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How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in Chicago Footnote Referencing

2-minute read

• 6th May 2020

Have you found useful ideas or data in someone else’s dissertation or thesis to support an argument in your own work? Our guide below explains how to cite a thesis or dissertation correctly in the Chicago footnote style.

Footnote Citation for a Thesis or Dissertation

The Chicago Manual of Style ’s footnote referencing system uses superscript numbers to point to citations. For instance:

Usually at the end of a sentence, like this. 1

The footnote format for a thesis or dissertation in Chicago referencing is similar to the one used for a book . The main difference is that you should use quote marks instead of italics for the title:

n. Author name, “Title of paper” (type of paper, academic institution, year of completion), page number, URL/database name (document ID).

Of course, you only need to give a URL or database name and ID if you accessed the paper online! To cite page 42 of John Smith’s printed PhD thesis, then, your footnote would look like this:

1. John Smith, “Useful Ideas for Research” (PhD diss., University of Learning, 2006), 42.

If you’re citing only an abstract, simply add the word “abstract” after the title:

2. Tom Persson, “Great Thoughts and Stuff,” abstract, (master’s thesis, Educational Establishment of City Name Here, 2012), 81, https://CityNameUniversity.edu/1901.11/39144.

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For repeat citations, use the standard shortened footnote format .

The Bibliography Entry

The bibliography entry for a thesis or dissertation will be similar to the first footnote citation. However, there are a few differences in the format:

• You will need to use a period between each element, not a comma.
• The first author’s name should be inverted (i.e., “Surname, First Name”)
• You do not need parentheses for the additional paper information (i.e., the paper type, institution, and year of completion).
• No page number is required.

So, bibliography entries for these sources should look like this:

Author Surname, Author First Name. “Title of paper.” Type of paper, academic institution, year of completion. URL/database ID.

Thus, you would present your bibliography entries as follows:

Persson, Tom. “Great Thoughts and Stuff.” Abstract. Master’s thesis, Educational Establishment of City Name Here, 2012. https://CityNameUniversity.edu/1901.11/39144.

Smith, John. “Useful Ideas for Research.” PhD diss., University of Learning, 2006.

The points above will help you cite a dissertation or thesis in Chicago footnote referencing. Want further help checking your references and writing are error free? Our team of expert proofreaders is available 24/7.

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How to Include Footnotes in a Thesis: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing a thesis requires meticulous attention to detail, including the proper use of footnotes. footnotes provide additional information or citations, offering credibility and depth to your research. if you’re unsure about how to include footnotes in your thesis, don’t worry. in this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process..

Step 1: Understand the Purpose of Footnotes

Before delving into the technicalities, it’s important to understand why footnotes are used in a thesis. Footnotes serve several purposes:

• Provide additional information: Footnotes allow you to expand on complex concepts, provide examples, or include more detailed explanations that may disrupt the flow of the main text.
• Give credit to sources: Footnotes attribute credit to the original authors or sources you refer to in your thesis. This demonstrates your credibility and also avoids plagiarism accusations.
• Offer further readings: Footnotes can direct readers to additional sources and readings related to your topic, enabling them to explore the subject further.

Step 2: Determine the Citation Style

Before inserting footnotes, you need to determine the citation style required by your institution or the guidelines that you’re following. Typically, a thesis adheres to commonly used citation styles like APA, MLA, or Chicago. Familiarize yourself with the specific rules for your chosen citation style to ensure accurate and consistent formatting.

Step 3: Inserting Footnotes in Microsoft Word

If you’re using Microsoft Word to write your thesis, follow these steps to insert footnotes:

• Place the cursor where you want to insert the footnote.
• Go to the “References” tab in the Word toolbar.
• Click on the “Insert Footnote” option. A superscript number will appear at the cursor’s location, and a horizontal line will appear at the bottom of the page as a placeholder for the footnote.
• Type your footnote text in the placeholder area. Ensure the text is relevant, concise, and properly cites the source or provides additional information.

