Chapter 8: Footnotes and quotes: International Development Research Centre

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Chapter 8: Footnotes and quotes

Document(s) 9 of 10

Footnotes
Quotations

FOOTNOTES

IDRC's style

Minimize the use of footnotes to the text. Footnotes should only be used for explanatory notes or personal commentary of the author that does not belong, or "fit," within the main text. Footnotes may also be used to provide details of personal communications (see "Personal communications" in Chapter 4).

If the material is important enough, however, it belongs within the main text. Footnotes containing trivial information should be removed.

Do not use footnotes for referencing. IDRC style is to use the author–date within the text.

Text

Use the WordPerfect footnote function (under <Layout>) for footnotes.

Numbering
Footnotes to the text are numbered consecutively through the paper or chapter with superscript Arabic numerals.

Position
Numbers for footnotes should be outside any adjacent punctuation.

Example: This footnote number is correctly positioned.¹

The footnote appears at the bottom of the text column in which it is mentioned. If the column is short because it is the end of a chapter, or there is a table or figure to complete it, the footnote still follows immediately after the text.

Generally, the footnote is separated from the text with a short rule. Precise details are set by the book design.

Tables

Numbering
Footnotes to tables are denoted by superscript, Roman lower-case letters. Source and notes for tables appear with the footnotes (see "Tables" in Chapter 6).

Position
Position table footnotes directly below the table. Generally, set all notes full width of table; however, if there are many short footnotes they may be set in two columns on wide tables. Sequence below table is: "Source," "Note," then footnotes.

QUOTATIONS

Accuracy

Quotations from another source must be reproduced accurately.

Editors can rarely check the original so they must, largely, assume that the author's version is correct. Spelling, italics, and punctuation must follow the original exactly even where these do not follow IDRC's style.

Any inaccuracies must be retained but should be identified as being in the original by sic in brackets immediately after them or by suggesting a correction in brackets.

Examples: The plant had prulep [sic] leaves.; The plant had prulep [purple?] leaves.

Note: Such apparent errors should be highlighted for attention by the author in case they are transcription errors and not in the original.

Any change from the original must be shown by spaced periods (ellipsis) for omissions and square brackets (not parentheses) for insertions (see "Sample quotation" ; also see "Ellipsis" in Chapter 2).

Long and short quotations

Typographic treatment of quotations in IDRC publications depends on their length. What is long or short is a subjective decision, but more than four typed lines, that is, about 40 words, should be considered as a long quotation.

Long quotations
Long quotations are usually set in a smaller type size than the main text and in block style, that is, indented from both margins.

Quotation marks are not used outside a long quotation but may be needed if there is an internal quotation: in which case, use double quotes ("/").

Short quotations
Short quotations are set in the same size as the main text and run on within it. They are distinguished by quotation marks around them. IDRC style is to use double quotes ("/") with single quotes (‘/') for internal quotations.

If text before or after the quotation leads into or follows on from the quotation, no punctuation is needed.

Example: The editorial policy states that "If text before or after the quotation leads into or follows on from the quotation, no punctuation is needed."

Colons, commas, or even periods may, however, be used to lead into a quotation. Punctuation is usually used where the transition is abrupt.

If the source of the quotation must be given in the text at this point, and it should include the specific page, include it before the quotation rather than attaching it to the end. If it must be at the end, it is an insertion and therefore in brackets.

Example: The editorial policy (Campbell 1985) states that "if the citation is at the end of the quotation, it is an insertion and must therefore be in brackets."

Remove direct quotations

Try to remove as many direct quotations as possible because Canadian copyright law may require permission to be obtained from the copyright holder.

Punctuation in quotations

For more on punctuation in quotations, see Chapter 2. See also the Chicago Manual of Style for more on ellipsis.

Omissions from quotations

Use an ellipsis (...) to indicate omission of one or more words in a piece of text that has been quoted from another communication.

Ellipsis with punctuation
If the words that have been omitted were originally followed by a punctuation mark other than a dash, include the mark before continuing or closing the quotation.

If the punctuation mark followed the last word quoted directly, then there is no space before the punctuation mark but a space precedes and follows the ellipsis.

Example: "last word quoted directly, ... no space before the punctuation"

If the missing words were between the last word and the punctuation mark, a space follows the last word, then the ellipsis, then the punctuation mark.

Example: "a space follows ..., then the ellipsis, then the punctuation mark."

Do not use ellipsis marks
At the beginning of a quotation, you should not use ellipsis marks if you have indicated the omission of words by some other means, such as using a lower-case letter to begin the quoted material.

Example: In Mac's words, the sales representative didn't "know his ears from an em dash."

In this example, the content of the sentence (as well as the use of the lower-case "k") lets the reader know that the speaker said more than was actually quoted.

Sample quotation

It was thought to be so important and significant that it was reserved for the Prime Minister to announce it in the House during his budget speech (Manley 1974, p. 233).[1]

This year we had our first Common Entrance Examination on the new system of free education. ... [2] Last year when we were still on the old system ... [3] 2000 children won free places, 2200 [4] had to pay school fees, and 550 could only get in by paying the full uneconomic [sic] [5] costs of the school.

Notes for sample quotation:
[1] Position for source of quotation (should include exact page of quotation). Punctuation is appropriate to relationship between the preceding material and the quotation.

[2] Punctuation is tight to preceding word where it followed the word in the original (followed by space then ellipsis) but is spaced from word when punctuation followed the omission.

[3] Ellipsis without punctuation.

[4] Style of original publication in spelling, presentation of numbers, and so forth is followed.

[5] Unusual spellings, improbable statements, and so forth in the original are shown by sic, Latin for "thus," in brackets [ ] to show that the original has been followed.

Document(s) 9 of 10

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