Content notes contain additional information about a piece of your paper, which is important to know but not necessarily relevant to your paper topic. This information may include biographical information about an author, an interesting fact about an event or person or a discriminating point to clarify complicated information. For instance, use a footnote to point out the difference between cognitive dissidence and cognitive dissidence theory in a sociological paper, especially if you are using the two terms in the same paragraph or section, which could confuse a reader.
While the definition of most words are considered uniform, some words can have different meanings based on the way you reference them. As an example, in a paper on constructivism and moral development, the phrase "moral stages" has a different definition depending on whether you are referring to the moral development theory of Dr. Lawrence Kohlberg, former psychology professor at the University of Chicago or the moral development theory of Dr. Carol Gilligan, psychology professor at New York University. Use a footnote to provide clarity for words or phrases that can be taken multiple different ways by a reader.
APA formatting provides clear rules for referencing materials, specifically identifying a resource and page for material cited in a document. While this treatment is suitable for most quotations, you can use footnotes to reference larger sections of a resource. To add this information, include the last name of the author, as it appears on your “Works Cited” page and the year of publication. Briefly describe the chapter or chapters in which the reader can find more information on the point you use in your paper.
If you quote a reference, using more than 500 words, or if you reprint a picture, chart or graph, use a footnote to make it clear that you have permission to use the information. Copyright permission footnotes include the standard APA citation, followed by the sentence, “Reprinted with permission.” Check your resource before you include this tag, ensuring the publication specifically gives readers the right to reproduce the material.