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How to do APA footnotes

Footnotes are a way for the author to provide additional content to their papers without distracting the reader from the text. The information in footnotes is different from the information provided in APA annotated bibliographies . Footnotes can be content based, providing a little more insight on an idea you raise in the text, or they can be used to provide copyright attribution for long quotes and passages.

Properly formatted APA footnotes can be placed at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, you can put them on their own page after the references. This guide on footnotes, end notes, and parentheticals provides information about the differences between these different types of notes. Either way, it’s important to know how to use footnotes properly.

In this guide, students can learn about the different uses for footnotes as well as how to format footnotes according to APA Style. All of the information here comes straight from the 7th edition of the Publication Manual .

Why use footnotes? What information goes into them?

There are two primary reasons why an author would use footnotes:

1. Using a footnote for content

As mentioned above, there are a few different ways to use footnotes. The more common way is when an author wants to provide extra insight on an idea without disrupting the flow of the text. This is called a content footnote.

In this case, you would write a a couple sentences about the extra insight. For example:

______________________

1 This data refers to the situation in 2010, and it includes emissions from industrial processes. Emissions from the latter are released during the physical and chemical transformation of materials like clinker production. Since these industrial production processes are also consumers of energy, here we made the choice to combine them with CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion.

2. Using a footnote for copyright attribution

When you are reproducing a portion of a copyrighted work, like an extended passage from a book or journal, it is necessary to provide copyright attribution. This can be done inside a footnote. The footnote is used instead of a parenthetical in-text citation, and you will still need to add the source as an entry in the reference list.

If it is an image or graph you are reproducing, copyright attribution can go in the figure note or table note.

A copyright footnote should start with “ From ” or “ Adapted from ” and the format will change slightly depending on the source.

Here is a template for copyright attribution for a website followed by two examples:

1 From  Webpage title , by Group Author OR Author FirstMiddleName Initials. Author Surname. Year Published, Website Name (URL).

*Note: If the Group Author and Website Name are the same, omit the Website Name slot.

2 From  First images from the James Webb Space Telescope , by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2022 (https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages).

3 From  Question of what now for Syria remains as vexed as ever , by M. Chulov. 2022, The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/19/question-of-what-now-for-syria-remains-as-vexed-as-ever).

Endnotes vs. footnotes: What’s the difference?

According to APA Style, the author may choose to place the footnotes on the bottom of the page on which the callout appears or at the end of the paper on their own page(s).

“Endnotes” is a function on many word processors that inserts callouts and place the notes at the end of the document. While this is the same idea as footnotes, APA calls for a specially-formatted footnotes page.

To place the footnotes at the end of your document, check the preferences of the footnote function. You should be able to select “End of Document” instead of “End of Page.”

How to format APA footnotes

Always use the footnotes function of your word processor to insert footnotes. This will make it much easier to keep track of everything even as page content changes.

How to format footnotes correctly:

• Always use the footnotes function.
• The callout should be in superscript, like this. 1
• The callout should come after the punctuation, like this. 2
• If there’s a dash 3 —the callout comes before the punctuation, not after.
• All callouts should appear in numerical order, like this. 4

APA footnotes example

Now let’s have a look at what properly formatted APA footnotes look like in action.

Here is an example of a concise, relevant, and properly formatted footnote from “The role of renewable energy in the global economy transformation,” published in Energy Strategy Reviews.

. . . A transition away from fossil fuels to low-carbon solutions will play an essential role, as energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions represent two-thirds of all greenhouse gases (GHG). 1

In this example, the footnotes function automatically created a dividing line at the bottom of the document. It has also reduced the font size by 1pt, which is neither required nor discouraged by APA.

The reason this is a good example, however, is because the footnote provides supplemental information that is both relevant and substantive.  The information would have been too distracting to appear in the main text, but it provides helpful insight on the author’s research method.

