Functions of a Footnote

1
Functions of a Footnote

• 12 Basic IQ Skills

2
IQ FRAU

• Find
• Retrieve
• Analyze
• Use

This skill helps you to USE information
effectively and ethically.
3
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

• Austin Seminary expects that students acknowledge
  sources appropriately in academic work.
• Turabian, 7th ed.
• Notes-Bibliography style (Sections 16-17)

4
Why Care About Footnotes?

• Using footnotes well makes your work crisper and
  more interesting.
• Professors like crisp and interesting papers.
• Therefore Use footnotes well!

5
Function 1 Credit

• To give CREDIT to others whose ideas you have
  benefited from
• Not to do it is PLAGIARISM a bad thing
• See Example 1 on the PDF handout.

6
Function 1 Credit

• When in doubt, use a footnote to credit sources
  of ideas.

7
Function 2 Appear Credible

• Readers do not trust a source they do not know
  and cannot find. Turabian, Manual,134.
• See Example 2 on the PDF handout.

8
Function 2 Appear Credible

• Using a footnote from a prestigious source makes
  you appear to know what you are talking about
  (so, cite the PCUSA website, not a popular blog).

9
Function 3 Connect to Other Research

• Researchers cite work that they extend, support,
  contradict, or correct. Turabian, Manual, 134.
• Footnotes of this type help readers see the
  bigger picture.
• See Example 3 on the PDF handout.

10
Function4 Readers Build on Your Work

• As a researcher, you use others footnotes to
  find sources.
• Your readers have their own purposes, including
  harvesting your sources to support their own
  research.
• Thus, footnotes and bibliographies assist all
  scholars in their work scholarship becomes
  cumulative.

11
Function 5 Explanatory

• A footnote may provide a short definition or an
  explanation which would intrude into your
  argument or disrupt the flow of your masterful
  prose.
• See Example 4 on PDF handout definition
• See Example 5 on PDF handout explanation

12
Use Footnotes to

• Give credit to others
• Appear trustworthy
• Connect your work to previous research
• Enable others to build on your work
• Briefly explain points without detracting from
  your main arc of thought

13
Sources

• Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of
  Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th
  ed. (Chicago University of Chicago Press, 2006).
• This presentation was originally written and
  presented by Timothy D. Lincoln, Director of
  Stitt Library.

14
Questions?

• libraryiq_at_austinseminary.edu