The penalties for plagiarism can be devastating, and most institutions are enforcing these with greater vigilance. Yet many students who practice plagiarism don't know they are doing it, and only do it because they either misunderstand how to use scholarly sources or have little faith in their own ability to express themselves. In fact, most students of history do reiterate well known academic arguments as their own in essays all the time. Still, you are asked to give credit to the source of these ideas in a foot- or endnote. Here are some documentation practices commonly followed in history.
Consistency means everything in referencing.
Stick to either footnotes or endnotes all through your essay. Most instructors prefer endnotes because they don't interfere with the length of papers. If endnotes are used, they should appear after the end of the essay text, on a separate page titled Notes .