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Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition

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This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/). When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice at bottom.

This section contains information on The Chicago Manual of Style method of document formatting and citation. These resources follow the sixteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style , which was issued in September 2010.

Contributors: Jessica Clements, Elizabeth Angeli, Karen Schiller, S. C. Gooch, Laurie Pinkert, Allen Brizee Last Edited: 2014-02-07 11:51:52

Please note that while these resources reflect the most recent updates in the 16 th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style concerning documentation practices, you can review a full list of updates concerning usage, technology, professional practice, etc. at The Chicago Manual of Style Online . To see a side-by-side comparison of the three most widely used citation styles, including a chart of all CMS citation guidelines, see the Citation Style Chart .

Introduction

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage, and documentation and has been lovingly called the “editors’ bible.” The material in this resource focuses primarily on one of the two CMS documentation styles: the Notes-Bibliography System (NB), which is used by those in literature, history, and the arts. The other documentation style, the Author-Date System, is nearly identical in content but slightly different in form and is preferred in the social/sciences.

In addition to consulting the The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.) for more information, students may also find it useful to consult Kate L. Turabian's Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations  (8th ed.). This manual, which presents what is commonly known as the "Turabian" citation style, follows the two CMS patterns of documentation but offers slight modifications suited to student texts.

Notes and bibliography (NB) in Chicago style

The Chicago NB system is often used in the humanities and provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through footnote or endnote citation in their writing and through bibliography pages. It also offers writers an outlet for commenting on those cited sources. The NB system is most commonly used in the discipline of history.

The proper use of the NB system can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the intentional or accidental uncredited use of source material created by others. Most importantly, properly using the NB system builds credibility by demonstrating accountability to source material.

If you are asked to use the Chicago NB format, be sure to consult The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.) and/or A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (7th ed.). Both are available in most writing centers and reference libraries and in bookstores.

Introduction to notes

In the NB system, you should include a note (endnote or footnote) each time you use a source, whether through a direct quote or through a paraphrase or summary. Footnotes will be added at the end of the page on which the source is referenced, and endnotes will be compiled at the end of each chapter or at the end of the entire document.

In either case, a superscript number corresponding to a note with the bibliographic information for that source should be placed in the text following the end of the sentence or clause in which the source is referenced.

The first note for each source should include all relevant information about the source: author’s full name, source title, and facts of publication. If you cite the same source again, the note need only include the surname of the author, a shortened form of the title (if more than four words), and page number(s).

If you cite the same source and page number(s) from a single source two or more times consecutively, the corresponding note should use the word “Ibid.,”  an abbreviated form of the Latin ibidem ,  which means “in the same place.” If you use the same source but a different page number, the corresponding note should use “Ibid.” followed by a comma and the new page number(s).

In the NB system, the footnote or endnote itself begins with the appropriate number followed by a period and then a space. In Turabian style, the footnote or endnote begins with a superscript number.

Introduction to bibliographies

In the NB system, the bibliography provides an alphabetical list of all sources used in a given work. This page, most often titled Bibliography, is usually placed at the end of the work preceding the index. It should include all sources cited within the work and may sometimes include other relevant sources that were not cited but provide further reading.

Although bibliographic entries for various sources may be formatted differently, all included sources (books, articles, Web sites, etc.) are arranged alphabetically by author’s last name. If no author or editor is listed, the title or keyword by which the reader would search for the source may be used instead.

Common Elements

All entries in the bibliography will include the author (or editor, compiler, translator), title, and publication information.

Author’s Names

The author’s name is inverted in the bibliography, placing the last name first and separating the last name and first name with a comma; for example, John Smith becomes Smith, John. (If an author is not listed first, this applies to compilers, translators, etc.)

Titles of books and journals are italicized. Titles of articles, chapters, poems, etc. are placed in quotation marks.

Publication Information

The year of publication is listed after the publisher or journal name.

Punctuation

In a bibliography, all major elements are separated by periods.