Note: The process may vary slightly depending on the version of Microsoft Word you are using, but the general steps remain the same.

Step 4: Formatting Footnotes

It’s essential to format your footnotes correctly to ensure consistency throughout your thesis. Here are some formatting guidelines to follow:

• Use a smaller font size than the main text, typically 10 or 11 points.
• Indent the first line of each footnote.
• Separate footnotes from the main text by a horizontal line.
• Number footnotes consecutively throughout your thesis, using superscript numbers.
• Ensure each footnote is clear, concise, and properly formatted for the citation style you’re following.

Step 5: Review and Cross-Check Footnotes

Once you have inserted all the footnotes in your thesis, thoroughly review and cross-check them to ensure accuracy, completeness, and adherence to the citation style guidelines. Pay attention to the following details:

• Ensure proper numbering and sequential order for the footnotes.
• Verify that the footnotes accurately cite the sources or provide the necessary information.
• Confirm consistency in formatting, including font size, indentation, spacing, and separation lines.
• Check for any omissions or duplications.

By meticulously reviewing and cross-checking your footnotes, you can maintain the quality and credibility of your thesis.

Final Thoughts

Properly including footnotes in your thesis demonstrates your careful research and attention to detail. Remember, footnotes offer additional information, give credit to sources, and provide further readings. By following this step-by-step guide and adhering to the citation style guidelines, you can effectively incorporate footnotes into your thesis, enhancing its depth and authority.

Now that you know how to include footnotes in a thesis, you can confidently embark on your research journey. Happy writing!

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Thesis and Dissertation Guide

• « Thesis & Dissertation Resources
• The Graduate School Home

• Introduction
• Copyright Page
• Dedication, Acknowledgements, Preface (optional)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations
• List of Abbreviations
• List of Symbols

Non-Traditional Formats

Font type and size, spacing and indentation, tables, figures, and illustrations, formatting previously published work.

• Internet Distribution
• Open Access
• Registering Copyright
• Using Copyrighted Materials
• Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials
• Submission Steps
• Submission Checklist
• Sample Pages

II. Formatting Guidelines

All copies of a thesis or dissertation must have the following uniform margins throughout the entire document:

• Left: 1″ (or 1 1/4" to ensure sufficient room for binding the work if desired)
• Right: 1″
• Bottom: 1″ (with allowances for page numbers; see section on Pagination )
• Top: 1″

Exceptions : The first page of each chapter (including the introduction, if any) begins 2″ from the top of the page. Also, the headings on the title page, abstract, first page of the dedication/ acknowledgements/preface (if any), and first page of the table of contents begin 2″ from the top of the page.

Non-traditional theses or dissertations such as whole works comprised of digital, artistic, video, or performance materials (i.e., no written text, chapters, or articles) are acceptable if approved by your committee and graduate program. A PDF document with a title page, copyright page, and abstract at minimum are required to be submitted along with any relevant supplemental files.

Fonts must be 10, 11, or 12 points in size. Superscripts and subscripts (e.g., formulas, or footnote or endnote numbers) should be no more than 2 points smaller than the font size used for the body of the text.

Space and indent your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• The text must appear in a single column on each page and be double-spaced throughout the document. Do not arrange chapter text in multiple columns.
• New paragraphs must be indicated by a consistent tab indentation throughout the entire document.
• The document text must be left-justified, not centered or right-justified.
• For blocked quotations, indent the entire text of the quotation consistently from the left margin.
• Ensure headings are not left hanging alone on the bottom of a prior page. The text following should be moved up or the heading should be moved down. This is something to check near the end of formatting, as other adjustments to text and spacing may change where headings appear on the page.

Exceptions : Blocked quotations, notes, captions, legends, and long headings must be single-spaced throughout the document and double-spaced between items.

