How to Write Footnotes & Endnotes in APA Style

APA style uses parenthetical citations.

Each branch of academics has a particular format or style that must be used in writing a research paper. In the social sciences, the preferred format is APA, or American Psychological Association. This particular style makes use of parenthetical citations, which add to the fluidity of paper for the reader and reduce the amount of footnotes and endnotes the writer must include. But there are circumstances under which you must still use footnotes and endnotes in your APA-style paper: for copyright and for content.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Research and understand when a footnote or endnote is needed.

2. Decide whether you need an endnote or footnote for content; primarily, these are used to present additional information that supports the given text or alert readers to alternate sources of information that may provide greater details.

3. Determine if you need a copyright footnote or endnote. These are required if you use a direct quote that is more than 500 words in length or if you use a figure, chart, graph or data table from another source. To do this without violating copyright law, you need the permission of the person who created the original.

4. Choose between footnotes or endnotes. You can't use both. Footnotes are located at the bottom of the page; endnotes are placed after the conclusion of the paper, before the bibliography.

5. Use your word-processing program to insert your footnotes or endnotes. For example, when working in Microsoft Word, you can access the "Footnote" option by choosing "Insert" on the toolbar, and then "Reference." You will be given the option of choosing between footnotes or endnotes, and the computer will number your notes and place them accordingly.

6. Enter all relevant data for the note. Copyright footnotes begin with the word "Note." For a copyright note from a periodical, the following information is also required: the article title in parenthesis; the author(s); the date of publication; the title of the publication; the volume; and the page number. This is followed by the copyright information and a statement of permission to reprint. An example:

   Note. From "The Superflu and You," by D. Welsh, 2002, Journal of Biotechnology, 14, p. 22. Copyright 2001 by D. Welsh. Reprinted with permission.

   On the other hand, content notes can direct the reader to another source, such as:

   1 See Stephen King, "The Stand," 1978 for an interesting theory on the possible outcome of biological warfare.

   Or they can explain a particular point. For example:

   2 While this method of virus development may or may not lead to the complete annihilation of mankind, this research paper does not focus on this aspect of biotechnology.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your notes express a single idea or relevant fact.

• For variations on citing sources (books, magazines, web pages), refer to the APA Style guide (see Resources).

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: General APA Guidelines