For more information and specific examples see the sections on Books and Periodicals .

Please note that this OWL resource provides basic information regarding the formatting of entries used in the bibliography. For more information about Selected Bibliographies, Annotated Bibliographies, and Bibliographic Essays, please consult Chapter 14.59 of The Chicago Manual of Style .

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Chicago Style Guide - 17th Edition

• Chicago Style
• Title Page and Pagination
• Quotations and Signal Phrases
• Bibliography
• Chicago's Citation Parts
• Articles - Online
• Articles - Print
• Blogs and Social Media
• Government Publications
• Elders & Knowledge Keepers
• Other Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Generative AI Tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL·E 2)
• Author/Date (Scientific) System
• Need More Help?

Useful Links

• Chicago Manual of Style Online - Quick Guide
• Douglas College Library - Chicago Style Guide (PDF)
• Purdue OWL - Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.)
• SFU Library - Chicago/Turabian (17th ed.) Citation Guide

Avoid Plagiarism

• Camosun Academic Integrity Guide
• Camosun Plagiarism Guide
• Douglas College Learning Centre - Paraphrasing Without Plagiarizing
• Purdue OWL - Avoiding Plagiarism
• SFU Library - Plagiarism Tutorial

Chicago Style Sample Research Paper

Formatting and Sample Paper

The formatting guidelines listed on this page, provide general best practices for formatting your work using the Chicago style. Detailed information about formatting your title page , using quotes and signal phrases , and creating a bibliography , can be found by navigating to various sub-pages of this "Formatting Your Paper" page.

Learning how to correctly format your research paper into Chicago style can seem overwhelming, especially if the style is new to you. One of the best ways to help visualize what your paper needs to look like is by checking out an example of a paper that has already been formatted correctly.

View this  sample Chicago style research paper   ( notes and bibliography/humanities system ) from Purdue OWL for examples on how to format:

• A title page
• Headers and page numbers
• A bibliography

For a sample paper in the Chicago author/date style , visit the "Author/Date (Scientific) System" page in this guide.

Paragraphs and Spacing

The first line of all new paragraphs should begin with an indent . You can use either the tab key or your word processor's indentation tool to make your indentations–just be sure to be consistent and use the same process throughout your paper.

Your paper should be double spaced throughout its main body , with the following exceptions: 

• Block quotations , table titles , and figure captions should be single-spaced . 
• ​An extra line of space should be inserted both before and after a block quotation. 

Entries in the bibliography and footnotes/ endnotes are single spaced within entries , but double-spaced between entries (unless your instructor prefers double-spacing throughout).​

Footnotes and Endnotes

• Notes can be either  footnotes   (placed at the  foot   (bottom) of the same page  as the referenced text) or  endnotes   (listed on a  separate sheet at the end  of the essay, before the bibliography).
• Other than placement in your document, footnotes and endnotes are  structured in exactly the same way .
• Notes are  numbered consecutively  throughout the paper. Most word processing programs (such as MS Word) handle footnotes automatically.
• Follow your instructors’ directions when deciding whether to use footnotes or endnotes.

To insert a footnote in a Microsoft Word document:

• Place the cursor after the text you want to cite.
• Click on the " References "   tab.
• In the " Footnotes " section , click on the " In sert Footnote " button.
• A superscript number 1 will appear after the text you want to cite.
• A superscript number 1 will also appear at the bottom of page.
• At the bottom of the page next to the superscript number, enter the citation information for your resource (see the citation examples in this guide for how to create footnotes).
• Repeat these steps to insert and consecutively number your footnotes.

Some instructors may ask you to use endnotes, instead of footnotes. For information on inserting endnotes, see the  Microsoft Office Tutorial .

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Research for Essay Writing in English

• Library Terminology
• Types of sources
• Google vs. Library Databases
• Building your search strategy
• Running your search
• Evaluating your results
• Chicago Manual of Style

Additional Resources

• The Chicago Manual of Style Online Official website of CMoS.
• Purdue OWL - Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition Detailed online guide for the CMoS developed by Purdue University Online Writing Lab.

