Examples of Footnotes vs Endnotes: Practical Examples for Real Papers

Quick comparison through real examples of footnotes vs endnotes

Let’s start with what you actually want: examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples you can picture on the page.

Imagine you’re writing a history paper:

In 1932, the Public Health Service began a study in Tuskegee, Alabama, that would later be widely condemned for ethical violations.¹

If you use footnotes, that little “¹” sends your reader to the bottom of the same page, where they see:

¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee,” https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/index.html.

If you use endnotes, the page itself stays clean. The “¹” sends your reader to a separate Notes section at the end of the chapter or paper, where the same citation appears.

Same number, same source, different reading experience.

That contrast is the heart of every example of footnotes vs endnotes you’ll see below: footnotes keep information on the page; endnotes move it to the back.

Examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples in different subjects

To really see how this works, it helps to walk through real examples from different fields. These examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples are written in a simplified Chicago-style format, since Chicago is still the go‑to style for note systems in 2024–2025.

1. History paper: interpretive comment vs clean page

Scenario: You’re writing about the New Deal and want to add a brief side comment that would interrupt the flow if you put it in the main paragraph.

In‑text sentence:

Roosevelt’s New Deal programs reshaped the relationship between the federal government and American citizens.²

As a footnote (good when the comment helps the reader immediately):

² Many historians argue that the New Deal expanded expectations of federal responsibility during crises, a pattern echoed in responses to the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Here, the footnote works like a quick aside. The reader’s eyes drop down, get the extra context, and jump back up. This is one of the best examples of how footnotes support interpretive comments.

As an endnote (good when your notes are long or numerous):

² On continuity between New Deal policies and later crisis responses, see Eric Rauchway, The Great Depression and the New Deal (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 167–172.

If your paper is packed with this kind of detail, endnotes keep the main pages readable while still giving serious readers a trail to follow.

2. Literature essay: translation notes and wordplay

Modern literature courses often ask for examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples when dealing with translation, wordplay, or cultural references.

In‑text sentence:

In the original Spanish, the narrator uses the word “duende,"³ a term that resists a simple English translation.

As a footnote (great when the explanation is short and helpful):

³ Duende is often translated as “spirit” or “mysterious power,” but in Spanish literary culture it suggests an intense, almost haunting artistic presence.

This is a classic example of a footnote that prevents confusion at the exact moment the reader encounters the unfamiliar word.

As an endnote (if you’re explaining at length):

³ For a discussion of duende in Spanish literature and music, see Federico García Lorca, “Play and Theory of the Duende,” in In Search of Duende, ed. Christopher Maurer (New York: New Directions, 1998), 3–21.

If you’re adding a mini‑essay about the term, an endnote lets you go long without cluttering the page. This is one of the best examples of using endnotes for extended cultural or theoretical commentary.

3. Public health or medical paper: source transparency

Most modern health and medical articles use parenthetical or author‑date citation systems, but you’ll still see footnotes or endnotes in background sections or policy discussions. When teachers ask for examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples in health writing, they usually want something like this.

In‑text sentence:

According to recent guidance, long COVID can affect multiple organ systems and may persist for months after the initial infection.⁴

As a footnote (when you want the source right there):

⁴ National Institutes of Health, “NIH Launches New Initiative to Study ‘Long COVID,’” https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-turning-discovery-into-health/long-covid-initiative.

This is helpful in a teaching context where the instructor wants students to see and examine the source immediately.

As an endnote (typical in formal reports):

⁴ National Institutes of Health, “NIH Launches New Initiative to Study ‘Long COVID,’” accessed June 10, 2024, https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/nih-turning-discovery-into-health/long-covid-initiative.

Government and institutional reports often tuck these into endnotes to keep the narrative cleaner while still documenting every claim.

4. Social science paper: data notes and clarifications

Social science writers frequently need to explain how data was collected or adjusted. That’s where good examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples can save you from cluttering your methods section.

In‑text sentence:

Survey data from 1,204 respondents suggest rising support for remote work policies.⁵

As a footnote (fast clarification):

⁵ Respondents were U.S. adults ages 18 and older, surveyed online between March 1 and March 15, 2024. Results were weighted by age, gender, and region.

If the clarification is short and directly tied to the sentence, a footnote keeps the information where it’s needed.

As an endnote (for more technical detail):

⁵ For a full description of the sampling frame, weighting strategy, and margin of error, see the methodology appendix available at the project website.

In a long report, you might prefer endnotes so methods details don’t interrupt the main argument.

5. Humanities research paper: multiple sources in one sentence

Sometimes one sentence is backed by several sources. This is where students often ask for the best examples of how to handle footnotes vs endnotes.

In‑text sentence:

Scholars have long debated whether Frankenstein’s creature should be read primarily as a political, psychological, or theological figure.⁶

As a footnote (when you want the cluster visible):

⁶ For political readings, see Chris Baldick, In Frankenstein’s Shadow (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987); for psychological readings, see Anne K. Mellor, Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monsters (New York: Routledge, 1988); for theological readings, see John B. Wilson, “The Creature and the Creator,” Studies in Romanticism 32, no. 4 (1993): 521–540.

Here, a footnote lets the reader see the range of scholarship at a glance.

