Google Docs
How to Do Endnotes in Google Docs? Endnotes are a great way to add extra information to your document.[1]They’re also easy to use in Google Docs.
However, there are some challenges when it comes to how they appear and where they’re placed in your document. Here’s how you can work around those issues and make them work for you!
What is the difference between Endnotes and Footnotes
Footnotes and endnotes are a common way for researchers to provide more information in their academic papers. [2]The main purpose of these notes is to allow readers to find the details they are looking for, rather than having to search the entire text for the information they need.
A footnote usually consists of a brief description of a particular piece of information. The information is often a quotation from another source, although a footnote could also contain some extra detail on the subject being discussed in the text.
In contrast, endnotes can include much longer parcels of information that may be more appropriate for the specific study being described in a paper or book. [3]They are not a substitute for the main body of a paper, however, and their use is most often seen in the humanities and in research papers in the social sciences.
The main difference between footnotes and endnotes is that the former are numbered in a continuous sequence throughout a paper or a chapter, while the latter are not. The numbering can begin afresh on each page or continue through the whole of the paper, a chapter (if there are different contributors) or a book.
Typically, they are signalled within the text of the paper or book using superscript numbers and other symbols such as a star or an asterisk (*), a dagger or obelisk (+), a double dagger or diesis (++), a section mark (SS), a pilcrow or blind p (P) and so on.[4]
Endnotes are usually placed at the end of a paper or book, at the point where the original quote or quotations ended. They are then listed, sorted by title and author, in a notes section at the back of the document or book, and referred to by their corresponding endnote number.[5]
When using endnotes, it is essential to ensure that the original quote or quotations are cited correctly. This is to avoid any confusion among readers about the origin of the original material and to help them locate that reference again if they want more details.
Can You Use Endnotes instead of Footnotes?
Footnotes and endnotes are common scholarly and formal writing conventions that can help to provide important information without disrupting the flow of your text. This allows you to keep the overall experience of reading your work as simple and readable as possible.[6]
Using footnotes can also allow you to easily cite sources in your document. To do this, insert a footnote using the Insert menu. You can even use the Edit Text button to modify the footnote’s content.
A footnote will include a superscript number in the text of your document, and it will be placed at the bottom of the page.[7] You can also format the text that appears in your footnote to add formatting, such as italics, bold, or underlined text.
It’s important to remember, however, that footnotes and endnotes are not created equal. While footnotes are used extensively in popular books and publications, endnotes are much more common in academic books and papers. This is because they are essential for referencing sources and providing extra information, without disrupting the reader’s reading experience.[8]
They are especially useful for authors who want to reference more text in their document, but don’t want to compromise the overall format of their paper. They’re also a great way to provide citations for online sources, such as Wikipedia or other websites.
Since the endnotes are placed at the very end of the document, they don’t interrupt the flow of reading, like footnotes do. In addition, they don’t require any extra effort on your part to remove or renumber.[9]
If you have a lot of footnotes and endnotes in your documents, it can be difficult to find the footnotes or endnotes that you need. If you’re using Google Docs, there’s an easy trick that can help you select all footnotes or endnotes in your document.
When you’re editing your text, make sure to check the Notes Pane (click the Styles tab and choose the Notes pane) for a list of all the references in your document. This will let you see which references are in the Footnote Text and Endnote Text styles, [10]so you can make sure that all of them appear in the proper place.
Change or Remove a Footnote or Endnote Separator
If you have an endnote or footnote in your google docs document that you would like to change or remove, there are several options available for you to do so. This is an important step if you want to make sure that your document stays organized and readable.[11]
In order to do this, you can open your document in Google docs and navigate to the “Edit” section symbolized by the pen icon in the right part of the screen. Select the item that you want to edit and make the necessary changes.
First, you’ll need to find the appropriate style for the footnote or endnote that you are editing. LibreOffice has predefined styles for these, but you can also create your own if you would like.[12]
Next, you’ll need to customize the numbering that appears in the text body of the footnote or endnote. You can do this by using a special character style that is available in the “Symbol styles” list in the Sidebar.
You can also use a custom font size for the note. This is an option that you can use to make the footnote or endnote stand out in the document and make it easier for readers to read.[13]
Lastly, you can make the footnote or endnote appear with a separate line that separates the footnote or endnote from the text body of the document. This will make it easy to tell which text belongs to the footnote or endnote and which is the normal text that you are writing.
The most important thing to remember when creating a footnote or endnote is that it should not obstruct the reader’s ability to read the text in front of them. It is also a good idea to keep the note as brief as possible and to only include the information that you need to provide.[14]
You can use a footnote or endnote to explain, comment on, or give references for the text in your document. This can be helpful if you have more information on a particular topic than you are able to fit into your document, but don’t want to clutter up the main body of the text.
Final Thoughts
Once upon a time, word processors were little more than blank canvass for your finger-transmitted musings: You would open up the program, type whatever you wanted and that was pretty much it.[15]
As technology has advanced, word processing has become an art form. Fortunately, Google Docs is among the more approachable options out there (paging Microsoft Office Ribbon…). However, as with any multilayered service, it’s easy to end up with cloud-sized headaches that are anything but light and fluffy.
The first step to dealing with Docs challenges is to identify which issues are actually in your control, and the fastest ways to fix them. That’s particularly true if you are the sole Docs user on your team or if you are the go-to troubleshooter for your office, friend group, or family (be it on an official basis or in one of those lovely unpaid “tech support” positions).[16]
When you create a document in Google Docs, you can select how you want to manage endnotes. For example, you can choose to have one endnote frame for the entire document or separate them into multiple story frames. You can also choose whether to have endnote numbers automatically inserted as you add them or import them from Word documents.[17]
You can also set the endnote separator, which determines the white space between an endnote number and the beginning of the endnote text. You can either set this to a character style or an OpenType metacharacter such as m for em space, which will automatically adjust the space based on how the number is formatted.
Another useful feature in Docs is that it offers commenting on a document. This is great for when you need to collaborate on a project, and it allows you to see any changes that people make in real-time. Additionally, it allows you to keep track of your own comments and those of other people in the document. You can even use this to revert back to an earlier version of the document, which can be helpful if you ever need to make a change that you regret. [18]