Published October 28, 2020.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

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• Magazine Article
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• Website (no author)
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You can include more than one footnote on the same page in APA style. There is no restriction on the number of footnotes to be included on a page. Depending upon the number of footnotes on the page, the text area of the page will be automatically adjusted to fit the footnotes.

Footnotes in APA are used to provide the reader some additional information about the idea or the element being discussed. Footnotes are used in all types of publications such as journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers.

Two types of footnotes are used in APA style: content footnotes and copyright attribution footnotes. A content footnote provides additional explanation or information about something mentioned in the text, while a copyright attribution footnote provides copyright information for lengthy content that has been reprinted in the text. For both types, the in-text citation remains the same. Remember the following guidelines when you want to cite a footnote:

• Footnotes (whether content footnotes or copyright attribution footnotes) are numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text.
• Use superscript Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) to designate a footnote callout.
• This is a footnote. 1
• In this footnote, 2 the author tries to clarify the idea.
• A footnote callout—unlike in-text reference citation 3 —is simple to add.
• You should not add space before the footnote callout.
• If you want to refer to the same footnote again in the text, do not add any superscript Arabic numeral. Instead, write “see Footnote 3.” In this case, the footnote description need not be given again.

Note that a footnote should have only one idea. If you want to add more information, it is advisable to add the content in the text or create an appendix.

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Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, apa footnotes.

• © 2023 by Jennifer Janechek - IBM Quantum
• Use footnotes to insert additional, related information into an APA-style document.
• Use Content Footnotes to concisely provide further information on a topic that is not directly related to the text.
• Use Copyright Permission Footnotes to cite adapted or reprinted materials such as data sets or particularly lengthy extracts of text from another author.

When should footnotes be used?

The APA suggests two instances in which footnotes may be used:

• Content Footnotes:  to offer further information on a topic that is not directly related to the text. As content footnotes should be concise, avoid writing lengthy paragraphs or including extraneous information.
• Copyright Permission Footnotes:  to cite adapted or reprinted materials in the paper, especially data sets, tables, and quotations that exceed 400 words. Consult the APA Publication Manual (6th ed.) for more information about copyright permissions.

It is recommended to refrain from extensive usage of footnotes as this practice may distract or confuse readers. When applicable, incorporate additional information in the main text of the paper, but avoid inserting irrelevant material. Footnotes should briefly present the reader with meaningful information that enhances your argument.

How should footnotes be formatted?

Footnotes may be displayed in one of two ways:

• Listed at the bottom of the relevant page
• Assembled altogether on a new page, following the References page(s)

If the footnotes are compiled on a separate page, the title “Footnotes” should be centered at the top of the page. Avoid formatting the title with bold, italics, underlining, or quotation marks. Indent the first line of each footnote five spaces from the left margin, and double-space the entire page. Each footnote number should be formatted as a superscript, and should be situated after all punctuation marks excluding a long dash (—).

Let’s look at some examples of using footnotes in a sentence:

• Example 1 – Content Footnote : “Under the DSHEA (1994), dietary supplements no longer receive approval from the FDA before being marketed unless the supplement contains a new dietary ingredient. 1 ”

1 A new dietary ingredient is defined as dietary ingredients that were not marketed in the United States in a dietary supplement prior to October 15, 1994.

• Example 2 – Content Footnote : “The questionnaire (see Supplementary material 3 ) was comprised of 4 parts: student perception regarding content of nutrition education; duration of time spent on nutrition education; preferred education approach to nutrition; and demographics.”

3 Supplementary data are available on the journal Web site ) or may be purchased from the Depository of Unpublished Data, Document Delivery, CISTI, National Research Council Canada, Building M-55, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada. DUD 5396.

• Example 3 – Copyright Permission Footnote : “ Trust in authority was measured using four items drawn from models of motive-based trust (Tyler & Huo, 2002). 2 ”

2 From the chapters “Motive-Based Trust and Decision Acceptance” and “Societal Orientations: Legitimacy and Connections With Society” in Trust in the Law: Encouraging Public Cooperation With the Police and Courts , by Tom R. Tyler and Yuen J. Huo, 2002, New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Copyright 2002 by the Russell Sage Foundation, 112 East 64th Street, New York, NY 10021. Reprinted with permission.

