Punctuation
Q. Dear CMOS, I am puzzled by what appears to me as an inconsistency in your demonstration of footnote style with author-date system (15th ed.). On page 624, entry 16.120 demonstrates a footnote that is clearly indented. However, the text sample on page 630 (fig. 16.6) shows a footnote whose first line is not indented. Can you please tell me what is correct format for this issue?
A. CMOS doesn’t specify a style for notes indention, although endnotes are almost always indented (as in 16.120), as opposed to footnotes, which aren’t always (as in fig. 16.6). This is usually not an editorial decision, but rather a design decision, so it’s not something editors should mark. Proofreaders should mark it only if they notice inconsistency.