Chicago Manual of Style: A Very Brief Introduction

Your professor has asked you to use Chicago Manual of Style (They probably called it ‘Chicago’ for short). You panic! You’ve heard of MLA and APA, but Chicago? This is new.

Take a breath and relax, Chicago is common in the humanities, and is especially used for articles that have been published in humanities journals. If you learn Chicago as a student, you will be prepared for publishing your first peer-reviewed article!

Please note that the information comes directly from the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, 2017. Information here cannot substitute for using the guide and is not comprehensive. Please consult the guide to learn Chicago style.

Unlike some other styles, Chicago has two versions. Make sure you know which one your professor wants you to use.

The first is called Notes and bibliography. The manual states that “In this system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography.” (1)

The second is author-date. The manual states that this style is “more common in the sciences and social sciences. In this system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each in-text citation matches up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided.” (2)

This page only includes examples in the Notes and bibliography format .

1 University of Chicago, “Notes and Bibliography: Sample Citations,” in The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2017), https://www-chicagomanualofstyle-org.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html.

2 University of Chicago, “Notes and Bibliography: Sample Citations.”

Citation & Bibliography

As with most citation styles, there are two components to Chicago: 1) citation and 2) bibliography. A citation is when you let your reader know that you are referring to someone else’s ideas, words, or a combination thereof. A citation appears in your text where the reader can see it, and in Chicago, the citation marker is a small superscript number. The purpose of the citation is to let readers know exactly where you got the information or ideas from. Although the superscript number appears in your text (in Microsoft Word, select “References” and then “Insert footnote” to create a footnote), the actual citation appears at the bottom of the page.

Examples of footnotes:

The guide contains examples for many different types of sources.

Shortened citations

One difference between Chicago and other styles is that after you cite one source once in a footnote, you don’t have to include all the information every time you cite the same source afterward. For example, using the above examples, the subsequent and shortened citations to the same works would appear as:

Grazer and Fishman, Curious Mind, 37.

Satterfield, “Livy,” 172–73.

Shortening citations makes footnotes easier to read and leaves more room for the work itself. To create a shortened citation, include the authors’ last names (or last name if it is a single author), a couple of identifying words in the title, followed by the page number.  

Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of works that were used in the writing of the text. Begin the bibliography after the main body of the text, on the next page. The purpose of the bibliography is to let readers know where to find the works you cited. In Chicago, the bibliography is single-spaced, and second lines are indented.

Bibliography entries for the works above would appear as:

Grazer, Brian, and Charles Fishman. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015. (please insert indentation on this line)

Satterfield, Susan. “Livy and the Pax Deum.” Classical Philology 111, no. 2 (April 2016): 165–76.

In the bibliography, the first author’s last name appears before their first name, while all other authors’ names appear in first-name, last-name order. The punctuation becomes a period instead of a comma, except in front of the date, and while the title is italicized, the publication information is no longer in parentheses. Page numbers are only included when referring to a discreet intellectual work, such as a chapter of a book (which might be by a different author than the other chapters), or an article that appears in a journal volume containing articles by multiple authors because page numbers are essential to capturing the extent of one intellectual work. There are many more examples of how to cite in the Chicago guide, which we encourage you to consult often.  

Good luck with Chicago!

If you have questions, or if you run into problems that the guide does not address, e-mail Catherine Lachaîne at [email protected]  

This online guide is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International  license. This page is attributed to Jennifer Dekker. 

