Ibid is short for ibidem, which is a Latin word that means “the same place.” The term ibidem is usually used in footnotes of scholarly texts and materials, so the author will not have to cite a lengthy title over and over again. The writer can reference the title in a footnote and then use the term ibid for the next footnotes. If the author will have to move to a new part of the text, he/she can inform the readers by noting ibid and the page number.

For legal documents, the term id (short for idem) which means as previously mentioned is written. The terms ibid and idem can refer to a text or to an author. For some scholarly materials, writers make use of the term idem in order to refer to a single author, if several written works made by the same person are being cited. Although replacing the name of the author with idem or ibid seems to be a lazy act, some writers indeed have long names and make use of lengthy titles for their works. With this, these terms can be considered as beneficial if the writer is aiming to save time and space.

Various scholarly disciplines implement different rules when it comes to making citations. Universities, instructors, and publications may differ in their preferences as well. Because of this, it is best for a writer to study and refer to the style manual before making the submission of the text. Whether it is for evaluation, grading, or publication, consulting the manual can ensure that the style guidelines and basic standards of the institution to which the material will be submitted are met adequately. Although making adjustments when it comes to footnoting practices seem trivial to some, it is a good way to ensure that the text is standardized and will prevent instances wherein the submission is rejected for failing to be edited properly.