Compiling footnotes at the end of your paper

Below is an example of how you might format your footnotes if you compile them on a separate page at the end of your paper.

For more information about referencing sources in APA:

• Formatting In-text Citations (APA)
• Formatting the References Page (APA)

[1] Dodge, T., & Kaufman, A. (2007). What makes consumers think dietary supplements are safe and effective? The role of disclaimers and FDA approval. Health Psychology , 26(4), 513-517. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.26.4.513

[2] Gramlich, L. M., Olstad, D., Nasser, R., Goonewardene, L., Raman, M., Innis, S., & … Roy, C. (2010). Medical students’ perceptions of nutrition education in Canadian universities. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism , 35(3), 336-343. doi:10.1139/H10-016

[3] De Cremer, D., & Tyler, T. R. (2007). The effects of trust in authority and procedural fairness on cooperation. Journal of Applied Psychology , 92(3), 639-649. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.639

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Using Footnotes in APA With Format Tips and Examples

Generally, using footnotes is associated with Chicago notes-biblio style . Even so, other styles do use them sometimes. With APA style, you should use footnotes only when you absolutely must. Ask your instructor for clarification. The purpose of footnotes is to add to or clarify a point. Footnotes are also used to add copyright information.

Types of APA Footnotes

There are two types of footnotes used in APA style: content footnotes and copyright footnotes.

Content Footnotes

Content footnotes are used to provide the reader with some extra information about the source. For example, you may want to direct the reader to another chapter in the book. Try to avoid footnotes in APA, but if you must use one, keep it short and simple. For more complex ideas, add an appendix or try to incorporate it into the text itself. Another option is to direct the reader to online supplemental materials, if needed.

 See Lessing (2018), chapter 5, for statistical tables on cultural diversity.

Copyright Footnotes

If, for some reason, you need to include copyright material that exceeds fair use guidelines , you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holder. Include that permission in a copyright permission footnote. If you’ve obtained permission to use a table or infographic, then you should include the credited source in the caption. Don’t use a footnote in that case.

Format – Journal Article

From [or The data in column 1] “Title of Article,” by A.A. Author and B.B. Author, year, Title of Journal , Volume, p. xx. Copyright [year] by the Name of Copyright Holder. Reprinted [or adapted] with permission.

Format – Book

From [or The data in column 1] Title of Book , (p. xxx), by A.A. Author and B.B. Author, year, Place of Publication: Publisher. Copyright [year] by the Name of Copyright Holder. Reprinted [or adapted] with permission.

Numbering Footnotes

Number all footnotes consecutively in the order in which they appear in the manuscript with superscript Arabic numerals.

Placement of superscript footnote numbers follow these rules:

• Format like this, 1 following any punctuation except a dash.
• The footnote number precedes a dash 2 –– like so.
• Place the footnote number (if it applies only to material within the parentheses 3 ) like this.

Sociologists examined—over eighteen months 1 —the effects of cultural diversity. 2  (But only on elementary students. 3 )

For any subsequent references to the same footnote, include a parenthetical note.

(see Footnote 1).

Place the footnote at the bottom of the page on which it’s discussed. Also, double-check your footnote numbers to make sure they match the correct footnote.

Atypical for APA Style

Since APA style does not typically use footnotes, ask your instructor for direction. For a school paper, it is best to avoid having to ask copyright permissions as it may take too long for the copyright holder to respond.

Creating an Endnote in a Research Paper

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APA Footnotes – Formatting, Copyright & Examples

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One of the most common citation style guide manual for research papers or academic papers is the APA style . A significant part of this citation style guide are in-text citations and references in author-date style. However, sources can also be formatted as footnotes based on APA 7th edition. APA footnotes allow researchers to add supplementary information to their work without interrupting the flow of the text. This article delves into the format and proper use of APA footnotes.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 APA footnotes — In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: APA footnotes
• 3 Formatting APA footnotes
• 4 APA footnotes: Copyright footnotes
• 5 APA footnotes: Content footnotes

APA footnotes — In a Nutshell

• APA footnotes are not mandatory. However, you can use them to provide additional information and copyright attribution.
• APA footnotes have different formatting rules, depending on where you place them.
• You can place them at the end of a specific page or on a separate page after the reference page at the end of your paper.

