What Are Footnotes? | Guide with Word Instructions

Footnotes: definition

Footnotes are the comments that stand at the bottom of the pages of a document on word processing software. These comments are for explanatory purposes, they aim to add information to the initial text, whether it is definitions, or references. These footnotes are very often numbered so that the reader can more easily find his way around the text in question. 

The use of the footnotes in a text: main goals 

There are several issues that can be considered when setting up footnotes when writing a document on word processing software. 

One of them is to be able to clarify the text or a passage of the text, by offering readers references that are precise and to which they can refer. It is therefore a question of improving understanding. Readers who wish to do so can research this or that question or think about asking a specific question to the author on the subject. Some, in the academic field, will also want to check the sources, this allows them not to get lost in the text, especially if it is a relatively long document, such as a dissertation or a thesis. In addition, footnotes are also a way to avoid overloading the text, and thus to prevent the reader from being too distracted. The footnotes are made to avoid too much subject-specific information being present within the text itself. It is a kind of space that can be reserved for explanations, experiments, or comments. This reinforces the fact that the author relied on authentic and reliable sources, giving more dynamism and seriousness to the whole document. Furthermore, another challenge is to be able to obtain a more academic text, with more rigor and organization. Footnotes are a way to ensure the authenticity of a document, especially in an era where plagiarism is becoming more common, not to mention the use of artificial intelligence. 

Method to integrate footnotes in a document 

It is important to observe a method for inserting footnotes on a Word document, for example, Word is part of the office pack and is currently one of the most used tools in the world. 

Step 1: Open the Word software, the document where you must insert footnotes.

Then position yourself with the mouse in the place of the text that requires the addition of a note. It can be a whole word or phrase. 

Step 2: In the toolbar at the top of the page, open the references tab,

It has the same name depending on whether the document is written in French or English. 

It is at this point that it will be possible to insert the note in question at the bottom of the page. In this references tab, it is written in the ribbon "insert footnote". 

Word processing software will automatically add a reference, under a number in the text where the cursor is located and highlights space at the bottom of the page where the author can insert his note. 

Step 3: This is when the author writes their note, in the new location that has just been created by the software. 

When the author of a document needs to insert several notes, the software can number them automatically, so that there are no errors in the overall layout of the article. 

Additional content for inserting footnotes 

Word processing software, including Word, has undergone many updates in recent years, as well as significant improvements. Today, authors of texts can customize their content, but also the entire layout of their document. 

Thus, the numbering of the footnotes can be customized. It is therefore possible not to use the traditional numbers but letters or symbols, to personalize everything and bring a more original touch to the whole text. 

To do this, click on the arrow to the right of the "insert footnote" and click on "footnote format". In this new tab, it is possible to choose how the numbers, letters or symbols will appear on the document in question.

Change where notes appear 

The purpose of footnotes is certainly to clarify or unclog the entire text, they are not necessarily to be affixed to the bottom of the page. It is also possible to highlight them at the end of the document. 

In this case, click on "insert an endnote". The technique is the same, but of course, the notes will no longer be numbered at the end of each page, but at the end of the entire document. In the same way as for footnotes, it is possible to customize them. 

Edit or delete some of these notes 

Now let's see how it is possible to modify or delete these notes or at least some of them. 

To simply edit a note, the author of the document will have to click on the text of the note in question and make the changes. 

To delete a specific note, you must remove the number, letter, or symbol directly from the main text. The note will automatically disappear from the list. 

Conclusion

Therefore, footnotes appear to be very important, especially when the texts are long. Their role is essential in the very organization of the document, because they are a much more effective way of providing a certain number of clarifications without overloading the text, which could make it, in certain areas of activity, completely illegible. 

The footnotes can be customized to bring a certain dynamic to the whole and to reflect even more the character of the person who created the document. They allow for greater flexibility to highlight certain statements and characteristics of the text in greater depth, while allowing it to remain sufficiently clear and readable. The fact of using these notes is a guarantee of seriousness and tends to make the document even more authentic.