You still need a bibliography – With the occasional exception found in the Oxford referencing system, the use of footnotes does not replace the need for a bibliography at the end of your essay, despite the fact that extensive footnotes can make them seem superfluous. Place a short reminder in the form of a comment or even a brief footnote to prompt you to fill these in later. Whatever content you choose to include, it’s usually best to leave your footnotes until the essay is finished and your bibliography is complete.

Write your footnotes last – A footnote is commonly, but not always, a shortened version of a citation contained in your bibliography. A footnote might only include the title of the source. The information contained within a bibliography will provide the reader with full details of the work, including when and where the source was published. The bibliography page is the last section of your essay or dissertation and includes the full citation information for any source cited or referenced through the course of your work. The footnote is found at the bottom of the page, and is referenced through a superscript number within the main body of your copy. As a general rule, if you’re not 100 percent sure how a footnote should be used, it’s best not to use one at all.įootnotes should be included to provide the reader with additional information about the content. Some students choose to use footnotes without having a firm grasp of how they should be used, or what they should be used for.

The difference between a footnote and a bibliography The rules you must follow can be tricky to grasp initially, but if you do ever need a quick recap then Oxbridge Essays are always happy to help and give your work a going over to pick up any tiny errors. In university, your ability to reference sources correctly will have a considerable impact on the mark you receive.

Foot note