identify a source or provide a brief explanation, depending on the citation system and the document’s requirements.
Choose the form your instructor, publisher or journal requests. If you have a choice, consider how often readers will need to consult the notes and how much space those notes will occupy. Moving a note changes the reading experience; it does not remove the need to document the source accurately.
Compare placement, purpose and reading experience
| Question | Footnotes | Endnotes |
|---|---|---|
| Where are they? | At the bottom of the relevant page | In a section after the text or chapter |
| How do readers reach them? | Look down from the passage | Move to the notes section and return |
| What happens with frequent notes? | The page can become visually crowded | The prose pages stay clearer, but consultation takes more movement |
| Can they cite sources? | Yes, when the required system uses notes | Yes, under the same system |
| Can they explain a detail? | Yes, when the note is useful and allowed | Yes, when the note is useful and allowed |
| Do they automatically replace a bibliography? | No | No |
A source note and an explanatory note answer different questions. The source note says where a statement came from. The explanatory note gives information that would interrupt the main paragraph. Some notes do both, but their job should still be clear.
Choose the citation system before the note location
Chicago’s quick guide distinguishes notes and bibliography from author and date. In a notes system, numbered callouts lead to source documentation. In an author and date system, brief citations usually appear in the prose or parentheses and connect to the reference list.
Do not convert every author and date citation into a footnote simply because footnotes look more formal. That changes the documentation system rather than just the layout. The Chicago citation guide can help you check the system your assignment uses.
APA uses author and date citations for ordinary source attribution. Notes have more limited roles, including supplementary content and copyright information, as explained in Purdue OWL’s APA note guidance. Keep any note focused on information the reader actually needs.
See what changes when a note moves
Consider this original layout example. It explains a project’s terminology rather than reporting a research finding:
Main text:
The project distinguishes a source record from the uploaded file. [Note 1]
Note 1:
A source record contains bibliographic details; one record may describe a work that also has a saved PDF.As a footnote, the explanation sits below that page. As an endnote, the same explanation appears in the notes section. The wording can remain the same because the purpose has not changed.
Now ask whether it needs to be a note at all. If that distinction is essential to the argument, put it in the main text. A note is helpful for a useful aside, but it should not hide the definition readers need to understand the next paragraph.
Use a note for a specific reason
A good explanatory note answers a question that some readers will have without forcing every reader to follow a detour. It might define a specialized term, explain a translation choice or identify a qualification that does not belong in the main sentence.
A weak note often contains a paragraph that should have been edited into the argument or removed. If the note carries a central objection to your claim, address the objection in the main discussion. If it merely repeats the reference list, check whether the citation system requires it.
For source notes, preserve the distinction between a full source identification and a locator for the passage used. A page number in a note can point to a particular claim, while the bibliography identifies the wider work. Check the current style examples rather than assuming that note punctuation and bibliography punctuation are identical.
Let the document editor manage numbering
When the final document needs native notes, use the note function of the editor that will hold the finished document. Typing superscript numbers and placing paragraphs manually can break when you move text, add a page or delete a note.
Before transferring a draft between tools, establish what the export actually preserves. A visible citation or a paragraph labelled as a note does not necessarily become a native Word footnote. Citation can help you manage sources and draft text, but do not assume that a DOCX export recreates another application’s note fields or citation plugin links.
For the handoff, keep a working map of the passage, its source, any page locator and the intended note text. After importing or exporting, inspect the actual file in the destination editor rather than relying on how the original screen looked.
Check notes after the final layout change
A small edit can move a footnote to a different page or change the relationship between a table and its explanation. Review the document after the last substantive revision and after generating the final PDF.
- Follow every callout to its note and return to the right passage.
- Check that numbering is consistent after additions and deletions.
- Confirm that source notes identify the correct work and location.
- Move essential reasoning from notes into the main text.
- Inspect the exported pages for awkward splits and missing notes.
The best choice is the one that meets the publication’s requirements and lets readers check your evidence without losing the argument. Use the exporting guide when preparing a Citation draft for its next editor, then complete the note layout in the tool responsible for the final file.
Frequently asked questions
Methodology and sources
References linked in this article include Chicago’s quick guide, Chicago citation guide, Purdue OWL’s APA note guidance and exporting guide. Each link leads to the original page so you can review its wording, scope and limitations.
Publication and update dates describe changes to this article. They do not change the dates or coverage of the underlying source material. Read each finding with its original context, and keep gaps in the available information separate from conclusions supported by the records.
Citation’s methodology explains how source lookup, citation formatting and writing checks work, including their limitations. Our editorial standards describe the principles behind clear explanations, source attribution and useful guidance for readers.
Update history
Article updated.
Article first published.
