A reference is a note that appears in one of three places: in a footnote, in an endnote, or on a bibliographic page. References are linked to the citations you insert in the text of your paper, and they provide bibliographic information for the sentences where those citations appear. They include information such as authors' names, titles, and the information required to retrieve your original source. However, the specific information included in a reference (and its arrangement) varies based on type of source and style guide you use.
The three varieties of references appear in different locations in a research paper:
Footnotes and endnotes are primarily used in Chicago and Turabian styles. Bibliographic pages may appear in all of the common citation styles you encounter at MCC.
Bibliographic pages include a title, but the title varies depending on the style guide you use. In APA style, it is called a References page (or Reference page if you only have one source). In Chicago and Turabian styles, it is called a Bibliography page. In MLA, it is called a Works Cited page (or Work Cited page if you only have one source).
Most footnotes are a type of reference that is located in the footer. They are linked to to a matching superscript number on the same page. These numbers are sequential, so the first footnote and superscript set in the paper is assigned the number 1. As you include more superscript and footnote sets in your paper, each new set will be labeled with a higher number than the previous set (2, 3, 4, etc.)
Though they are not a type of reference, another type of footnote exists. Substantive (or discursive) notes are used to add context or background information to a paper to help the reader better understand the topic discussed in the paper. They also appear in the footer of the page.
At MCC, you are most likely to use footnotes with the notes-bibliography (NB) format of Chicago and Turabian styles. If you use footnotes, you probably won't use endnotes in the same paper. Consult your assignment prompt for your instructor's guidelines.
Learn more about the specifics of footnotes by visiting Purdue OWL's Introduction to the Chicago Manual of Style. You can view sample footnotes by reviewing Purdue OWL's sample NB paper. (Viewing these samples is especially helpful if you have format questions.)
Most endnotes are a type of reference. They are located on an Endnotes page at the end of your paper. They are numbered and linked to a matching superscript number that appears somewhere in the body of your paper. These numbers are sequential, so the first footnote and superscript set in the paper is assigned the number 1. As you include more superscript and footnote sets in your paper, each new set will be labeled with a higher number than the previous set (2, 3, 4, etc.)
Though they are not a type of reference, another type of endnote exists. Substantive (or discursive) notes are used to add context or background information to a paper to help the reader better understand the topic discussed in the paper. They also appear on the endnotes page.
At MCC, you are most likely to use endnotes with the notes-bibliography (NB) format of Chicago and Turabian styles. If you use endnotes, you probably won't use footnotes in the same paper. Consult your assignment prompt for your instructor's guidelines.
Learn more about the specifics of endnotes by visiting Purdue OWL's Introduction to the Chicago Manual of Style. You can view sample endnotes by reviewing Purdue OWL's sample NB paper. (Viewing these samples is especially helpful if you have format questions.)
All bibliography entries are references. They are located on a bibliographic page at the end of your paper. They are linked to matching citations that appear somewhere in the body of your paper. They are not linked by numbers, but by matching authors' names. Each bibliography entry may link to multiple citations
The entries on a bibliographic page are alphabetized by the last name of the first author of each source. However, you should not rearrange the names of the authors who wrote a single entry, as they are arranged in a specific pattern according to their contribution.
All bibliographic pages require a title at the top of the page, but the title varies depending on the style guide you use. In APA style, it is called a References page (or Reference page if you only have one source). In Chicago and Turabian styles, it is called a Bibliography page. In MLA, it is called a Works Cited page (or Work Cited page if you only have one source).
At MCC, you are most likely to use bibliographic entries with APA, MLA, or the author-date (AD) format of Chicago and Turabian styles. If you use endnotes, you probably won't use footnotes in the same paper. Consult your assignment prompt for your instructor's guidelines.
Learn more about the specifics of endnotes by visiting Purdue OWL's Introduction to the Chicago Manual of Style. You can view sample endnotes by reviewing Purdue OWL's sample NB paper. (Viewing these samples is especially helpful if you have format questions.)
All images on this page are courtesy of Cynthia Soll.