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Chicago Manual of Style Format

Table of contents

• 1.1 Are Chicago Manual and Turabian the same?
• 2 What Are Two Primary Systems of the Chicago Manual of Style?
• 3 Citation Style Guide: General Formatting Rules in Chicago Manual Style
• 4.1 Style Guide on How to Apply Full and Shortened Footnotes
• 4.2 How to Cite Common Resources in the Chicago Manual?
• 5.1 The Importance of Using the Chicago Manual of Style in Academic Achievement

There are plenty of citation styles in an academic environment, but today, we will concentrate on the Chicago Style format. It is a widely used citation and formatting style, also known as the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS). This citation style was first published in 1906 to help people to make their texts more readable and structured. University students primarily used the Chicago writing style, but the system was later used in other areas as well. Commonly, it is used to create the right humanities, history, and social sciences format. In this article, we will provide you with an effective Chicago manual of style guide. We’ll also examine this system’s key features and applications in different science sections and discuss the main Chicago style rules.

History of Chicago Style in Academic Writing

The Chicago Manual of Style was developed by the University of Chicago Press. The material provides clear advice on how to format research articles, cite sources, and compile bibliography entries (Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition). One of the features of the Chicago manuscript style is its universal flexibility. Generally, recommendations developed by experts can be used in absolutely different fields of science. An example of how to cite (Chicago style) a source in a research paper:

• Dan Brown, The DaVinci Code (New York: Scholastic, 2004), 17-19.

This structuring (ibid Chicago style) has created an unspoken system of standards over time. Thus, students, teachers, and scholars worldwide can easily share their printed work thanks to the same formatting. At the same time, thanks to the use of a unified Chicago citation system, the papers have a clear and understandable structure. As the popularity of this approach grew, so did the changes in computer software. For example, the creators of Microsoft Office automated several guidelines, making it possible to use Chicago style citation with simple keyboard shortcuts in MS word.

Are Chicago Manual and Turabian the same?

Both citation styles adhere to the same principles of academic writing and citation. In fact, Chicago and Turabian style are similar, but they are not the same. Turabian originated as a variation of the Chicago style. It was named after Kate Turabian, who developed a simplified version of the Chicago style.

What Are Two Primary Systems of the Chicago Manual of Style?

The Chicago manual of style (CMOS) uses two systems for citing sources and formatting academic papers.

• “Author-date” system is particularly used in the natural and social sciences. According to Chicago style citations, one citation consists of the author’s surname and the year of publication. Example: Walkley, 2022.

The reference list is submitted at the end of the document. On the Chicago reference page sources are listed alphabetically by author’s surname. Each entry in the reference list includes full publication details such as the author’s name, title of the work, and publication information.

• The Notes-Bibliography system (Chicago bibliography) is mainly used in the humanities (literature, history, philosophy, art). Using this system, authors cite sources using full footnotes or endnotes, which appear in the text as superscript number or numbers.

The first citation of each particular source includes full publication details, and subsequent parenthetical citations may be abbreviated. According to the Chicago style bibliography entry, source details are filed, including the author’s name, the work’s title, publication information, and other important words or information. You should also understand what a bibliography in APA is.

By applying the Chicago style sources approach, multiple authors of research papers and other academic works create quality work without additional effort. Thanks to standardization, the material becomes easy to read and use. In addition, universities often give additional points for competent design.

Citation Style Guide: General Formatting Rules in Chicago Manual Style

The most common question is: what is Chicago style in text citation? However, the Chicago style title is just as important as the formatting of the entire document. Accordingly, the Chicago style guide applies to parenthetical citations, headings, font, and spacing. Below, we describe a few of the most important principles.

• Page Specifications. According to the Chicago format, page numbers should have margins (1 inch).
• Styling the document: Font and Space Bar. The Chicago Manual of Style doesn’t require a specific font or font size, so Times New Roman is usually used (size 12). The Chicago writing format also requires that all pages be numbered (top or bottom, usually in the upper right corner). The initial page can be numbered in an “invisible” font. Meanwhile, the main text should include double space, and each new paragraph should begin with a ½ inch indent. Each footnote and bibliography must be single spaced. You can also use a blank line in any part of your text if required.
• The Title Page should be an informative part of the entire document.

