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The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition by ISBN: 9780226287058Publication Date: 2017-09-05Online version of the Chicago Manual of Style
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What is Chicago?
Chicago-style source citation comes in two varieties:
- notes and bibliography - preferred by many working in the humanities, including literature, history, and the arts. In this system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are usually listed in a separate bibliography. The notes and the bibliography system can accommodate a wide variety of sources, including unusual ones that don't fit neatly into the author-date system.
- author-date - 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 y ear of publication. Each in-text citation mates up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided.
Learn more about Chicago Manual of Style online through the SCU Library or Chicago Style from Purdue OWL.
How do I Cite...? (notes and bibliography)
One Author:
Notes:
Author's First Name Last Name, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
Example:
Zadie Smith, Swing Time (New York: Penguin Press, 2026), 315-16.
Bibliography entries:
Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Example:
Smith, Zadie. Swing Time. New York: Penguin Press, 2016.
Two Authors
Notes:
Author's First Name Last Name and Author's First Name Last Name, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
Example:
Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger life (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015), 12.
Bibliography entries:
Author's Last Name, First Name, and Author's First Name Last Name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Example:
Grazer, Brian and Charles Fishman. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015.
Book with Author and Editor:
Notes:
Author's First Name Last Name, Title of Book, ed. Editor's First Name Last Name (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
Example:
Edward B. Tylor, Researches into the Early Development of Mankind and the Development of Civilization, ed. Paul Bohannan (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964), 194.
Bibliography entries:
Author's Last Name, First Name, Title of Book. Edited by Editor's First Name Last Name. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Example:
Tylor, Edward B. Researches into the Early Development of Mankind and the Development of Civilization. Edited by Paul Bohannan. University of Chicago Press, 1964.
Chapters from a Book with an Editor:
Notes:
Chapter Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Chapter," in Title of Book, ed. Editor's First Name Last Name (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
Example:
Muriel Harris, "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers," in A Tutor's Guide: Helping Writers One to One, ed. Ben Rafoth (New Hampshire: Heinemann, 2000), 24-34.
Bibliography entries:
Chapter Author's Last Name, First Name, "Title of Chapter." In Title of Book, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, page number. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Example:
Harris, Muriel. "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers." In A Tutor's Guide: Helping Writers One to One, edited by Ben Rafoth, 24-34. New Hampshire: Heinemann, 2000.
Online:
Notes:
Name of Government Department, Agency or Committee, Title of Government Publication, Date of copyright or modification or access, Page Number, URL.
Example:
United States Government Accountability Office, Arctic Region: Factors that Facilitate and Hinder the Advancement of U.S. Priorities, September 2023, https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-106002.pdf.
Bibliography entries:
Name of Government Department, Agency or Committee. Title of Government Publication. Date of copyright or modification or access. URL.
Example:
United States Government Accountability Office. Arctic Region: Factors that Facilitate and Hinder the Advancement of U.S. Priorities. September 2023. https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-106002.pdf.
One Author:
Notes:
Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Article," Name of Journal Volume Number, no. Issue Number (Date of Publication): Page Number of Exact Citation, https://doi.org/DOI Number or Name of Database.
Example:
Jorge Guillen, "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?" Emerging Markets Finance & Trade 52, no. 2 (2016): 1148, https:/doi/org/10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337.
Bibliography entries:
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Name of Journal Volume Number, no. Issue Number (Date of Publication): First Page Number of Article-Last Page Number of Article. https://doi.org/DOI Number or Name of Database.
Example:
Guillen, Jorge. "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?" Emerging Markets Finance and Trade 52, no 2 (2016): 1145-1155. https:/doi/org/10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337.
Two to Three Authors
Notes:
First Author's First Name Last Name and Second Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Article," Name of Journal Volume Number, no. Issue Number (Date of Publication): Page Number of Exact Citation, https://doi.org/DOI Number or Name of Database.
Example:
Louis Hoffman, Nathaniel Granger, and Lisa Vallejos, "An Existential-Humanistic Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Contemporary Protest Movements," Journal of Humanistic Psychology 56, no. 6 (2016): 595-597, https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167816652273.
Bibliography entries:
First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Name of Journal Volume Number, no. Issue Number (Date of Publication): First Page Number of Article-Last Page Number of Article. https://doi.org/DOI Number or Name of Database.
Example:
Hoffman, Louis, Nathaniel Granger, and Lisa Vallejos. "An Existential-Humanistic Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Contemporary Protest Movements." Journal of Humanistic Psychology 56, no. 6 (2016): 595-611. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167816652273.
Four or More Authors:
Notes:
First Author's First Name Last Name et al., "Title of Article," Name of Journal Volume Number, no. Issue Number (Date of Publication): Page Number of Exact Citation, https://doi.org/DOI Number or Name of Database.
Example:
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson et al., "Idle No More and Black Lives Matter: An Exchange (Panel Discussion)," Studies in Social Justice 12, no. 1 (Winter 2018): 77-79, Directory of Open Access Journals.
Bibliography entries:
First Author's Last Name, First Name, Second Author's First Name Last Name, Third Author's First Name Last Name, and Fourth Author's First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Name of Journal Volume Number, no. Issue Number (Date of Publication): First Page Number of Article-Last Page Number of Article. https://doi.org/DOI Number or Name of Database.
