When to use a Footnote or Endnote
As you write your paper you will want to use quotations from a book or other source. You must always provide a citation for a quote to show its origin.
Also, you must provide a citation for any information that is not common knowledge. This may sound a little vague, because it’s not a perfect science, determining whether something is commonly known. Common knowledge can vary by age or geography.
Whether or not something is common knowledge is not always clear, so the best idea is to provide a citation for important facts that you bring up if you have any doubt.
Examples:
Common knowledge: Chickens usually lay white or brown eggs.
Not common knowledge: Some chickens lay blue and green eggs.
You may also use a footnote/endnote to clarify a passage that may confuse some writers. For instance, you may mention in your paper that the story of Frankenstein was written during a friendly writing game among friends. Many readers may know this, but others may want an explanation.
