When and How to Use Footnotes in APA?

A footnote is a brief text that appears at the bottom of a page, and is connected to a point mentioned in the main body of that page. 

When writing according to the APA style, footnotes should be used only occasionally. The APA 7th edition uses in-text citations to indicate sources, while full references are given in the reference list, so there is little need for footnotes.

However, there are two situations where adding footnotes is appropriate:

• Providing additional information
  
• Giving copyright information

Read on to learn about these types of footnotes and how to format them accurately in the APA format.

When Should I Use Footnotes in APA?

In general, the APA 7th edition discourages the use of footnotes, so you should add them only when necessary. The only situations that justify a footnote include providing brief additional information or copyright attribution.

Content Footnotes

Content footnotes are used to provide additional information that enhances the reader's understanding without interrupting the flow of the main text. These footnotes are ideal for offering brief clarifications or relevant details related to the content.

Here's an example:

Copyright Footnotes

When using copyrighted material, such as images, charts, or excerpts from other works, you should include a copyright footnote. That is, you should clarify and acknowledge the usage permission you received. 

For Instance,

How to Format Footnotes in APA?

So when you’ve decided that adding a footnote is necessary, here are the rules of superscript that you should remember:

• Add a superscript number after the period of the sentence where you need to put a footnote. Each footnote should be assigned a number in the order of its appearance.
  
• If the footnote is related to text in parentheses, the superscript number should appear inside the parentheses.

This example shows where to put superscript:

Now, there are two ways of adding the actual footnote:

1. Footnotes at the bottom of the page
   
2. Adding footnotes on a separate page (Although notes at the end of the document are usually called “endnotes”, the APA format still refers to them as footnotes).

Let’s explore each method.

Footnotes at the Bottom of the Page

You can simply use your word processor program to automatically add footnotes, ensuring that footnote numbers correspond to footnote entry.

Make sure that the footnote entries are single-spaced and first-line indented. Here’s an example:

Separate Footnotes Page

If you choose to add footnotes at the end of the page, follow the rules below:

• Place the footnotes on the page after the references.
  
• Write the word “Footnotes” in bold at the center-top of the page.
  
• Use first-line indent for each footnote
  
• Apply double space line-spacing.
  
• Present the footnotes in the order in which they appear in the text.

Here’s how a footnotes page looks like in APA:

To sum up,

Footnotes are a useful tool to provide extra information or credit sources in your academic writing. However, you should use them sparingly and only when necessary, as the APA style prefers in-text citations and reference lists. If you do need to add a footnote, make sure you follow the rules provided in this guide.

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