The title page (Chicago style) or the first page of the paper contains the student’s first and last name, the title of the academic paper, the teacher’s first and last name, the title of the topic, and the year. This information for the cover page may vary depending on the educational institution’s rules.

• Headline style and subheadings are also governed by the Chicago citation guidelines.

The heading is constructed according to the following principle: headline style capitalization is applied to the first and last words. The same applies to nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. For subheadings, only the first word or proper nouns are capitalized.

• Formatting of names and numbers. In Chicago style formatting, author date style mentions, and source titles are used as they appear in the source.
• Quotation. In the Chicago Manual of Style put quotes in quotation marks. Place a block quotation of at least several lines (4-5) in the block format without quotation marks.
• Reference List. Start a reference list on the new page and list references alphabetically.

The names of books, magazines, and newspapers are italicized. Dates are given in this order: month, day, and year (11-01-2020). Numbers from 1 to 99 are written in numerals, and from 99 onwards, in letters.

To summarize, what is Chicago style representing is a set of clear and simple rules. All of them are recommendatory. Nevertheless, students, teachers, and scientists point out the obvious advantages of using a standardized system.

Citing Different Types of Sources

Citing different types of sources in the Chicago manual style, particularly in the Notes and Bibliography style (NB) system, requires attention to detail and consistency. Here are some important points to consider when following the Chicago formatting style.

Style Guide on How to Apply Full and Shortened Footnotes

Footnote ─ additional information is added at the bottom of the page. The footnote usually includes the author’s name, publication title, publication information, date of publication, and page number(s) if it is the first time the source is being used. It is a really important part of academic writing, especially in CMS.

There are two concepts in Chicago style footnotes. When citing a source for the first time, complete information is usually given in the footnote. In this case, in addition to giving the authorship, you must provide additional information we mentioned before. However, the subsequent quotation can appear in the shortened footnotes (author, title, year).

How to Cite Common Resources in the Chicago Manual?

Chicago style writing eliminates the option of not citing multiple sources. Thus, every pro essay writer should indicate where they got this information and then format it according to accepted standards. Here are some footnote examples so it becomes more clear for you how to cite in CMS:

Full Note: Author’s First Name Last Name, Book Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Page Numbers.

Shortened Citation: Last Name, Shortened Title, Page Number.

Extra: When a specific chapter (or other titled part of a book) is cited in the notes in the Chicago Manual of Style, the author’s name is followed by the chapter title (or other part), followed by a period, followed by the book title.

• Journal Articles:

Full Note: Author’s First Name, Last Name, “Title of Journal Article,” Title of Journal, Volume Number, Issue Number (Year): Page Range.

Shortened Form: Last Name, “Shortened Title,” Page Numbers.

Note: In other styles, the access date for digital documents must also be mentioned. However, it is not recommended in Chicago style unless the source’s publication date or last revision can be located.

Full Note: Author’s First Name Last Name (if available), “The Website Name,” Title of Website or Publisher, Publication Date or Revision Date, digital object identifier (URL).

Short Note: Last Name (or the site’s name), “Shortened Title”.

• Newspaper Articles:

Full Note: Author’s First Name Last Name, “Title of Article,” Title of Newspaper, Volume and Issue Numbers (Month Day, Year) of an Article.

Short Note: Last Name, “Shortened Title”.

• Encyclopedia Entries:

Full Note: Author’s First Name Last Name, “Title of Entry,” Title of Encyclopedia, Edition (Year), s.v. “Entry Title.”

Short Note: Last Name, “Shortened Title,” s.v. “Entry Title”.

• Interviews:

Full Note: Interviewee’s First Name Last Name, Interviewer’s First Name Last Name, Date of Interview.

• Films or Videos:

Full Note: Title of Film or Video, Director’s First Name Last Name (Year; City: Publisher, Format).

Short Note: Shortened Title.