Paginate your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Use lower case Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, etc.) on all pages preceding the first page of chapter one. The title page counts as page i, but the number does not appear. Therefore, the first page showing a number will be the copyright page with ii at the bottom.
• Arabic numerals (beginning with 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) start at chapter one or the introduction, if applicable. Arabic numbers must be included on all pages of the text, illustrations, notes, and any other materials that follow. Thus, the first page of chapter one will show an Arabic numeral 1, and numbering of all subsequent pages will follow in order.
• Do not use page numbers accompanied by letters, hyphens, periods, or parentheses (e.g., 1., 1-2, -1-, (1), or 1a).
• Center all page numbers at the bottom of the page, 1/2″ from the bottom edge.
• Pages must not contain running headers or footers, aside from page numbers.
• If your document contains landscape pages (pages in which the top of the page is the long side of a sheet of paper), make sure that your page numbers still appear in the same position and direction as they do on pages with standard portrait orientation for consistency. This likely means the page number will be centered on the short side of the paper and the number will be sideways relative to the landscape page text. See these additional instructions for assistance with pagination on landscape pages in Microsoft Word .

Format footnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Footnotes must be placed at the bottom of the page separated from the text by a solid line one to two inches long.
• Begin at the left page margin, directly below the solid line.
• Single-space footnotes that are more than one line long.
• Include one double-spaced line between each note.
• Most software packages automatically space footnotes at the bottom of the page depending on their length. It is acceptable if the note breaks within a sentence and carries the remainder into the footnote area of the next page. Do not indicate the continuation of a footnote.
• Number all footnotes with Arabic numerals. You may number notes consecutively within each chapter starting over with number 1 for the first note in each chapter, or you may number notes consecutively throughout the entire document.
• Footnote numbers must precede the note and be placed slightly above the line (superscripted). Leave no space between the number and the note.
• While footnotes should be located at the bottom of the page, do not place footnotes in a running page footer, as they must remain within the page margins.

Endnotes are an acceptable alternative to footnotes. Format endnotes for your thesis or dissertation following these guidelines:

• Always begin endnotes on a separate page either immediately following the end of each chapter, or at the end of your entire document. If you place all endnotes at the end of the entire document, they must appear after the appendices and before the references.
• Include the heading “ENDNOTES” in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the first page of your endnotes section(s).
• Single-space endnotes that are more than one line long.
• Number all endnotes with Arabic numerals. You may number notes consecutively within each chapter starting over with number 1 for the first note in each chapter, or you may number notes consecutively throughout the entire document.
• Endnote numbers must precede the note and be placed slightly above the line (superscripted). Leave no space between the number and the note.

Tables, figures, and illustrations vary widely by discipline. Therefore, formatting of these components is largely at the discretion of the author.

For example, headings and captions may appear above or below each of these components.

These components may each be placed within the main text of the document or grouped together in a separate section.

Space permitting, headings and captions for the associated table, figure, or illustration must be on the same page.

The use of color is permitted as long as it is consistently applied as part of the finished component (e.g., a color-coded pie chart) and not extraneous or unprofessional (e.g., highlighting intended solely to draw a reader's attention to a key phrase). The use of color should be reserved primarily for tables, figures, illustrations, and active website or document links throughout your thesis or dissertation.

The format you choose for these components must be consistent throughout the thesis or dissertation.

Ensure each component complies with margin and pagination requirements.

Refer to the List of Tables, Figures, and Illustrations section for additional information.

If your thesis or dissertation has appendices, they must be prepared following these guidelines:

• Appendices must appear at the end of the document (before references) and not the chapter to which they pertain.
• When there is more than one appendix, assign each appendix a number or a letter heading (e.g., “APPENDIX 1” or “APPENDIX A”) and a descriptive title. You may number consecutively throughout the entire work (e.g., 1, 2 or A, B), or you may assign a two-part Arabic numeral with the first number designating the chapter in which it appears, separated by a period, followed by a second number or letter to indicate its consecutive placement (e.g., “APPENDIX 3.2” is the second appendix referred to in Chapter Three).
• Include the chosen headings in all capital letters, and center them 1″ below the top of the page.
• All appendix headings and titles must be included in the table of contents.
• Page numbering must continue throughout your appendix or appendices. Ensure each appendix complies with margin and pagination requirements.

