Mundane thread of the day…

Girlfriend is writing an essay, with MLA style referencing.

Using footnotes, so a number in the text body after the quote/statement, then in the footnote the details of the document that quote is from (but not where within the document so no page numbers etc).

For example;

[Text body]
Smith stated that “…” 2

[Footnote]
2 Smith, Book title, 1992.

If Smith’s document is referenced again, but a different section of it, how does she reference that in the relevant footnote?

Repeat the footnote (which wastes word count, not ideal)

[Text body]
Smith also stated that “…”3

[Footnote]
3 Smith, Book title, 1992.

Or link back to the first footnote?

[Text body]
Smith also stated that “…”2

Ta,
Duane.

Footnotes are not included in the word count, Shirley.

Why footnotes ? Seems clumsy ? It is more usual list all the works used in research and cited in the bibliography at the end. You can direct quote in the text, just keep it short, then the standard (Smith, 1992, pp 56-7) after the quote.

If she is relying that heavily in quotes that they are impacting adversely on the word count might need to rethink the structure of the essay. Heavy quoting isn’t so much dancing with the plagiarism line, it is taking it home and getting it pregnant.

(I am a Librarian btw – worked a number of years in a University Library, helping undergrads navigate the choppy waters of trying to say something original when using the same source material as 1000 other students that year, not easy)