Ibid.
Latin abbreviation for "ibidem" meaning "in the same place." Used in footnotes and endnotes to refer to the source cited in the immediately preceding note. Common in Chicago and legal citation styles.
Why it matters
Ibid. reduces repetition in footnote-heavy writing by eliminating the need to repeat full citation details when the same source is cited consecutively. It keeps your notes section clean and readable. However, its usage has become more restricted in recent style guide editions, so knowing current best practices is important.
How to use
Use "Ibid." in a footnote or endnote when it references the same source as the immediately preceding note. If the page number differs, add it after "Ibid.": Ibid., 47. Note that Chicago 17th edition now discourages ibid. in favor of shortened citations, though it is still acceptable. OSCOLA (UK law) still uses ibid. regularly.
In academic writing
Students encounter ibid. primarily in Chicago Notes-Bibliography style papers in the humanities, and in legal writing using OSCOLA or Bluebook citation. While older academic texts use ibid. extensively, the trend in modern citation practice is moving toward shortened footnotes instead. If your instructor or journal still uses ibid., be consistent and precise in its application.
Common mistakes
- •Using ibid. when the preceding footnote cites multiple sources — ibid. only works when the preceding note has a single, unambiguous reference.
- •Using ibid. when there are intervening footnotes that cite different sources, breaking the consecutive chain.
- •Forgetting the period after "Ibid" or capitalizing it inconsistently — "Ibid." is always capitalized at the start of a note and always ends with a period.
Example
1. Smith, Research Methods, 45. 2. Ibid., 47.
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