Footnotes and Bibliographies

Introduction to Documentation

Proper documentation of sources is essential to a strong research essay. Failure to cite your sources properly will result in a reduced or failing grade. Different academic disciplines require different methods of citation. The purpose of this module is to introduce you to the correct formats for notes and bibliographies in history essays.

Notes

Notes are references listed at the bottom of a page (footnote) or at the end of a research essay (endnote) that document sources or provide additional information to your reader. Acknowledging the work of other historians is an essential part of the process of writing a research essay. Notes tell your reader where you found your information and enable your reader to explore your ideas in more depth. Failing to acknowledge the words or ideas of others, and leaving the impression that they are your own, is a very serious offence. Scholars work extremely hard to produce books and articles. You must give credit where credit is due. Provide notes specifying your sources for the following:

Quotations, paraphrases, arguments and unique ideas.
Statistical information or other specific information that is not commonly known.
Controversial or contested information.

In addition to listing sources, notes can also serve as a place to put supplementary information that is not appropriate in the main text of your essay or might distract your reader from your main argument. Provide notes for the following:

Suggestions for further reading.
Further explanation or background that is not strictly relevant to your argument.
Definitions of terms and concepts based on scholarly research.
The original language of a translated quotation.
Broad historiographical debates that would be overwhelming in the body of the essay. For example, if a date is disputed, you might explain the debate in a note, while in the body of your essay providing only the date you have determined is most valid.

Stylistic Comments

Historians use the Chicago Style of citation, and not the APA or MLA formats.

Most historians prefer footnotes at the bottom of the page as it is easier to refer to them; however endnotes are acceptable. Endnotes are often used in published books and articles (despite the protests of authors) because they are cheaper and easier to print.
Each note is assigned an Arabic (not Roman) numeral in the order in which they appear in your essay. Do not reuse the same number, even if you cite the same source twice. Word processing programs will renumber notes automatically if you cut and paste. (Click here for more on the footnoting function in Word.)
Provide specific and accurate page references. Cite the precise pages you used, eg. 39, 42-43, rather than 39-43. If you reference page sequences, use only two digits in the second number, eg. 387-89. If the book uses Roman numerals, as many book introductions will, cite the page numbers exactly as they appear, eg. xi.
It is superfluous to use “p” or “pp” to indicate a page number or numbers.
For poetry and certain other primary sources such as law codes, in addition to page numbers, it is helpful to list line numbers or section numbers to direct the reader to specific passages, eg. lines 356-78 or IV.3.
Remember that variations may exist within citation methods. It is important to be consistent within each essay.
For an overview of how notes should look, please review the notes in your course pack articles.

Note Format

Bibliographies

Bibliographies provide the reader with a complete list of sources used in a research essay. Occasionally you may be asked to submit an annotated bibliography. This means that each bibliographic entry is accompanied by a description of the source and its relevance to your essay. Few bibliographies are annotated. When compiling your bibliography, please follow these guidelines:

The bibliography is located on the last page(s) of the essay, following endnotes, if used.
Always start your bibliography on a new page.
List bibliographic entries in alphabetical order, according to the author’s surname. When listing multiple works by one author, alphabetize according to title.
Separate alphabetized entries into the following categories if used: Archival sources, Primary sources and Secondary sources.
If you have used more than one article or primary source published in a single volume, provide individual bibliographic entries for each article. In the case of a primary source collection in which the documents are very short (for example, a collection of brief letters) and you used a lot of them, it is acceptable to provide one entry for the book as a whole.
Unless instructed otherwise, list only works cited. Do not list all the works you consulted for your project, but did not cite. Listing all works consulted is considered padding and is frowned upon by scholars.
Make sure your bibliographic format is consistent within each essay.

Examine some recently published history texts to see how bibliographies should look.

Bibliographic Format

How to Write an Annotated Bibliography

Avoiding Plagiarism

If you have any doubt about whether or not to cite something, cite it. Your instructor will be much happier to discuss the issue of too many footnotes or endnotes than failing to provide any. A first year research essay that is 8-10 double-spaced pages in length or roughly 1500-2000 words will likely have 25-50 footnotes or endnotes. This is not an exact science and these numbers are only a guideline. The consequences of failing to provide sufficient and accurate notes can range from a greatly reduced grade on your essay to institutional expulsion and a permanent record on your transcripts if you have been convicted of the offence on a previous occasion in your academic career.

Remember that your instructors are excellent readers and writers. They will recognize changes in voice or discrepancies in documentation that indicate plagiarism, and have a variety of search engines and plagiarism-detection tools available to the help them identify it.
Fake notes will guarantee a zero on your essay and a plagiarism report on file in the Dean’s office.
We recommend that you insert notes as you write, rather than leaving them until the end of the writing process. You will be less likely to lose track of your sources by following this best practice.

Academic Honesty

All members of the University community share the responsibility for the academic standards and reputation of the University. When students submit work for academic evaluation and credit, they imply that they are the sole authors of the work. Clear and careful attribution of the words and ideas of others is an essential part of academic scholarship. Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the development and acquisition of knowledge and is a condition of continued membership in the University community.

Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. Engaging in any form of academic dishonesty or misconduct in order to obtain academic credit or advantage of any kind is an offence under this policy.

Penalties

A student who has been found to have committed an academic offence will be subject to a penalty or penalties commensurate with the offence. Penalties may range from a reprimand to suspension from the University. Examples include the reduction of a mark on work submitted for evaluation, the requirement to submit another piece of work or to retake a test or examination, and a grade of “0 – Academic Dishonesty” on a student’s transcript. For academic offences involving loss of marks, penalties more serious than a “0” on a piece of work submitted for evaluation will be imposed only by the Dean. The application of penalties imposed by the Dean will be overseen by the Registrar. In deciding on the appropriate sanction to be imposed for an act of academic dishonesty, consideration may be given to the following factors:

the extent of the dishonesty
whether the act in question was inadvertent or deliberate
the importance of the work in question as a component of the course or program
whether the student has been found to have committed any previous act of academic dishonesty
whether the act in question was an isolated incident or part of repeated acts of academic dishonesty
any other relevant circumstances