You are required to list all the references you consulted. For specific details on formatting your references, consult and follow a style manual or professional journal that is used for formatting publications and citations in your discipline.

Your reference pages must be prepared following these guidelines:

• If you place references after each chapter, the references for the last chapter must be placed immediately following the chapter and before the appendices.
• If you place all references at the end of the thesis or dissertation, they must appear after the appendices as the final component in the document.
• Select an appropriate heading for this section based on the style manual you are using (e.g., “REFERENCES”, “BIBLIOGRAPHY”, or “WORKS CITED”).
• Include the chosen heading in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the page.
• References must be single-spaced within each entry.
• Include one double-spaced line between each reference.
• Page numbering must continue throughout your references section. Ensure references comply with margin and pagination requirements.

In some cases, students gain approval from their academic program to include in their thesis or dissertation previously published (or submitted, in press, or under review) journal articles or similar materials that they have authored. For more information about including previously published works in your thesis or dissertation, see the section on Use of Your Own Previously Published Materials and the section on Copyrighting.

If your academic program has approved inclusion of such materials, please note that these materials must match the formatting guidelines set forth in this Guide regardless of how the material was formatted for publication.

Some specific formatting guidelines to consider include:

• Fonts, margins, chapter headings, citations, and references must all match the formatting and placement used within the rest of the thesis or dissertation.
• If appropriate, published articles can be included as separate individual chapters within the thesis or dissertation.
• A separate abstract to each chapter should not be included.
• The citation for previously published work must be included as the first footnote (or endnote) on the first page of the chapter.
• Do not include typesetting notations often used when submitting manuscripts to a publisher (i.e., insert table x here).
• The date on the title page should be the year in which your committee approves the thesis or dissertation, regardless of the date of completion or publication of individual chapters.
• If you would like to include additional details about the previously published work, this information can be included in the preface for the thesis or dissertation.

Previous: Order and Components

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Formatting your thesis: Footnotes and endnotes

On this page

Footnotes/endnotes, fixing text and/or layout issues in your footnotes, moving endnotes to the end of each chapter.

A consistent style for footnotes must be followed throughout your thesis.  If necessary, Word can convert footnotes to endnotes.

• The content in footnotes is governed by style manuals (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, etc.) and/or your supervisor.
• Font Arial 10pt.
• Single-spaced with spacing between entries.
• Each footnote must consist of a single paragraph.
• When inserting footnotes, use Word's auto-numbering feature. (The exception would be footnotes for objects, such as Tables, Figures, etc.  Please see Tables, Figures, and Illustrations for how to manually insert footnotes for objects.)
• If there is something wrong with a footnote's layout, apply the Footnote Text style to the footnote's text (but not the footnote's reference number). 
• If some of the text in a footnote won't change (e.g., font-face or font-size), select only that text and apply the Footnote Text style to it directly.
• If a footnote's reference number isn't superscripted in the text or the footnote area, apply the Footnote Reference style to the reference number.
• Choose View, Draft (or click the respective icon at the bottom right of the Word screen)
• Find a footnote reference number in your document and double-click it
• Your screen will split, and all the footnotes will appear in the bottom window
• Choose View, Print Layout to exit the split screen
• If necessary, superscript footnote numbers by applying the Footnote Reference style.
• Remove extra paragraph markers appearing within or between footnotes.  To make some text in a footnote go over to the next line, use a line-break (Shift+Enter).  To remove a paragraph marker between footnotes, try deleting one and, if you get an error message, try removing the other one.
• At the end of each chapter, type in an Endnotes or Notes heading
• Apply Heading 2 style to the heading
• Insert a next-page Section Break. After doing this, your endnotes should appear after each section break. 
• Please note that footnotes can be converted to endnotes.

