Footnotes and Punctuation Marks
Updated on / dernière mise à jour : 12/09/2023
Answer
 | Before defending my point of view, it is of the upmost importance to say that in the world of reference notes, many different methods exist and several "Écoles de pensée" (Schools of thought) have their own little system for including and representing their references to their papers. Some thinkers are also against the use of any form of footnotes or endnotes and include their sources directly in the text. |
Now, even if I don't agree with every school of thought, I respect them all. This being said, it doesn't change the fact that you want your source to be included properly to your paper, you want it to respect a certain methodology and you want your readers to understand easily and clearly where you got your information without invading your text. To that regard, my method includes the possibility to use the MLA or APA styles.
Many institutions ask their researchers, newspaper agents, scientists, employees, etc., to put the reference numbers before the period and never after the end of the sentence.
Here are two examples:
1
| Perspective Afrique (a scientific review, in French): http://www.perspaf.org/index.php/Guide_redactionnel/24/0/ « Appel de note : pas d'espace entre le numéro de l'appel et l'élément visé par la note ; si le numéro de l'appel vient à la fin d'une phrase, il est placé avant le point ». Translation: Note numbering: no space between the number and the textual source; if the number comes at the end of a sentence, it must be included before the period.
|
2 | Université Laval (Canada): « Appel de note : pas d'espace entre le numéro de l'appel et l'élément visé par la note ; si le numéro de l'appel vient à la fin d'une phrase, il est placé avant le point ». Translation: Note numbering: no space between the number and the textual source; if the number comes at the end of a sentence, it must be included before the period. |
Regarding your Office debate, I wouldn't go on a crusade with this. Hence, you won't be able to settle it once and for all based uniquely on scientific methodology. You'll have to decide, probably by voting on it (democracy!), which format your office will use in the future.