As an endnote (in a long thesis or book chapter):

⁶ For an overview of political, psychological, and theological interpretations, see Baldick, In Frankenstein’s Shadow; Mellor, Mary Shelley; and John B. Wilson, “The Creature and the Creator,” Studies in Romanticism 32, no. 4 (1993): 521–540.

In a 200‑page thesis, your advisor might recommend endnotes so that dense clusters like this don’t overwhelm every page.

6. Law or policy writing: authorities and statutes

Legal writing is famous for heavy footnote use, and law students often beg for examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples that don’t look like a wall of text.

In‑text sentence:

The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Commerce Clause has shifted significantly since the New Deal era.⁷

As a footnote (standard in law reviews):

⁷ See, e.g., NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., 301 U.S. 1 (1937); United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549 (1995); Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005).

Law reviews almost always use footnotes because lawyers expect to see the authorities right on the page.

As an endnote (in general‑audience policy reports):

⁷ For a discussion of these shifts, see Congressional Research Service, “The Commerce Clause: An Overview,” updated January 2024.

Policy think‑tank reports aimed at non‑lawyers might move citations to endnotes to keep the prose more approachable.

7. Undergraduate essay: citing a textbook or lecture

Students often just need a simple example of how to cite a textbook or lecture using footnotes or endnotes.

In‑text sentence:

As our course textbook notes, industrialization fundamentally altered family structures in nineteenth‑century Europe.⁸

As a footnote:

⁸ Joshua Cole and Carol Symes, Western Civilizations, 20th ed. (New York: W. W. Norton, 2020), 612.

As an endnote:

⁸ Cole and Symes, Western Civilizations, 612.

Same formatting, different location. This is one of the simplest and most useful examples of footnotes vs endnotes for students just starting out.

How style guides treat footnotes and endnotes in 2024–2025

Now that you’ve seen several examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples, it helps to know what the major style guides expect right now.

Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.)
Chicago is still the main style used for note‑based systems in history and many humanities fields. It explicitly allows both footnotes and endnotes. In practice:

• Many journals and history departments prefer footnotes for readability.
• Some book publishers and long dissertations lean toward endnotes to keep pages clean.

You can check Chicago’s official guidance at the University of Chicago Press site: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org

APA (7th ed.)
APA mainly uses in‑text author‑date citations, but it does allow footnotes sparingly for content notes (brief explanations or extra points). Those are almost never moved to endnotes in APA‑style papers.

Guidance: https://apastyle.apa.org

MLA (9th ed.)
MLA prefers parenthetical citations and a Works Cited list. It allows footnotes or endnotes for extra explanation or a small number of additional references, but not as the main citation system.

Guidance: https://style.mla.org

If your instructor or journal says “use notes,” they almost always specify whether they want footnotes or endnotes. When in doubt, ask. Even the best examples of footnotes vs endnotes won’t help if you ignore the house style.

When to choose footnotes vs endnotes: practical decision rules

By now you’ve seen several real examples of both systems. Here’s how writers typically decide between them, based on current practice in 2024–2025:

Use footnotes when:

• You want the reader to see the explanation right away (like the duende example).
• You’re writing in history, law, or some humanities fields where this is the norm.
• You’re adding short, helpful comments that deepen understanding.

Use endnotes when:

• Your notes are long, technical, or numerous.
• You’re writing a book, thesis, or long report where page layout matters.
• Your audience prefers a clean reading experience with minimal visual clutter.

If you’re still unsure, skim a few recent articles or books in your field and copy their approach. That’s often the best example of real‑world practice you can follow.

FAQ: examples of footnotes vs endnotes and common questions

Q: Can I mix footnotes and endnotes in the same paper?
Most style guides say no. Pick one system and stick with it, unless your publisher or instructor gives very specific instructions. If they do allow mixing, they usually mean content notes in one place and technical or legal notes in another, and they will spell that out.

Q: What’s a simple example of a content footnote that isn’t a citation?
Imagine this sentence:

Many educators adopted emergency remote teaching during the COVID‑19 pandemic.⁹

Footnote:

⁹ This term refers to the rapid, temporary shift to online instruction during a crisis, not carefully planned online learning programs.

That’s an example of a content note: it explains a term instead of citing a source.

Q: Are endnotes less academic or less formal than footnotes?
Not at all. Both are fully accepted in serious academic work. The choice is more about readability, layout, and tradition in your field. For instance, many university history departments and journals still favor footnotes, while some book publishers lean toward endnotes.

Q: Do I still need a bibliography if I use footnotes or endnotes?
In Chicago‑style papers, yes, you usually provide a bibliography or reference list in addition to your notes, even if the notes include full citations. Some undergraduate assignments make an exception, but in most upper‑level or graduate work, you’ll include both.

Q: Where can I see more real examples of footnotes vs endnotes?
Look at:

• A recent history article from a university press journal (for footnotes).
• A scholarly monograph from a major academic publisher (for endnotes).
• Your university writing center’s guides; for example, Harvard’s Writing Center offers helpful note and citation examples: https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu

These sources give you live, real‑world models that go beyond textbook diagrams.

If you keep a few of these examples of footnotes vs endnotes: practical examples open while you draft, you’ll find that choosing between them starts to feel less like a mystery and more like a style choice. Treat your notes as tools: use footnotes when you want to talk to the reader right on the page, and endnotes when you want to keep the conversation available, but slightly offstage.