Definition: APA footnotes

APA Footnotes are notes placed at the bottom of a page in a research paper that includes sources that have to be referenced properly. They also serve as comments on a designated part or section of the text on the page. Typically, the APA style is a citation formatting style in research that mostly demands in-text citations in author-date style. APA footnotes use superscript numbers that typically appear in consecutive order and should follow any punctuation except a dash.

Formatting APA footnotes

You can format footnotes in APA style by using superscript numbers and placing them in consecutive order. Also, the footnote numbers should appear at the end of the sentences or clauses on which they are intended to provide more content. They come after the period or other punctuation (except the dashes ). If the text   ends with a dash , the   footnote   should come   before the   dash .

Note: if the footnote relates to the content in the parentheses , the footnote must be placed enclosed by the parentheses.

• Footnote at the end of the sentence:  The data from the samples is consistent with the information in the literature review. 2
• Footnote within parentheses: (Whose daily exercise schedule does not relate to each other 3 )
• Footnote before a dash: While the productivity levels were significantly low – the data was measured using several methods 3 – like.

APA footnotes should not be repeated . Therefore, if you need to refer to a source that is already cited as a footnote, you should write “see footnote 10” or something similar in the text or parentheses.

Footnotes can appear at the bottom of the relevant page or at the end of the paper on a separate page designated for footnotes:

Footnotes at the end of the essays

This is where you place the footnotes on a designated page at the end of your paper. When doing so, the APA footnotes page should appear after the reference page. Other mandatory formatting requirements are:

• The title of the footnotes page should be centered and bold .
• The first line of each footnote should be indented .
• A single space should appear between the superscript number and the footnote .
• Footnotes at the end of the text should be double-spaced .
• The footnotes should be reported in the order of their figures in the text .

Footnotes at the end of the page

Your word processor can help you automatically insert footnotes at the page’s bottom. This technique helps you ensure that all the superscript numbers correspond to the right footnote. Additionally, it helps you separate the footnotes from the primary text.

Footnotes at the end of essays should ALWAYS be single-spaced. Also, there should be a single space between the superscript number of the APA footnote.

APA footnotes: Copyright footnotes

If you use copyright resources that go beyond the fair use guidelines in your project, you may require copyright footnotes. The role of copyright footnotes is to acknowledge that you have permission to include the copyrighted material in your research.

For instance, you can reproduce an image or infographic with the received permission and include the copyright note in the relevant caption instead of the footnote.

9 From Man and his Vision: A Comprehensive Analysis (p.62), by Jamal H. Anu and John K. Manuel, 2005, Routledge. Copyright 2005 by Marc & Joburg. Reprinted with permission.

APA footnotes: Content footnotes

Content footnotes in APA help you provide additional data about your content to readers.

For instance, you can use them to clarify a point or direct readers to the sources containing more information on a specific topic or detail in your text.

2 See Miranda (2015), Chapter 16, for a detailed report on this study.

Are footnotes required in APA?

APA footnotes are not mandatory for certain papers in APA. However, adding them to your paper would not hurt.

How can you use APA footnotes?

You can use footnotes in APA to provide additional information or copyright attribution .

When should APA footnotes appear?

You can write APA footnotes at the bottom of relevant pages in your paper. However, you can also group them and place them on a separate page at the end of your research paper .

What are footnotes?

Footnotes are a way for authors to provide additional content to their papers without diverting readers from the text.

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General Footnote and Endnote Considerations

Formatting the notes (apa style guide):, what is the purpose of footnotes, types of footnotes:, footnotes vs. endnotes, how to write footnotes and endnotes in apa style.

