rookie question!

NoQuarter

hey guys, this is probably a simple one:

whats the difference between footnotes and a bibliography?

i mean if you you reference everything in your footnotes then whats the point in having a bibliography at the end??

thanks :rolleyes:

johnnyskeleton

Footnotes give specific citations of quotes etc. A bibliography gives a list of all sources consulted for research. You don't have to credit an author in the text if you have learned from their work, only if you want to cite them in the text. You do however need to give a list of all sources consulted (even if you didn't find them very helpful). A bibliography also gives full information on the work (e.g. edition, publisher, date of publication etc) that would not be contained in the footnotes.

So if I were to write the following:

The law on recklessness in Ireland is based on the case of D.P.P v. Murray1. The decision there has been applied and developed in numerous cases since. It has described as "yadda yadda yadda"2

Footnotes:
1. [1977] IR 360
2. Charleton et all, p. XXX

Bibliography:
1. Charleton et all, Criminal Law, Butterworths, 1997 (or whatever)
2. The effects of DPP v Murray on subsequent caselaw, Joe Soap B.L, 1 Journal Name 23.

hullaballoo

johnnyskeleton wrote:

Footnotes give specific citations of quotes etc. A bibliography gives a list of all sources consulted for research. You don't have to credit an author in the text if you have learned from their work, only if you want to cite them in the text. You do however need to give a list of all sources consulted (even if you didn't find them very helpful). A bibliography also gives full information on the work (e.g. edition, publisher, date of publication etc) that would not be contained in the footnotes.

So if I were to write the following:

The law on recklessness in Ireland is based on the case of D.P.P v. Murray1. The decision there has been applied and developed in numerous cases since. It has described as "yadda yadda yadda"2

Footnotes:
1. [1977] IR 360
2. Charleton et all, p. XXX

Bibliography:
1. Charleton et all, Criminal Law, Butterworths, 1997 (or whatever)
2. The effects of DPP v Murray on subsequent caselaw, Joe Soap B.L, 1 Journal Name 23.

In addition to this - and this is a good illustrative post - it's important to say that whenever you make a point in legal writing, it's appropriate to quote authority (unless the field is in some way original and untested1). That is to say that when you say that the law in relation to a certain point is this... you should have a case or refer to a credited text book or other source.

1. Even so, it's a very good idea to cite law from an analogous field or similar jurisdiction in this case, if you can.