Are RISD students required to produce at least one paper with footnotes before they graduate from high school?
Yes, at every secondary grade level (7-12). The district teaches source documentation consistent with Modern Language Association guidelines, the style most frequently employed at universities and in humanities studies. The MLA style uses what is called “parenthetical documentation,” which is documentation within parentheses following the material being cited or used. Footnotes, per se, are no longer used. A detailed record of sources appears at the conclusion of the report in a “Works Cited” list.