The American Psychological Association format is an academic style of writing that is used extensively in behavioral and social sciences as well as many other disciplines. Most times, APA style does not recommend the use of footnotes or endnotes. However, sometimes it is appropriate to use them when you need to provide supplementary content or the status of copyright permissions.

Footnote Versus Endnote

The terms "footnote" and "endnote" refer to additional information provided for the reader through the use of superscript numbers and explanatory text. A footnote appears at the bottom of the page on which it was inserted. Endnotes, however, are listed together on a separate page at the end of the document. As the writer, you should choose the most appropriate layout for your paper. If you choose to keep the notes together and place them at the end of the paper, this page should be titled with a level-one heading of "Footnotes" (without quotes). Indent five spaces from the left margin and insert the footnote text, including the superscript number.

Content Footnotes

Because content footnotes provide additional information to the reader -- such as clarification or explanation -- you don't need to follow any specific format. However, you must ensure that footnotes do not distract the reader from the main text by including irrelevant or confusing information. It is also important to focus on one singular idea in a footnote rather than multiple lengthy elaborations. If you feel a lengthy elaboration is warranted, this information is better placed within the text of your writing or as an appendix than as a footnote.

Copyright Footnotes

Copyright footnotes attribute the source of reprinted or adapted figures and tables, long quotes, and scale and test items. Use a numbered footnote only to supply the source of long quotes. For tables, use a table note; for figures, credit the source at the end of the figure's caption.

For copyright permission footnotes, follow this formatting.

Journal From [or The data in column 2 are from] "Title of Article," by A. B. Author and C. D. Author, year, ​ Title of Journal ​ (italicized), ​ Volume ​ (italicized), p. #. Copyright [year] by the Name of Copyright Holder. Reprinted [or adapted] with permission.

From "How the iPad Changed my Life," by R. J. Taylor and M. A. Schimmel, 2012, ​ Educational Technology ​ (italicized), ​ 5 ​ (italicized), p. 24. Copyright 2012 by R. J. Taylor and M. A. Schimmel. Reprinted with permission.

From [or The data in column 2 are from] ​ Title of Book ​ (italicized) (p. xxx), by A. B. Author and C. D. Author, year, Place of Publication: Publisher. Copyright [year] by the Name of Copyright Holder. Reprinted [or adapted] with permission.

The data in column 1 are from ​ Intercultural Competence in Practice ​ (italicized) (p. 125), by B. Snyder and L. A. Crown, 2013, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Copyright 2013 by Sage Publications. Adapted with permission.

Footnotes or endnotes should be numbered consecutively with superscript numbers. They always come after any punctuation mark except a dash, which the superscript number precedes. If you use a footnote within parentheses, the footnote comes inside the closing parenthesis.

When referring to a previous footnote in your writing, treat it as an in-text citation rather than rewriting the footnote.

For example:

A sleep study of similarly aged females yielded comparable results (see Footnote 4).

You may use footnotes in an APA-style research paper to further explain content and to provide copyright permission, if necessary.

• Signal a footnote in the text with a superscript numeral. The numeral comes after most punctuation marks, except for a dash; if the sentence is in parentheses, put the numeral inside the parenthesis, too.
• The notes themselves go at the bottom of the page; make sure these appear on the same page as the numeral.
• You may also list all notes at the end of the paper, after the references page. These are called “APA footnotes” even when they are listed at the end. The notes should begin with the superscript numeral.
• The first line of text is indented five spaces. Keep the note in the same font and size as the rest of the paper, and double-space the text.

Ultimately, footnotes provide additional information to a body of work. These can be useful for readers when coming across a term they may not know. The notes at the bottom of the page serve as a reference list for readers, where they can put a meaning to an unfamiliar word. The use of footnotes can often be seen in books and essays.

• ​ Content footnotes ​: provides supplemental information about a given topic.
• ​ Copyright permission footnotes ​: gives credit to information you are providing within a text. Providing the copyright holder is vital in avoiding plagiarism of work.

