Legal Definitions - endnote

An endnote is a reference, citation, or explanatory comment that is placed at the conclusion of a larger section of text, such as an entire document, a specific chapter, or a lengthy article. Unlike a footnote, which appears at the bottom of the page where its corresponding reference mark is located, an endnote is compiled with all other notes in a dedicated section at the very end of the designated text block.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of an endnote:

• Academic Research Paper: Imagine a university student submitting a 25-page research paper on the economic impact of renewable energy. Throughout the paper, they cite numerous academic journals, government reports, and statistical databases. Instead of placing each citation at the bottom of the page where it's referenced, the student compiles a comprehensive list of all these sources and any additional explanatory comments in a single "Notes" section located after the conclusion and before the bibliography. This allows readers to focus on the main arguments without interruption, while still providing full access to all supporting information at the paper's end.

  This demonstrates an endnote because all the supplementary information and source citations are grouped together at the end of the entire document, rather than being placed on the individual pages where the corresponding text appears.

• Corporate Annual Report: A large multinational corporation publishes its annual report, detailing its financial performance, operational achievements, and future strategies. To maintain a clean and readable main narrative, the report uses small superscript numbers next to certain figures or statements. These numbers refer to more detailed explanations of accounting methodologies, specific regulatory compliance details, or minor statistical caveats. All these detailed explanations are then compiled in a dedicated "Notes to Financial Statements" section found at the very end of the report, just before the appendices.

  Here, the detailed explanations function as endnotes because they are collected and presented collectively at the conclusion of the entire annual report, allowing the main narrative to flow uninterrupted while still providing comprehensive supporting information.

• Historical Non-Fiction Book: An author writes a historical account of a significant political event. Throughout the book, they quote letters, speeches, and eyewitness testimonies, and occasionally want to add a brief historical context or a minor detail that isn't crucial to the main narrative flow but adds depth. To ensure a smooth reading experience, all these source citations, minor anecdotes, and clarifications are gathered in a "Notes" section located at the end of each chapter, or sometimes even at the very end of the entire book, rather than at the bottom of the page where the reference mark appears.

  This illustrates the use of endnotes because the supplementary information, whether it's a source citation or an additional comment, is placed at the conclusion of a specific chapter or the entire book, rather than at the bottom of the page where the reference mark appears.