Determine the type of footnote you need to provide. If you are citing a reference, then you have to use a different style of note than you do if you are providing a note of clarification.
Examine the specific instructions for your specific formatting style. Knowing these well, before you begin, can help you avoid having to constantly look up the formatting style. This is especially true for the citation of a written publication. Each type of publication generally requires a somewhat different format.
Insert the superscript at the end of your line of text by accessing the "Insert" menu from the top of the screen in Microsoft Word. Scroll down until you see "Reference" and left click on the command. A new menu will open to the side; point and click on "Footnote" to proceed.
Determine your footnote location. A menu will immediately pop up in Word. The menu will let you determine the type of note, footnote or endnote, and the location of the note. From the drop-down menu, choose "Bottom of page" to select a footnote location.
Choose the footnote style. Generally, you should number footnotes sequentially as numerals. You can choose other styles, but should avoid doing so unless the transcript specifically requires it. Choose "Continuous" from the style drop-down menu and then point and click on the "Insert" button. A footnote will automatically show up at the bottom of the screen.
Insert the information needed for your footnote. If you are typing a clarification note, you need only provide your explanation. The explanation should be written in full sentences and with the same type of prose seen in the rest of the transcript.
Cite any additional resources or source material following the conventions of your writing style. Most styles require that you provide a reference with specific elements and generally look somewhat similar: Last name of author, first name; title of publication; source of publication (if included in journal or periodical); publisher; place of publication; year published. If the material is taken from a specific page number in a publication, this is usually provided last.