Endnotes can serve as an alternative option if a body of work has an abundance of footnotes. A difference between the two is that footnotes are located at the bottom of the page, whereas endnotes are at the end of the work. You can often find endnotes on a separate page.

Depending on the citation style of your work, some may require footnotes, whereas others may require endnotes. For example, APA format may look different than MLA format. Additionally, endnotes provide a similar attribution to footnotes, in which context is provided for a term listed in the main text. They are used for parenthetical information, webpages, and journal articles.

Hailing from rural Pennsylvania, Kimberly L. Tohill has been working in education since 2005. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Spanish and international studies, a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction, and is currently pursuing her PhD in learning, design and technology.

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🤔 What is an APA Citation Generator?

An APA citation generator is a software tool that will automatically format academic citations in the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

It will usually request vital details about a source -- like the authors, title, and publish date -- and will output these details with the correct punctuation and layout required by the official APA style guide.

Formatted citations created by a generator can be copied into the bibliography of an academic paper as a way to give credit to the sources referenced in the main body of the paper.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an APA Citation Generator?

College-level and post-graduate students are most likely to use an APA citation generator, because APA style is the most favored style at these learning levels. Before college, in middle and high school, MLA style is more likely to be used. In other parts of the world styles such as Harvard (UK and Australia) and DIN 1505 (Europe) are used more often.

🙌 Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Like almost every other citation style, APA style can be cryptic and hard to understand when formatting citations. Citations can take an unreasonable amount of time to format manually, and it is easy to accidentally include errors. By using a citation generator to do this work you will:

• Save a considerable amount of time
• Ensure that your citations are consistent and formatted correctly
• Be rewarded with a higher grade

In academia, bibliographies are graded on their accuracy against the official APA rulebook, so it is important for students to ensure their citations are formatted correctly. Special attention should also be given to ensure the entire document (including main body) is structured according to the APA guidelines. Our complete APA format guide has everything you need know to make sure you get it right (including examples and diagrams).

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's APA Citation Generator?

Our APA generator was built with a focus on simplicity and speed. To generate a formatted reference list or bibliography just follow these steps:

• Start by searching for the source you want to cite in the search box at the top of the page.
• MyBib will automatically locate all the required information. If any is missing you can add it yourself.
• Your citation will be generated correctly with the information provided and added to your bibliography.
• Repeat for each citation, then download the formatted list and append it to the end of your paper.

MyBib supports the following for APA style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

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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.

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Start a new citation or manage your existing bibliographies.

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No matter what citation style you're using (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) we'll help you create the right bibliography

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Scan your paper the way your teacher would to catch unintentional plagiarism. Then, easily add the right citation

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Give your paper an in-depth check. Receive feedback within 24 hours from writing experts on your paper's main idea, structure, conclusion, and more.

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See what's included with Citation Machine® Plus

Citation machine® guides & resources, mla format: everything you need to know and more.

Filled with a wide variety of examples and visuals, our Citation Machine® MLA guide will help you master the citation process. Learn how to cite websites, books, journal articles, magazines, newspapers, films, social media, and more!

MLA Citation Generator | Website | Books | Journal Articles | YouTube | Images | Movies | Interview | PDFs

Comprehensive Guide to APA Format

Our Citation Machine® APA guide is a one-stop shop for learning how to cite in APA format. Read up on what APA is, or use our citing tools and APA examples to create citations for websites, books, journals, and more!

APA Citation Generator | Website | Books | Journal Articles | YouTube | Images | Movies | Interview | PDFs

Everything You Need to Know About Chicago Style

Creating citations in Chicago style has never been easier thanks to our extensive Citation Machine® Chicago style guide and tools. Learn about footnotes, endnotes, and everything in between, or easily create citations for websites, books, journal articles, and more!

