Other Sections of a Paper

Footnotes:

  • Footnotes are used to allow the author to stray from central points being made or clarify something in the main text.
  • In your paper, stay away from using footnotes, unless they are entirely necessary. A few journals forbid footnotes.
  • It is best to study articles in the journal to see examples or what and how many footnotes should be included.

References:

  • Do not mention other people's work unnecessarily negatively or dismissively in your paper. Remember that someone you have referenced, or one of his or her colleagues, is likely to become your referee. Make sure that any criticism you have is well justified and impersonally presented.
  • Reference style should be modeled after a well-known journal in the field, or follow the style of the journal you are submitting.
  • Cite your own related papers if they have been published or are being published. However, do not cite your dissertation.

       A related article: "The Bane of Accurate Referencing: How to Achieve 'Perfection'."

Endnotes and Appendix:

  • Keep endnotes to a minimum and only use when absolutely necessary. Ideally the end notes should be less than a page.
  • A long, purely mathematical equation and/or lengthy derivations should be included in an endnote or appendix.
  • A note intended just for referees should be included in a note labeled "Not for Publication." These should be attached to your paper.
  • Tables of data and results are often best put in appendices so they don't disrupt the flow of the main text. This also applies to multiple figures of results.

Acknowledgements

  • These are optional and appear at the end, usually just prior to the references. If you have one or more sponsors for the research, it is usual to acknowledge the sponsorship here with the sponsor name and grant / contract number. If someone or some persons have especially added value to this research or to the paper, but do not appear as authors, you may acknowledge their participation here. If a reviewer or editor has offered unusually helpful additions, advice or comments, you may acknowledge that here.