MLA FORMAT RESEARCH PAPER FOOTNOTE

MLA Format Research Paper Footnote Guidelines

Writing a research paper requires you to cite your sources. MLA (Modern Language Association) style research papers follow a specific format with references and source citations. Using footnotes is one MLA approved method of citing sources in the body of your paper and providing full bibliographic data at the end. This article will explain how to write footnotes in MLA format for a research paper.

What are Footnotes?

Footnotes provide readers with important contextual information and acknowledge sources used in the paper. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page with a corresponding number in the body of the paper next to the cited information. Footnotes can serve several purposes:

Provide citations for direct quotes or paraphrased information from sources. This allows readers to easily locate the full citation on the Works Cited page.

Offer explanatory comments or additional important details that would interrupt the flow of the paper if included inline. These may provide historical, cultural or linguistic context.

Direct readers to related or contrasting information from other sources. This can expand upon or clarify assertions made in the text.

Cite personal communications like emails, interviews or unpublished works that are not recoverable sources.

Footnotes provide transparency around sources, give credit to original authors, and offer supplemental context – all while not interrupting the narrative flow of the paper itself.

Formatting Footnote Citations

MLA has a specific format for footnote citations that must be followed correctly. Here are the basic rules:

Use superscript arabic numerals without parentheses or full stops. For example, the first footnote would be superscript 1 placed after the cited quote or information.

Footnote numbers must correspond in sequence to the order of citations in the text. So if you cite source A first, it should be footnote 1. Source B second would be footnote 2, and so on.

The first footnote for a source must include the full bibliographic data for that source. Subsequent citations of that same work can be abbreviated.

Bibliographic data in footnotes follows the same format as the Works Cited page, just condensed. It includes the author’s name, source title, publication title, publisher, date, and page number(s) if relevant.

Here’s an example of an MLA footnote citation for a book:

Amy Smith, A Compelling Work (New York: Publisher Name, 2020), 45-56.

And here’s an example reference for a subsequent citation of the same book in another footnote:

Smith, 65.

Page numbers are optional in later citations if the reference is unambiguous. Properly formatted MLA footnotes provide attribution while maintaining a clean document flow.

Formatting Footnote Placement

There are also specific rules for where to place footnotes within your paper:

Footnotes always appear at the bottom of the page, separated from the text by a horizontal line.

If a page break occurs between where the footnote reference appears and the footnote content, the footnote is continued at the top of the next page as footnote 1.

Footnote numbers are always superscripted whether they appear in the narrative or at the bottom of the page.

Avoid placing footnotes at the end of a page. Instead, move the last line of text so the footnote(s) can fit on the same page as the reference(s).

Never break a footnote across two pages. Move some content up rather than splitting a footnote.

Correct footnote formatting and placement ensures readers can easily link references back to cited source material while maintaining an organized flow to the document. Footnotes allow for transparent use of research without interrupting prose.

Citing Different Source Types in Footnotes

The basic MLA footnote citation format works for most printed sources like books and journals. Here are guidelines for citing other common source types in footnotes:

Websites: Include the author if available, title of page, name of website (underlined/italicized), publication date if available, URL, and date accessed.

Newspaper articles: Include author if available, article title in quotation marks, newspaper/periodical title (underlined/italicized), date, section and page number if applicable.

Interviews: Include interview subject’s name, type of interview (personal, phone, email etc.), and date interviewed. No page numbers.

Lectures/speeches: Include speaker name, lecture/speech name in quotation marks, event name, location, and date. No page numbers.

Articles from databases: Include all info as normal paper citation plus the database name and date accessed.

Formatting footnotes consistently for different source types ensures readers have the necessary information to locate cited materials. Variations are clearly conveyed according to the material referenced.

Using Footnotes in MLA Papers

Now that the basic rules and mechanics of MLA footnotes are understood, it’s important to use them properly within a paper written in MLA format:

Introduce footnote citations with a superscript number immediately following the cited quote or referenced information.

Number footnotes consecutively throughout in the order they appear. Restart at 1 for each new page of citations.

Keep footnotes brief. Provide just enough information for a reader to locate the source without interrupting prose too much.

Place footnotes at the bottom of the page as whole paragraphs separated by a line from the body text.

Use the footnotes tool or button in your word processor to automatically generate numbered citations linking back and forth seamlessly.

Make sure all sources cited via footnotes are properly included on the Works Cited page listing full bibliographical details.

Following these guidelines ensures MLA footnotes are properly implemented for research papers requiring attribution of sources in a smooth, reader-friendly format. Footnotes and the Works Cited page work hand in hand per MLA style.

In Conclusion

Using footnotes in MLA format is an acceptable citation method for research papers. Footnotes allow incorporation of sources, attribution, and additional context without interrupting the main document flow. Key aspects include properly formatting citations within footnote content and placement at the paper bottom. Citation variations must be followed for different source types too. Implementing MLA footnotes transparently according to these guidelines ensures ethical use of research materials with clear referencing of sources. Footnotes represent one option for citing sources within MLA papers, alongside parenthetical or textual citations. The goal overall is providing adequate attribution in a reader-friendly manner for any published academic writing.