• Social Media Posts:

Full Note: Author’s First Name Last Name, “Content of Post,” Social Media Platform, Date, URL.

Short Note: Last Name, “Shortened Title.”

• Lectures or Presentations:

Full Note: Speaker’s First Name Last Name, “Title of Lecture,” Event, Location, Date.

Full Note: Artist’s First Name Last Name, Title of Artwork, Year, Medium, Location.

That is what Chicago style works cited templates look like. Sometimes, you also might need to use atypical sources. For example, you use an audio recording of a conversation with someone you know. In such a case, the full citation principle involves providing as much information about the same source as possible.

However, to cite it in a shorter version or mention it in the footnote at the bottom of the page is not really recommended in this case.

Extended Citation Style: Formatting Tables and Figures

In the Chicago style manual, you will also find information on how to work with tables and shapes. Such objects are also an important source of data transfer. Each table should have its name, specified by the principle of headings in Chicago style. Each column should have titles, any figure number should be also mentioned and any footnote citation should be placed below the table. If it is necessary to refer to a table, the name of the table and the page on which it is placed should also be mentioned.

Drawings and pictures (any images) are also subject to Chicago referencing. The author should indicate where this or that picture was taken. In general, citation of textual materials extends to visual objects. In the Chicago Manual of Style, tables and figures should be placed as close as possible to the text where they are referenced, either on the same page or the following page.

The Importance of Using the Chicago Manual of Style in Academic Achievement

Each academic paper benefits from adhering to Chicago style endnotes, ensuring parenthetical citation and scholarly credibility. Moreover, Chicago style annotation enhances understanding and research thoroughness, contributing to each paper’s quality. Sometimes, students perceive this approach as “too difficult.”

However, working with the Chicago Manual of style is worth trying at least once. And you will see from your example how much easier it becomes to work with large volumes of information. Thanks to CMS, everything in your work, from the title page to the reference list, will look structured and organized. As a result, your academic papers will become really deep and valuable from a scientific point of view.

Remember: not only the cover page (Chicago style) has a matter. Following Chicago manual style page formatting guidelines ensures consistency and readability in each document, fostering your academic success.

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Chicago Research Paper Formatting

Chicago manual of style (cmos - 17th edition).

• Finding Sources for Your Paper
• Additional Resources
• Sample Papers

You are going to love this! Save this template somewhere safe or e-mail it to yourself. Then resave it immediately with the name of your new document. This will keep your template safe and ready to reuse again for future assignments.

The templates provided will be sufficient for most student Chicago Style papers. For more information on formatting, please check out The Chicago Manual of Style Online Resources for Students page at  https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/help-tools/Resources-for-Students.html . 

• Purdue Owl Author Date Sample Paper Sample paper is downloadable.
• Purdue Owl Notes Bibliography Sample Paper Sample paper is downloadable.
• Turabian: Student Paper-Writing Tip Sheets Official Chicago style, in easy-to-use, printable PDF paper-writing tip sheets for students, teachers, and librarians. Guidelines are per Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (9th ed.) and are fully compatible with The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.).
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• URL: https://libguides.polk.edu/chicago

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Chicago Style (17th Edition): Introduction

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Secondary Sources
• Videos & DVDs
• How to Cite: Biblical & Catholic Sources
• How to Cite: Other
• Short Form & Ibid.
• Additional Help

Chicago Style at Duquesne University

At Duquesne University, Chicago style is the preferred citation format for the History and Theology Departments, as well as the Center for Global Health Ethics.

Note: The above departments typically uses the "Notes and Bibliography" format of Chicago style, not the "Author Date" format.

What is Chicago Style?

Chicago Style was created by the University of Chicago. It is a set of rules for formatting publications, including research papers.

In Chicago style, you must cite sources that you have quoted, paraphrased, or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places

• In the body of your paper where you add a footnote  (which appears in the footer at the bottom of the page)
• In the bibliography  at the end of your paper.
• Chicago Style 17th ed. Notes and Bibliography Sample Paper (Purdue OWL)

Commonly Used Terms

Access Date:  The date you first look at a source. The access date is added to the end of citations for all websites except library databases.

