\thanks not creating footnote in twocolumn article

Question

I am trying to use \thanks inside \author in a twocolumn article. The document shows an asterisk next to the author's name, but the footnote is not appearing at the bottom of the first page or anywhere else in the document.

The abstract is one column and \thanks works if the multicol package is used, however it would be easier if the article is simply twocolumn. Here is a working example.

\documentclass [11pt, twocolumn] {article}
\usepackage[affil-it]{authblk}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\usepackage{abstract}

\begin{document}
\title{Latin text\\ \textit{and}\\ It's in Latin}
\author{James Smith%
\thanks{The author would like to thank someone.}}
\affil{USA University}
\date{November 2012}
\twocolumn[
\begin{@twocolumnfalse}
\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
 \blindtext
\vspace{1cm}
\end{abstract}
\end{@twocolumnfalse}
]
\section{Introduction}
\blindtext
\end {document}

Answer 1

This is discussed in the TeX FAQ at https://texfaq.org/FAQ-onecolabs

(Where did you get the idea for the twocolumn hack from in the first place?)

All you need to do is \saythanks after the twocolumn hack:

\documentclass [11pt, twocolumn] {article}
\usepackage[affil-it]{authblk}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\usepackage{abstract}

\begin{document}
\title{Latin text\\ \textit{and}\\ It's in Latin}
\author{James Smith%
\thanks{The author would like to thank someone.}}
\affil{USA University}
\date{November 2012}
\twocolumn[
\begin{@twocolumnfalse}
\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
 \blindtext
\vspace{1cm}
\end{abstract}
\end{@twocolumnfalse}
]
\saythanks
\section{Introduction}
\blindtext
\end {document}

Answer 2

I believe that abstract is better treated as part of \maketitle, just like AMS classes do, but this unfortunately isn't true.

You can however do so by yourself and this will avoid losing the \thanks:

\documentclass [11pt, twocolumn] {article}
\usepackage[affil-it]{authblk}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\makeatletter
\newbox\abstract@box
\renewenvironment{abstract}
  {\global\setbox\abstract@box=\vbox\bgroup
     \hsize=\textwidth\linewidth=\textwidth
    \small
    \begin{center}%
    {\bfseries \abstractname\vspace{-.5em}\vspace{\z@}}%
    \end{center}%
    \quotation}
  {\endquotation\egroup}
\expandafter\def\expandafter\@maketitle\expandafter{\@maketitle
  \ifvoid\abstract@box\else\unvbox\abstract@box\if@twocolumn\vskip1.5em\fi\fi}
\makeatother


\begin{document}
\title{Latin text\\ \textit{and}\\ It's in Latin}
\author{James Smith%
\thanks{The author would like to thank someone.}}
\affil{USA University}
\date{November 2012}

\begin{abstract}
 \blindtext
\vspace{1cm}
\end{abstract}

\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
\blindtext
\end {document}

Note that you must type the abstract environment before \maketitle, which shouldn't be a big issue.

Note I've changed the original code to work correctly also in one column mode

Answer 3

use it this way, if you want the abstract over both columns:

\documentclass [11pt,twocolumn] {article}
\usepackage[affil-it]{authblk}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\usepackage{abstract}

\begin{document}
\title{Latin text\\ \textit{and}\\ It's in Latin}
\author{James Smith%
\thanks{The author would like to thank someone.}}
\affil{USA University}
\date{November 2012\\[1cm]
\begin{abstract}
 \blindtext
\end{abstract}}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
\blindtext
\end {document}