Inserting References in a Thesis: Endnotes,Footnotes and Parenthetical References
The references we make in writing a thesis or a research paper are cited in the form of list of works cited or references option at the end of the thesis. There are other forms of citations like footnotes, endnotes and bracketed references that are also used. These references are made in-between the text for detailed information. The three standard methods of in-between text citation are discussed below:
Footnotes: As the name suggest, footnotes are the references that occur at the bottom of page two double spaces below the text. The citation is made on the page where the reference occurs. This method is the most formal and is generally used for lengthy academic dissertations like masters dissertation, doctoral thesis or a book. The format of the footnotes differs from the works cites list in the following ways:
a) The author’s name occurs in the usual order, in contrast to the works cited where the surname proceeds the initial name.
b) The date place of publication are enclosed in a bracket and the reference is divided by commas.
Endnotes: Almost all the notes made in the Research paper or at the end of chapters of the thesisare endnotes. Endnotes appears at the end of the text, always on a new page numbered in sequence with the preceding page. They are best for shorter assignments like class assignments, coursework or term papers. To add endnotes to your research paper, align the title Notes at the center of the page one inch from the top. Enter the references used in the research paper in the format similar to the one used in footnotes.
Parenthetical References: Parenthetical references are citations made in a bracket in a research paper wherever the reference words, ideas or facts appear. The borrowed material used in writing a research paper needs to be cited right at the end of a quotation. It also helps the reader to find the bibliographic entry used in the paper. The citation in parenthesis is a shorthand of the bibliographic entry. The Format in which it is used is as follows:
1. If the paragraph containing the borrowed/reference material specifies the author’s name, the parenthesis will include, the name of the book and the page number separated by a comma.
2. If the paragraph containing the borrowed/reference material specifies the title of the work then the parenthesis will include, the name of the author(last name only) and the page number.
3. If the paragraph containing the borrowed/reference material specifies the author and the title of the work then the parenthesis will only include the page number.
4. The future reference to a similar work can have a short hand of the text.
Though the format of the bibliography and the in between source citation is different yet they share a similar purpose. The use of source citation in between the text refers to the bibliography which can be used by the readers of dissertations and research proposals for further details of the sources used.
