Citation, Documentation of Sources

Q. Should I use footnotes to simply list the reference information or are they for adding additional information mainly?

A. Footnotes serve both purposes. Usually, notes that consist mainly of citations are collected at the back of the book (endnotes), while notes that are more discursive might go at the bottom of the page (footnotes). Many books mix the two purposes, but in every case the author and editor must decide whether readers (that is, buyers) would be put off by footnotes or prefer them.