For writers of footnotes

If you do academic writing, then you’ll find this article interesting: When a Rose Isn't 'Arose' Isn't Arroz: A Student Guide to Footnoting for Informational Clarity and Scholarly Discourse, by Prof. William B.T. Mock, Jr. Professor Mock describes three kinds of footnotes serving three different purposes:

• Reference footnotes, citing the authorities supporting the text.
• Factual footnotes, providing background facts that the reader may not know.
• Idea footnotes, placing the writer’s arguments, opinions, and analyses in a broader scholarly context.

He then describes the proper use of each kind of footnote and gives pointers for writing them.

In a footnote near the end of the article, he gives a valuable pointer that every legal researcher will find useful: When photocopying something from a book or a treatise, always photocopy the title page, both front and back.¹ Later, the photocopied title page will give you all the information you need to cite the work, saving you a trip back to the library for that information.
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¹ If you want to save a fraction of a tree (a twig perhaps), photocopy just the front of the title page, and write on the photocopy the most recent copyright date from the back of the title page.