How to Footnotes In Google Docs

The footnotes mean the notes at the foot of the page. The endnotes are collected under a separate heading at the end of the chapter. Though the endnotes don’t affect the layout of the main text, they may cause inconvenience to the reader as they have to move between the main text and the endnotes. But how to do footnotes on Google Docs? You will get all your answers here.

To avoid such inconvenience, footnotes are very useful. If there are footnotes on a paper, it will be easy for the reader to get more information and other author’s opinion on that topic without moving back and forth of the paper.

How to Do Footnotes on Google Docs

There are several sections where you can do footnotes in google docs. The ways to do footnotes in different forms are given below:

Method 1: To Format footnotes

You can format footnotes by this method. The steps are given below:

• You can use the same font for footnotes as the rest texts of the content. Normally, you should better use one font for the entire paper than use several fonts. You can use the default font on the Word processing app.

• You have to place the footnote number after closing punctuation. Generally, footnotes are done at the end of the sentence. If you want to cite or discuss something, you can do footnotes with the information. You can either use a number after closing punctuation or use superscript numbers to do footnotes.

• You can typically have one footnote per sentence. If you want to do more footnotes, you have to place the other footnotes at the end of the sentence clause, outside the punctuation. But if the sentence is divided by a long dash, the superscript number will be placed before the dash.

• You can use sequential numbers for footnotes throughout the entire paper. The footnotes number count up from 1. Each footnote has it’s own and unique number even if the information behind it comes from the same source of the previous. When the paper is long, the footnote number may start over with each chapter. The word processing apps make the footnote numbers sequentially when you use the app’s function for inserting footnotes.

• You can use a word processing app’s to do the footnotes sequentially in your paper. You can find this option under the Insert or references listing in the menu bar. You can also use the formatting option to choose numbers, letters, or other symbols to indicate footnotes. Again, you can change the size of the footnotes though the default option is appropriate.      

Method 2: To place citations in footnotes

In this method, you will know how to place citations in footnotes. The steps are given below:

• You can complete the page without placing the footnotes before. Citations are the shortened versions in the footnotes found in your works cited at the end of the paper. The full citation makes easy while creating footnotes and ensures all the sources are included. The use of footnotes doesn’t replace the need for a list of references.
• You can type a citation for the source in an appropriate style. Though different styles have different formats, basic information that includes in a citation is quite similar. You have to first list the author’s name along with the title of the source and then, include the information. Finally, drop the page number where the material you quoted appears.

• You can also choose shortened citations of the source for subsequent uses. Sometimes, you use one source more than once in a paper. You have to put the full footnote citation for the source. Then, you have to include the author’s name, the title with a shortened version, and the numbers of the pages where the material you quoted.

• You can separate the multiple citations with semi-colons. We often use citations more than one once from a source. You have to place the footnotes at the end of the sentence while using a single footnote. There, you don’t have to place individual footnotes at the end of the sentence. You can place all citations to both sources in a single footnote.
•  You can use single phrases to explain the relationships between the sources. You can let the readers know that there are differences in the opinions of other authors that you cited. You can use additional sources to establish the relative reliability of the source you placed.

• You can add contextual information if needed. In the citation footnote, there includes the only citation. But you may need to add to the source of the relation to your paper.

Method 3: To supplement the main text:

 You can add a supplement to the main text. The steps are given below:

• You can include bibliographic notes in MLA papers. In MLA style, the use of footnotes is discouraged. But, if you want to point some other publications to the reader to understand the topic more clearly, then footnotes are allowed.

• You can use footnotes for asides. Sometimes, parenthetical comments can ruin the flow of your main text and can confuse the reader. If you want to make a side comment, then you should put it out of the way in a footnote.
• You can provide working definitions, explanations, or clarifications on your paper by footnotes. Sometimes, it is important to add some more information to make the readers better understand. You can also explain the significance of something by putting footnotes.

There are some methods by which you can add footnotes in google docs. You can easily convert a word document to an image file. The methods to add footnotes in google docs are given below:

• Adding footnotes manually in google docs:

The steps of adding footnotes in google docs are given below:

• First, you have to place your cursor at the point where you want to add footnotes.
• Then, you have to choose Insert Footnote. You can also press Ctrl-Alt-F on the keyboard to do this process.

• Finally, you have to type your footnote text.

• Adding footnotes in Android or iOS within google docs:

The steps of adding footnotes within the google docs Android or iOS are given below:

• First, you have to tab to the position where you want to add your footnote.
• Then, you have to tap the + near the top of the screen so that you can access the Insert menu.

• Now, you have to scroll through the menu items and tap on Footnotes.
• Finally, you have to type your footnote text.

• Adding formatted footnote using the Explorer feature:

The steps of adding footnotes with Explorer feature are given below:

• First, you have to access the Explorer sidebar. For this, you have to either click on the Explore icon at the lower-right corner of the screen or you have to go-to tools. You can also press Ctrl-Alt-Shift-I to open the Explorer panel directly.

• Then, you have to cite a source. For this, you have to enter keywords and press Enter to search. You have to paste the link of the website you want to cite in the Explore search box.
• Now, you have to select Web within the Explore sidebar to see web search results.
• Next, the system will automatically insert the footnotes in MLA style by default. If you want to change the format, you have to select the three-vertical-dot menu in the Explore menu. You can choose the ALA or Chicago format.
• You have to place the cursor at that point where you want to insert a footnote in your google docs. Typically, the footnote will place at the end of the sentence or immediately following punctuation.
• Finally, you have to move the cursor over the result where you want to cite ina footnote in the Explore panel and select the quote icon displayed. The system will insert a footnote number within your document.

Conclusion

There are some ways and sections where you can do footnotes on your paper. Adding footnotes from a different source or the same source is very simple. These footnotes help the reader to concentrate on their reading and give them a better reading experience. If you are interested to know how you can merge multiple word documents, check this article.