Manuscript Preparation, Copyediting, and Proofreading

Q. I am putting together a PowerPoint presentation and use a specific term multiple times on a single presentation slide. I would like to define what the term means using a footnote. Should I include the footnote reference number in superscript every time I write the term on this slide, or just the first use? Thank you!

A. In a very long book, if a difficult or unfamiliar term appears on page 9 and then again on page 347, readers might appreciate being reminded of its definition. However, in the space of a single PowerPoint slide, readers who have just read the definition of a word and who are then sent to the same definition several more times would be justified in throwing things at the presenter.