Extra section breaks can have an adverse affect on page numbering and margins, see Troubleshooting page numbers in theses .

The content in footnotes is governed by style manuals (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, etc.).  As in the list of references or the bibliography, footnote entries should be single-spaced, with spacing between entries.

Footnotes are preferable to endotes and may:

• be numbered sequentially throughout the document (the template is designed to do this).
• be numbered throughout each chapter or part.
• appear at the bottom of the page, at the end of the chapter, or at the end of the entire text.

Should you have difficulty placing endnotes at the end of a chapter or essay opt for one of these two methods :

• Convert your endnotes to footnotes (this is considered a good practice for your readers as footnotes appear on the page on which they are referenced) OR
• Place a Section Break where you'd like your endnotes to start.  If this creates a problem with pagination, see Troubleshooting page numbers in theses.

For further assistance with footnote/endnote issues, please contact the Assistant for Theses at  [email protected] .

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Theses & Dissertations

Citing a published thesis, citing an unpublished thesis, citing a thesis in online database or repository.

• CMS 14.224: Theses and dissertations

Titles of unpublished works appear in "quotation marks"—not in italics . This treatment extends to theses and dissertations, which are otherwise cited like books.

The kind of thesis, the academic institution, and the date follow the title. Like the publication data of a book, these are enclosed in parentheses in a note but not in a bibliography.

If the document was consulted online, include a URL or, for documents retrieved from a commercial database, give the name of the database and, in parentheses, any identification number supplied or recommended by the database.

For dissertations issued on microfilm, see 14.120 . For published abstracts of dissertations, see 14.197 .

Note-Bibliography

First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," (Publisher, Year).

      Mihwa Choi, “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty,” PhD diss., (University of Chicago, 2008).

Short Note:

Last-name, "Title of Thesis."

Choi. “Contesting Imaginaires ."

Bibliography Entry:

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Year.

Choi, Mihwa. “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.” PhD diss. University      of Chicago, 2008.

Author-Date

Text Citation:

(Last-name Year)

(Mihwa 2008)

Reference Entry:

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle."

Choi, Mihwa. 2008. “Contesting  Imaginaires  in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.”  PhD diss.       University of Chicago.

Note -Bibliography

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," Unpublished thesis type, University. Year.

Barry C. Hosking, "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand," PhD diss., (Ghent University, 2010).

Note #. Last-name,"Title of Thesis."

Barry C. Hosking, "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes."

Bibliography:

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Unpublished thesis type. University. Year.

Hosking, Barry C. "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University, 2010.

(Hosking 2010)

Last-name, First-name.  Year.  "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Unpublished thesis type. University.

Hosking, Barry C.    2010.  "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University.

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," Database Name (Identifier if given), Year, Internet address.

      12. Meredith Stewart, "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus, " Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222), 2005, http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

Note #. Last-name, "Title of Thesis."

21. Stewart, "An Investigation into Aspects."

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Database Name (Identifier if given), Year. Internet address.

Stewart, Meredith. "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus ." Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222),  2005. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

(Stewart 2005)

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle."  Database Name  (Identifier if given), Internet address.

Stewart, Meredith. 2005. "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus ." Australasian Digital Theses Program  (WMU2005.1222),    http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

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Standard format for citation

Unpublished:

From a full text database:

Thesis in print: Unpublished

Nolte-Schamm, Claudia Margarethe. "A Comparison between Christian and African Traditional Paradigms of Reconciliation and How They Could Dialogue for the Benefit of South African Society." PhD diss., University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Woznica, Mirek. "A Counter-History of Art." PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 1997.

Thesis in print: Published

Moreno, Antonio F. Church, State, and Civil Society in Post-authoritarian Philippines: Narratives of Engaged Citizenship . Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2006.