Bibliography: Contains details on ALL the sources cited in a text or essay, and supports your research and/or premise.

Citation: Details about one cited source.

Citing: The process of acknowledging the sources of your information and ideas.

Footnote: Details about one source that you cited in the text of your paper, which appears in the footer at the bottom of the page.

Paraphrasing: Taking information that you have read and putting it into your own words.

Plagiarism: Taking, using, and passing off as your own, the ideas or words of another.

Quoting: The copying of words of text originally published elsewhere. Direct quotations generally appear in quotation marks and end with a citation.

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More Chicago Style Help

• Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition) Database The Chicago Manual of Style presented as a database. Enter your Multipass username and password when prompted.
• Chicago Style (Purdue OWL)

This guide was created by Hannah Goss, English Department Intern, and Ted Bergfelt, Humanities Librarian, in September 2022. It is based on a guide originally created by Stephine Michel, University of Portland, and was made with her kind permission.

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• Last Updated: Apr 23, 2024 3:10 PM
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Chicago Style (17th Edition) Citation Guide: Introduction

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Secondary Sources
• Videos & DVDs
• How to Cite: Biblical & Catholic Sources
• How to Cite: Other
• Short Form & Ibid.
• Additional Help

Who should use Chicago Style?

Chicago style is the preferred citation style for history and theology.

Note:  UP typically uses the "notes and bibliography" format of Chicago style, not the "author date" format.

What is Chicago Style?

Chicago style was created by the University of Chicago. It is a set of rules for publications, including research papers.

In Chicago style, you must cite sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:

• In the body of your paper where you add a footnote  (which appears in the footer at the bottom of the page).
• In the bibliography  at the end of your paper.
• Chicago Style 17th ed. Notes and Bibliography Sample Paper (Purdue OWL)

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Chicago 17th Edition Citation Guide

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Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide

Chicago-style source citations come in two varieties: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. If you already know which system to use, follow one of the links above to see sample citations for a variety of common sources. If you are unsure about which system to use, or how the two systems are related, read on.

Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date?

In the notes and bibliography system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography. The notes and bibliography system, Chicago’s oldest and most flexible, can accommodate a wide variety of sources, including unusual ones that don’t fit neatly into the author-date system. For this reason, it is preferred by many working in the humanities, including literature, history, and the arts.

In the author-date system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each in-text citation matches up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided. Because it credits researchers by name directly in the text while at the same time emphasizing the date of each source, the author-date system is preferred by many in the sciences and social sciences.

Aside from the use of numbered notes versus parenthetical references in the text, the two systems share the same style for authors’ names, titles of works, and other cited components. Follow the links at the top of this page to see examples of some of the more common source types cited in both systems.

Most authors choose the system used by others in their field or required by their publisher. Students should check with their instructor before deciding which system to use.

For a more comprehensive overview of Chicago’s two systems of source citation, see chapter 13 of The Chicago Manual of Style . For many more examples organized by type of source, consult chapter 14 .

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• Creating a Chicago Style Bibliography | Format & Examples

Creating a Chicago Style Bibliography | Format & Examples

Published on September 23, 2019 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on April 9, 2024.

A Chicago style bibliography lists the sources cited in your text. Each bibliography entry begins with the author’s name and the title of the source, followed by relevant publication details. The bibliography is alphabetized by authors’ last names.

A bibliography is not mandatory, but is strongly recommended for all but very short papers. It gives your reader an overview of all your sources in one place. Check with your instructor if you’re not sure whether you need a bibliography.

Always make sure to pay attention to punctuation (e.g., commas , quotation marks , parentheses ) in your citations.

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Table of contents

Chicago style bibliography examples, formatting the bibliography page, author names in the bibliography, bibliography vs reference list, frequently asked questions about the chicago bibliography.