Chicago Citation Generator | Website | Books | Journal Articles | YouTube | Images | Movies | Interview | PDFs

Citation Machine®’s Ultimate Writing Guides

Whether you’re a student, writer, foreign language learner, or simply looking to brush up on your grammar skills, our comprehensive grammar guides provide an extensive overview on over 50 grammar-related topics. Confused about reflexive verbs, demonstrative adjectives, or conjunctive adverbs? Look no further! Learn about these grammar topics and many, many more in our thorough and easy to understand reference guides!

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Bibliographies, Footnotes, and Endnotes

Creating quick bibliographies, even quicker: drag and drop, microsoft word integration, annotated bibliographies.

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Zotero Tutorials

Using Zotero with Microsoft Word from the Zotero web site.

Other videos cover Google Docs and OpenOffice .

Zotero allows you to create simple bibliographies or works cited pages, footnotes and endnotes, or in-text citations in a number of citation styles.

Zotero style manager will work with

• Local installs only, not yet with Office 365 online. 
• LibreOffice
• new Google Docs

The default installation of Zotero includes popular styles such as Chicago, MLA, APA, and more. You can download additional styles at the Zotero Style Repository ; there are also tools to make your own style .

It's easy to create a bibliography from your Zotero library.

• Select the references or collections you want to include. (Hold the control key and click to select multiple items.)
• Right-click one of the selected items and choose Create Bibliography.
• Choose the bibliographic style you want.
• Select the output format: Save as RTF or HTML , copy to clipboard or print. (The RTF file format is compatible with all word processors.)

Or you can just drag and drop references from Zotero into your document! They'll turn into fully formatted citations. This works with any word processor including Google Docs . Change the default style under Preferences on the "gear" menu.

A quick way to add references or a bibliography to your paper is to drag and drop any item from the center Zotero pane into your paper.

To do so, you should first set up your citation preferences by clicking on the options button (gear icon) then choosing Preferences and then Export.

Once you have set up your preferences, you can drag any items in the center Zotero pane to create notes or bibliographies.

More about quick copy .

About Word Processor Plugins

Zotero offers word processing plugins for MS Word*, Google Docs, Libre / OpenOffice. The plugin adds a Zotero toolbar to your word processor that allows you to add citations to your document while you write.

The word processor plugins are bundled with Zotero and should be installed automatically for each supported word processor on your computer when you first start Zotero.

You can reinstall the plugins later from the Cite → Word Processor Plugins pane of the Zotero preferences. If you're having trouble, see Manually Installing the Zotero Word Processor Plugin or Word Processor Plugin Troubleshooting .

Using the Word Processor Plugins in Word

To add a citation, position your cursor where you want the note to go and click the first button on the Zotero tab ("Insert / Edit Citation").

Choosing a Citation Style

The first time you use Zotero on a document, you will be asked to choose a citation style.

Choosing a Citation from Your Library

The default citation insert method is a search bar. Choose Classic View instead if you prefer a hierarchical browse option.

Select the reference you want to cite and click OK. Zotero will add the citation at your cursor.

Adding a Works Cited List or Bibliography

At the end of your paper, click the third button (Add/Edit Bibliography"). Your bibliography will appear, and new citations will be added automatically.

More about Word Processor Integration ,

Step 1: Download and Install the Appropriate Style

Zotero supports annotated bibliographies or abstracts in 3 styles

• Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, Note, with Annotated Bibliography
• American Psychological Association, 7th Edition, Annotated Bibliography
• American Psychological Association, 7th Edition, with Abstract

To use these styles, you must first download them from the Zotero Style Repository . Click the links to install.

Step 2: Annotate your References

Gather the references into a folder / collection  and add annotations by using the Extra: field.

Step 3: Select the Items for your Bibliography

Right-click on the folder / collection name and choose Create a Bibliography from Collection .

You can also select specific items in a folder / collection to create a bibliography from with Create a Bibliography from Items .

Step 4: Select a Bibliography Format.

Choose Chicago or APA annotated styles (the styles you istalled in step 1). Be sure to choose the Bibliography output mode. For us in MS Word or other word processors, you will want to use the RTF output option.  

Your bibliography should output with annotations.

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