Thesis from a full text database

Beller, Benjamin J. "Fire History of the Peron Peninsula, Shark Bay, Western Australia Based on Remote Sensing Dendrochronology, and Anecdotal Evidence." M.S. thesis, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2014. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global (1564281).

See the  All Examples  page for examples of in-text and reference list entries for specific resources such as articles, books,theses and web pages.

Bibliography entries.

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Chicago Format & Citation Style: Notes and Bibliography, 17th Edition

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Book - Editor, Translator, or Compiler

Book - author and editor/translator, chapter in an edited book, book, later edition, volume in a multivolume work, dissertation/thesis.

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FOOTNOTE format and examples:

1 Author's first name last name,  Title of Book in Italics  (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (London: Profile Books, 2014), 79-80.

3  Gawande,  Being Mortal , 191.

BIBLIOGRAPHY format and example:

Author's last name, first name.  Title of Book in Italics . Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Gawande, Atul. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End . London: Profile Books, 2014.

See Chicago Manual 17 - section 14.100

1 First author's first name last name and Second author's first name last name,  Title of Book in Italics  (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015), 12.

3 Grazer and Fishman,  Curious Mind , 190.

First author's last name, first name, and Second author's first name last name.  Title of Book in Italics . Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Grazer, Brian, and Charles Fishman. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life . New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015.

1 First author's first name last name, Second author's first name last name, and Third author's first name last name; Title of Book in Italics  (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 Alexander Berkman, Henry Bauer, and Carl Nold, Prison Blossoms: Anarchist Voices from the American Past  (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2011), 53.

3 Berkman, Bauer, and Nold, Prison Blossoms , 75.

First author's last name, first name, Second author's first name last name, and Third author's first name last name. Title of Book in Italics . Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Berkman, Alexander, Henry Bauer, and Carl Nold.  Prison Blossoms: Anarchist Voices from the American Past . Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2011.

1 First author's first name last name et al.,  Title of Book in Italics  (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 George Folsom et al., History of Libraries  (Manchester, NH: Shapiro Library Press, 2017), 24.

3 Folsom et al., History of Libraries , 99.

First author's last name, first name, Second author's first name last name, Third author's first name last name, and Fourth author's first name last name. Title of Book in Italics . Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Folsom, George, Virginia Smith, Thomas Pepe, and Linda Burns. History of Libraries . Manchester, NH: Shapiro Library Press, 2017.

For books consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database. For other types of e-books, name the format. If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the notes.

1 Author's first name last name,  Title of Book in Italics  (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages/chapter/section, Database/URL/format.

2 Brooke Borel, The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016), 92, ProQuest Ebrary.

3 Borel, Fact-Checking , 104–5

4 Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (New York: Penguin Classics, 2007), chap. 3, Kindle.

5 Austen, Pride and Prejudice , chap. 14.

BIBLIOGRAPHY format and examples:

Author's last name, first name.  Title of Book in Italics . Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . New York: Penguin Classics, 2007. Kindle.

Borel, Brooke. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016. ProQuest Ebrary.

1 Editor's first name last name, ed. Title of Book in Italics  (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 Mary Erler and Maryanne Kowaleski, eds. Women and Power in the Middle Ages (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1988), 273-34.

3 Erler and Kowaleski, Women and Power , 302.

Editor's last name, first name, ed. Title of Book in Italics . Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Erler, Mary, and Maryanne Kowaleski, eds. Women and Power in the Middle Ages . Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1988.

1 Author's first name last name, Title of Book in Italics , trans. Translator's first name last name (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 Jhumpa Lahiri, In Other Words , trans. Ann Goldstein (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016), 146.

3 Lahiri, In Other Words , 184.

Author's last name, first name. Title of Book in Italics . Translated by Translator's first name last name. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. In Other Words . Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016.

