How to Create a Footnote in Word 2007

Footnotes credit the sources of quotes and ideas expressed in research papers and other works that seek to inform. The footnote appears at the bottom of the same page that the author's quote or idea appears on and includes the author's name, publication title, page number(s) cited and year of publication. Most common word processing software programs, including Microsoft Word 2007, have features that allow for the creation of footnotes that will automatically adjust as the page count does.

Things You'll Need

• Personal computer with Microsoft Word 2007 installed

Instructions

1. Select the text from your document that has been cited from another author's work.

2. Click the References tab and then select the Insert Footnote button in the Footnotes group. A superscript-style numeral 1 will appear to the immediate right of the last word in your selection and simultaneously at the bottom of the page where the insertion point also advances.

3. Type the following information for the cited work at the insertion point: the last name of the author followed by the first name, the title of the work underlined and in title case, the state of publication, a colon and the name of the publisher (both enclosed in parenthesis) and the page number(s) of the citation.

4. Double-check the footnote to make sure everything is spelled correctly. Save the changes in your document.

5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 for each selection of cited work in your document. The next footnote number in the series will automatically be generated with each new footnote.

References

• Microsoft Office Online: Insert or Delete a Footnote or Endnote
• A Research Guide for Students: First Footnotes and Endnotes--Examples in MLA Style