Notes should be numbered sequentially (1,2,3 etc). It should be possible to read the entire piece of work without having to refer to a footnote for anything other than references. Footnotes should never be used as a means of getting round word limits by including information or argument in them that should be in the main text.

Other material should, as far as possible, be included in the text. Notes should include the minimum information necessary for a reader to find and consult your source. Whether a source is quoted directly or indirectly, paraphrased or summarised, it must be acknowledged with a footnote or endnote. In a book-length piece, a new series of notes should begin with each chapter.Įvery time the ideas, facts or opinions of another are used in a piece of work it must be acknowledged with a full reference. In the MHRA system, references to sources used in your work are set out in full in notes, either at the bottom of each page (footnotes) or at the end of the piece of work (endnotes).

Footnote citations