1 Author's first name last name, "Title of Chapter in Quotation Marks," in Title of Book in Italics , ed. Editor's first name last name (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 Henry David Thoreau, “Walking,” in The Making of the American Essay , ed. John D’Agata (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016), 177–78.

3 Thoreau, "Walking," 182.

Author's last name, first name. "Title of Chapter in Quotation Marks." In Title of Book in Italics , edited by Editor's first name last name, inclusive pages. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Thoreau, Henry David. “Walking.” In The Making of the American Essay , edited by John D’Agata, 167–95. Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016

1 Author's first name last name,  Title of Book in Italics , edition. (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 Amy Einsohn, The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications, with Exercises and Answer Keys , 3rd ed. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011), 401-2.

3 Einsohn, The Copyeditor's Handbook , 455.

Author's last name, first name.  Title of Book in Italics . Edition. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Einsohn, Amy. The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications, with Exercises and Answer Keys . 3rd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011.

1 Author's first name last name, Title of Book in Italics  (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), volume #: inclusive pages.

2 Muriel St. Clare Byrne, ed., The Lisle Letters (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981), 4:243.

3 Byrne, Lisle Letters , 4:245.

Author's last name, first name. Title of Book in Italics . Vol. #. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Byrne, Muriel St. Clare, ed. The Lisle Letters . Vol. 4. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981.

1 Author's first name last name, "Title of Dissertation or Thesis in Quotation Marks" (PhD diss. or MA thesis, Institution, Year of publication), inclusive pages.

2 Cynthia Lillian Rutz, “ King Lear and Its Folktale Analogues” (PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2013), 99–100.

3 Rutz, " King Lear , 158.

Author's last name, first name. "Title of Dissertation or Thesis in Quotation Marks." PhD diss. or MA thesis, Institution, Year of publication.

Rutz, Cynthia Lillian. “ King Lear and Its Folktale Analogues.” PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2013.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to use footnotes in MLA

How to use footnotes in MLA

Sometimes when writing a paper, you have additional information that you want to include, but it won’t work well in the main text of your paper. This additional information also may not work as a parenthetical citation. In those cases, you can use footnotes in MLA Style. (Note that this article is for MLA. If you are curious about footnotes in APA style, see APA footnotes .)

What is a footnote?

A footnote is additional information that is added at the bottom of the page and indicated with a superscript number. Writers choose to add a footnote when the information would be distracting if it appeared in the main text. You may choose to add a footnote when you want to clarify a point or justify a point of view. Footnotes can also be used if you want to show another line of argument on the topic, or you want to show the differences between your work and others.

While MLA format does allow for footnotes, writers are encouraged to use footnotes sparingly.

How to use footnotes

There are two types of footnotes: bibliographical and content.

Bibliographical notes

Bibliographical notes add additional sources relevant to your thesis. Use these types of notes when your references are too long and citing all of them would interrupt your text. In the note you can cite a long string of sources. You can also use bibliographical notes to make comments on your sources and to identify areas of further research. Keep in mind, however, that references to a few authors’ names can also be put into a parenthetical citation in the text.

MLA style recommends that you use bibliographic notes sparingly.

Content footnotes

Content footnotes offer information or commentary that doesn’t fit in your main text or offer a further explanation of the topic. Content footnotes also allow you to add background information that may be interesting to your readers or refer to other sources with more detail than in bibliographic notes.

Like bibliographic notes, MLA recommends that content notes should be used sparingly.

Endnotes vs. footnotes

The difference between a footnote and an endnote is its placement in the paper. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the same page where they are referenced.  Endnotes appear all together at the end of the paper in a list labeled Note(s) or Endnote(s). Endnotes are listed before the Works Cited page. You should ask your professors what style of notes are required in their classes.

Footnote format

Footnotes are formatted with superscript numbers that usually appear at the end of the sentence after the punctuation. You can also use a footnote in the middle of the sentence by placing the number directly after a punctuation mark. If you use a footnote in a sentence that has a dash, make sure the footnote number is placed before the dash. Footnotes should be numbered sequentially throughout the paper. Do not start over again at number 1 on each page.

