Bibliography and Footnotes (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes

Bibliography and footnotes

Understanding bibliography and footnotes in your NEA

During your NEA research, you will notice that academic books and articles include references at the bottom of pages (footnotes) or at the end of chapters (endnotes). These show where authors obtained their information and acknowledge other scholars' work. Your NEA must include similar referencing.

At the end of academic books, you will also find a bibliography. This differs from footnotes or endnotes in an important way: whilst footnotes cite specific quotes or ideas, a bibliography lists every work the author consulted during research, regardless of whether they quoted from it directly.

Both elements must appear in your final NEA submission. Understanding how to construct them properly is essential for producing work that meets academic standards.

Why you must include bibliography and footnotes

There are four compelling reasons to reference your sources correctly:

Demonstrating your research base

Your references prove that you have engaged with a wide range of historical sources and interpretations. They show examiners exactly where you found your knowledge and which historians have shaped your thinking.

Following academic conventions

Referencing is a standard practice in historical scholarship. Your NEA is an academic piece of work that should reflect the conventions used by professional historians. Learning to reference correctly prepares you for university-level study.

Creating your bibliography

Starting your bibliography early

Although the bibliography appears at the end of your essay, consider creating it as you conduct your research. Keeping a running record of everything you read prevents the frustrating task of trying to recall all sources after completing your writing. Attempting to compile a bibliography retrospectively wastes time and you may struggle to remember exact titles, authors, and publication details.

What to include in your bibliography

Your bibliography must record every work you consulted during research. This includes:

• Primary sources (original documents from the period you are studying)
• Secondary sources (books and articles by historians)
• Articles from academic journals and essay collections
• Any visual or audio materials used
• Relevant websites

Structuring your bibliography

Bibliographies follow a clear organisational structure. Rather than listing all sources together randomly, divide your bibliography into sections with clear headings:

• Primary sources
• Secondary sources
• Articles and collections of essays
• Other materials

Within each section, arrange sources alphabetically according to the author's surname. Each entry should contain: the author's name, the work's title, the publisher, the place of publication, and the publication date.

Maintaining consistency

Different examining boards and academic institutions may prefer different referencing styles. AQA does not require a specific format, but you must use the same style consistently throughout your entire NEA. Your school or college may have its own preferred system, so check this before beginning your bibliography.

Using footnotes effectively

The purpose of footnotes

Footnotes serve a different function from bibliographies. They acknowledge the specific places where you have drawn information from sources, showing exactly which page or pages contain the evidence or argument you are discussing. This prevents you from claiming others' ideas as your own.

With modern word processing software, inserting footnotes is straightforward. The computer automatically numbers them sequentially and places them at the bottom of each page (or as endnotes at the end of chapters). This numbering system updates automatically if you add or remove references.

Remember!