Foot notes explained?

[mountainboo]

Hi, can someone please explain to me how foot notes work (in simplified terms please). I don't see the logic, until now I have been citing references after the quotes but my lecturer has told me that foot notes will increase my marks. A fellow student told me that foot notes were useful for extra information that isn't necessarily needed in the body of the essay. I just don't understand!
TIA

[factor-fiction]

Your friend is right- ask him or your lecturer for more info

[factor-fiction]

I suggest you look at these and do a search on google:
http://moodle.citylit..._to_use_footnotes.pdf
http://www.oup.com/uk.../resources/footnotes/

[mountainboo]

Thank you, that helps

[Mr Veritas]

I always found that footnotes were very handy.
They tidied up the text and enabled it to be read, without references slowing down the flow of the text.
Also, the footnotes might be useful (or not) to the reader,and as they are the bottom the reader can decide for themselves whether or not to make use of them.

[sophie_1003]

Using footnotes for references depends on what referencing system the college/uni wants. At my uni we have to use Harvard referencing so in text the author and date is in brackets then there is a full reference in a list at the end of the piece. We would be severely marked down or even fail if we didn't use this method. Footnotes for extra information however are (as far as I know) allowed and as others have said, useful for writing extra information.

[swedeheart]

Think of them as the forerunners of hyperlinks in a hypertext:)

[mountainboo]

Thanks. Thanks Sophie, we to have been advised to use the Harvard method, but for some reason my history lecturer wants us to use foot notes which I have been told is actually frowned upon by many uni's. Oh well, it's my last history essay so I'll do it to keep my lecturer happy.