The footnote citation at the bottom of the page should have the number, and it should also be in superscript. For the note itself, use the same font as the rest of your paper but in a smaller size. For example, if your paper is written in 12 pt. font, then your footnote should be in 10 pt. font. If you use a source in a footnote, you also need to include it in the Works Cited list at the end of your paper.

• Works Cited

Magyarody, Katherine. “‘Sacred Ties of Brotherhood’: The Social Mediation of Imperial Ideology in  The Last of the Mohicans and  Canadian Crusoes .”  Nineteenth-Century Literature , vol. 71, no. 3, 2016, pp. 315–342.  JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/26377183.

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Published October 27, 2020. Updated July 18, 2021.

By Catherine Sigler. Catherine has a Ph.D. in English Education and has taught college-level writing for 15 years.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

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To use endnotes in your paper, you need to follow the guidelines provided below:

General points

Use superscript Arabic numerals to number the endnote citations in the text. You can use your word processor’s notes feature so that the numbering is generated automatically.

Do not use the ibid abbreviation in endnotes.

The title of the endnote page at the end of your paper can be “Notes” or “Endnotes.”

If you want to add any citations within the note, include the page numbers in parentheses at the end of the sentence or at a natural breaking point.

Endnotes in the text

Place endnote indicators after any punctuation marks as in the examples below:

The work was compared with the literature study. 1

As Vivekananda said, “Education is the manifestation of divinity already in man.” 2

However, if you have a dash, place endnote indicator before the dash.

Drawing to the point mentioned by Shakespeare 3 —a dramatist, poet, and actor—we conclude that true love persists till the end of the doom’s day.

Other points

Multiple endnotes within a sentence are allowed. However, place them wisely to ensure clarity.

An endnote citation can appear in the middle of a sentence if the sentence warrants that placement for clarity, but insert the endnote in the least distracting (but unambiguous) place.

While MLA only uses endnotes in its publications, notes may be styled as footnotes or as endnotes.

MLA Citation Examples

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Footnotes and Endnotes

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects APA 6, which is now out of date. It will remain online until 2021, but will not be updated. The equivalent APA 7 page can be found here .

APA does not recommend the use of footnotes and endnotes because they are often expensive for publishers to reproduce. However, if explanatory notes still prove necessary to your document, APA details the use of two types of footnotes: content and copyright.

When using either type of footnote, insert a number formatted in superscript following almost any punctuation mark. Footnote numbers should not follow dashes ( — ), and if they appear in a sentence in parentheses, the footnote number should be inserted within the parentheses.

When using the footnote function in a word-processing program like Microsoft Word, place all footnotes at the bottom of the page on which they appear. Footnotes may also appear on the final page of your document (usually this is after the References page). Center the word “Footnotes” at the top of the page. Indent five spaces on the first line of each footnote. Then, follow normal paragraph spacing rules. Double-space throughout.

Content Notes

Content notes provide supplemental information to your readers. When providing content notes, be brief and focus on only one subject. Try to limit your comments to one small paragraph.

Content notes can also point readers to information that is available in more detail elsewhere.

Copyright Permission Notes

If you quote more than 500 words of published material or think you may be in violation of “Fair Use” copyright laws, you must get the formal permission of the author(s). All other sources simply appear in the reference list.

Follow the same formatting rules as with content notes for noting copyright permissions. Then attach a copy of the permission letter to the document.

If you are reproducing a graphic, chart, or table, from some other source, you must provide a special note at the bottom of the item that includes copyright information. You should also submit written permission along with your work. Begin the citation with “ Note .”

Note . From “Title of the article,” by W. Jones and R. Smith, 2007, Journal Title , 21, p. 122. Copyright 2007 by Copyright Holder. Reprinted with permission.