Citations and footnotes on Medium

Summary

The web content provides instructions on how to add citations and create the effect of footnotes in Medium articles using superscript and linked text.

Abstract

The article explains that while Medium does not have a built-in feature for footnotes, users can still cite sources by using superscript numbers within the text and then creating a list of corresponding citations in a new section of the article. It also suggests that hyperlinking text directly to sources is an alternative method for citation. The process involves typing the ^ character followed by a number for superscript and using the "Enter" key to insert a "+" button for adding a new part for citations. The article references an archived Medium Help page and a post by Arin Basu for further guidance on adding footnotes.

Opinions

The author implies that the lack of native footnote support in Medium can be worked around with a bit of creativity.
Superscript is presented as a practical solution for in-text citations, with the expectation that readers are familiar with the concept of corresponding endnotes.
The use of hyperlinks for citation is suggested as a modern alternative, indicating a preference for digital convenience over traditional citation methods.
The inclusion of external links to more detailed guides suggests that the author values comprehensive resources for readers seeking to implement these citation methods.

Citations and footnotes on Medium

You can add citations in medium by using superscript and footnotes.

Superscript characters are achieved using the code the ^ character.

Example with superscript^1

Example with superscript¹

Once you have finished your article hit the “Enter” key and this will display the “+” button at the left side of your article. You can then click on the “- -” (new part) button to create a “…” separator and then follow this with a list of citations.

Footnotes are not supported in Medium² but we can achieve the same result using superscript and adding a new part to hold our citations.