Example:
Simpson, Leanne Betasamosake, Rinaldo Walcott, Glen Coulthard, and Michael Moats. "Idle No More and Black Lives Matter: An Exchange (Panel Discussion)." Studies in Social Justice 12, no. 1 (Winter 2018): 75-89. Directory of Open Access Journals.
Print:
Notes:
Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of News Story," Name of Newspaper, (Place of publication), Date of print.
Example:
Nisha Deo, "Visiting Professor Lectures on Photographer," Exponent (West Lafayette, IN), Feb. 13, 2009.
Bibliography entries:
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of News Story". Name of Newspaper (Place of publication), Date of print.
Example:
Deo, Nisha. "Visiting Professor Lectures on Photographer." Exponent (West Lafayette, IN), Feb. 13, 2009.
Online:
Notes:
Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of News Story," Name of Newspaper, (Place of publication), Date of print, URL.
Example:
Tanya Pai, "The Squishy, Sugary History of Peeps," Vox, April 11, 2017, https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/4/11/15209084/peeps-easter.
Bibliography entries:
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of News Story". Name of Newspaper (Place of publication). Date of print. URL.
Example:
Pai, Tanya. "The Squishy, Sugary History of Peeps." Vox, April 11, 2017. https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/4/11/15209084/peeps-easter.
Social Media:
Notes:
First Name Last Name (Screen name), "Post text", social media service, indication of format/medium, publication date, time stamp, URL.
Example:
Bill Nye (@BillNye), "While I'm not much for skipping school, I sure am in favor of calling attention to the seriousness of climate change. Our students can see the problem...," Twitter, March 14, 2019, https://twitter.com/BillNye/status/1106242216123486209.
Bibliography entries:
Last Name, First Name (Screen name). "Post text". Social media service, indication of format/medium, publication date, time stamp. URL.
Example:
Nye, Bill (@BillNye). "While I'm not much for skipping school, I sure am in favor of calling attention to the seriousness of climate change. Our students can see the problem...." Twitter, March 14, 2019. https://twitter.com/BillNye/status/1106242216123486209.
Website with Known Author:
Notes:
First Name Last Name, "Title of Web Page," Name of Website, Publishing Organization, publication or revision date if available, access date if no other date is available, URL.
Example:
Colette Hemingway and Sean Hemingway, "Greek Gods and Religious Practices," The Met, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, published October 2003, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grlg/hd_grlg.htm.
Bibliography entries:
Last Name, First Name. "Title of Web Page," Name of Website. Publishing Organization, publication or revision date if available. Access date if no other date is available. URL.
Example:
Hemingway, Colette and Sean Hemingway. "Greek Gods and Religious Practices." The Met. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Published October 2003. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grlg/hd_grlg.htm.
Website with Unknown Author:
Notes Example:
"Illinois Governor Wants to 'Fumigate' State's Government," CNN online, January 30, 2009, https://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/30/illinois.governor.quinn/.
Bibliography entries Example:
"Illinois Governor Wants to 'Fumigate' State's Government," CNN online. January 30, 2009. https://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/30/illinois.governor.quinn/.
With Director:
Notes:
First Name Last Name, Title of Work, directed/performed by First Name Last Name (Original release year; City: Studio/Distributor, video release year), medium.
Example:
Joe Versus the Volcano, directed by John Patrick Shanley (1990; Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2002), DVD.
Bibliography entries:
Last Name, First Name. Title of Work. Directed/Performed by First Name Last Name. Original Release Year; City: Studio/Distributor, video release year), Medium.
Example:
Shanley, John Patrick, dir. Joe Versus the Volcano. 1990; Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2002. DVD.
Footnotes
Footnotes
Each time you refer to a source in your writing, whether through a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary, you must include a corresponding footnote that provides bibliographic information about the original source.
Whenever you refer to material from a source, you must insert a "footnote number" at the end of the paraphrased section or direct quotation. This directs readers to a corresponding footnote (with the same footnote number) at the bottom of the page on which the reference to the source is made. The first footnote number will be 1, the second will be 2, and so on. In the body of your text you use superscript (like this1) for the footnote number, while in the footnote you use a regular number followed by a period.
Shortened Footnotes
In Chicago style, the first time you cite a particular source you must provide a full footnote citation. If you refer to the same source again in your paper, you do not need to repeat the same full citation. Instead, you provide a shortened version of the footnote, which includes enough information for the reader to find the full citation in your bibliography or in an earlier footnote.
Shortened footnotes should include the author’s last name, a shortened version of the title (if longer than four words), and any other directing information, such as page numbers (when available).
Formatting Your Paper
Page Order
Assemble your paper in the following order:
- Title page
- Body of paper
- Appendix (if needed)
- Bibliography
Font
Use Times New Roman, Size 12 (unless otherwise instructed).
Margins and Indents
Your margins should be 1 inch on all sides.
Indent new paragraphs by one-half inch.
Spacing
Double-space the main text of your paper.
Single-space the footnotes and bibliography, but add a blank line between entries.
Numbering
Start numbering your pages on the second page of your paper (don't include the title page).
Put your page numbers in the header of the first page of text (skip the title page), beginning with page number 1. Continue numbering your pages to the end of the bibliography.
Footnotes
Place the footnote number at the end of the sentence in which you have quoted or paraphrased information from another source. The footnote number should be in superscript, and be placed after any punctuation.
Put your footnotes in the footer section of the page.
Learn more about General Format from Purdue OWL.