Footnotes & Endnotes

The Rhetoric of Documentation

Why Study Footnotes & Endnotes?

• You develop rhetorical strength when you converse with the text and its margins

• You realize the dynamic nature of documentation and how it functions in the rhetorical mode

• Close Reading of a citation leads to understanding the nature of academic discourse

• Through analysis of footnotes you will discover that substance, as well as style, is important in the interpretation of the essay

Footnote #1

“Machine Tools at the Philadelphia Exhibition,” Engineering (26 May 1876), p. 427, cited by Kasson, see note 1 above.

1. Which of the following is an accurate reading of footnote 1?A. An article by John F. Kasson appears on page 427 of EngineeringB. “Machine Tools at the Philadelphia Exhibition” was published in New YorkC. The article “Engineering” can be found on page 427 of “Machine Tools at

the Philadelphia Exhibition”D. “Machine Tools at the Philadelphia Exhibition” is an article published in

the May 26, 1876 issue of EngineeringE. Engineering is an article cited by John F. Kasson

Choice A: Does “cited by” means authorship?no!

Choice B: Does the citation refer to the place of publication?no!

Choice C: Is Engineering an article?no!

Choice D: Is “Machine Tools at the Philadelphia Exhibition” an article and Engineering a publication”

yes!

Footnote Facts:

• Italics are used for ______________________________.

• Quotation marks are used for ______________________.

• A _____________________ is found in a _________________, for example a _________________,

___________________ or ________________.

Footnote 2

Richard Guy Wilson, Dianne H. Pilgrim, Dickran Tasjian, The Machine Age in America 1918-1941 (New York: The Brooklyn Museum in association with Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1986), p. 85

2. The purpose of footnote 2 is to inform the reader that the quotation in line 49A. Has been attributed to three different designersB. Was first cited in 1918C. Was the inspiration for an exhibit at The Brooklyn MuseumD. Is an article in The Machine Age in America 1918-1941 written by Harry N. Abrams,

Inc.E. Appears in a book written by Wilson, Pilgrim, and Tashjian and published in 1986

Footnote 1 & 2

3. Taken as a whole, the footnotes suggestA. The author of the passage wants the text to present highly technical

materialB. The author of the passage relies heavily on Kasson’s bookC. Very little was written about machinery and ornamentation prior to

1976D. Engineering magazines are an essential source for technical writersE. Except in rare cases, it is best to use the latest published work when

documenting an idea or concept

Assignment:

In your group prepare to explain to the class why your answer is correct or incorrect.