Bibliography entries vary in format depending on the type of source . Templates and examples for the most common source types are shown below.

• Book chapter
• Journal article

• The edition is always abbreviated (e.g. 2nd ed. or rev. ed.).
• Only include the URL for books you consulted online.

• Use this format to cite a chapter in a multi-authored book. If all the chapters in a book were written by the same person, reference the whole book.
• Begin the citation with the author of the chapter. The editor who compiled the book is listed later.

• The page range identifies the location of the article within the journal issue.
• For articles accessed online, include a DOI (digital object identifier) where available, and a URL if not.

• If the author is unknown, list the organization or website name as author, and don’t repeat it later in the citation.
• If no publication date is listed, include an access date instead.
• The website name is not italicized, unless it is an online version of a newspaper or magazine .

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The bibliography appears at the end of your text. The heading Bibliography is bolded and centred at the top of the page.

Unlike the rest of a Chicago format paper, the bibliography is not double-spaced. However, add a single line space between entries.

If a bibliography entry extends onto more than one line, subsequent lines should be indented ( hanging indent ), as seen in the example below. This helps the reader to see at a glance where each new entry begins.

There are further guidelines for formatting a Chicago style annotated bibliography , in which you write a paragraph of summary and source evaluation under each source.

Author names in the bibliography are inverted: The last name comes first, then the first name(s). Sources are alphabetized by author last name.

If a source has no named author, alphabetize by the first word of the title or organization name that starts the entry. Ignore articles (“the,” “a,” and “an”) for the purposes of alphabetization.

Sources with multiple authors

For sources with more than one author, only the first author’s name is inverted; subsequent names are written in the normal order.

For texts with up to 10 authors, all the authors’ names should be listed in the order they appear in the source, separated by commas .

If there are more than 10 authors, list the first seven, followed by “ et al. ”

Multiple sources by the same author

If you include multiple works from the same author, only include the author name in the first entry. In subsequent entries, replace the name with three em dashes , followed by the rest of the citation formatted as normal. List the entries in alphabetical order by title.

A reference list is mandatory in Chicago author-date style , where you cite sources in parentheses in the text. The only differences between a Chicago bibliography and a reference list are the heading and the placement of the date.

The reference list is headed “References.” In reference list entries, the publication date is placed immediately after the author’s name. This allows the reader to easily find a reference on the basis of the corresponding in-text citation.

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In a Chicago style footnote , list up to three authors. If there are more than three, name only the first author, followed by “ et al. “

In the bibliography , list up to 10 authors. If there are more than 10, list the first seven followed by “et al.”

The same rules apply in Chicago author-date style .

To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator .

In a Chicago footnote citation , when the author of a source is unknown (as is often the case with websites ), start the citation with the title in a full note. In short notes and bibliography entries, list the organization that published it as the author.

In Chicago author-date style , treat the organization as author in your in-text citations and reference list.

When an online source does not list a publication date, replace it with an access date in your Chicago footnotes and your bibliography :

If you are using author-date in-text citations , or if the source was not accessed online, replace the date with “n.d.”

• A reference list is used with Chicago author-date citations .
• A bibliography is used with Chicago footnote citations .

Both present the exact same information; the only difference is the placement of the year in source citations:

• In a reference list entry, the publication year appears directly after the author’s name.
• In a bibliography entry, the year appears near the end of the entry (the exact placement depends on the source type).

There are also other types of bibliography that work as stand-alone texts, such as a Chicago annotated bibliography .

In Chicago author-date style , your text must include a reference list . It appears at the end of your paper and gives full details of every source you cited.

In notes and bibliography style, you use Chicago style footnotes to cite sources; a bibliography is optional but recommended. If you don’t include one, be sure to use a full note for the first citation of each source.

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Caulfield, J. (2024, April 09). Creating a Chicago Style Bibliography | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/chicago-style/bibliography/

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