Chicago Style Citation Guide

Understanding Chicago Style Citation

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is a widely used citation style, particularly in the humanities (literature, history, arts) and some social sciences. It offers flexibility, primarily through two distinct documentation systems:

1. Notes-Bibliography (NB) System: Favored in humanities for its comprehensive footnotes or endnotes and a full bibliography. This system is ideal when extensive commentary or detailed source information is beneficial in the main text without disrupting readability.
2. Author-Date (AD) System: Preferred in the social sciences, offering concise parenthetical citations within the text that point to a detailed reference list. This system is more streamlined and similar to APA or MLA in its in-text citation approach.

Knowing which system to use is crucial. Always check with your instructor, professor, or publisher for their specific requirements.

The Notes-Bibliography (NB) System

The NB system uses footnotes or endnotes to cite sources within the text and a comprehensive bibliography at the end of the paper.

In-Text Citations (Footnotes/Endnotes)

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page, while endnotes appear at the end of the chapter or document. Both are indicated by a superscript number in the text following the cited material.

First Citation (Full Note)

The first time you cite a source, the note should provide complete bibliographic information.

Format: `Note Number. Author's First Name Last Name, Title of Book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Page Number.` `Note Number. Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Article," Title of Journal Volume, no. Issue (Year): Page Number, DOI or URL.`

Examples:

• Book:

`1. Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005), 187.`

• Journal Article (Print):

`2. Margaret Atwood, "Writing Utopia," The New York Review of Books 58, no. 1 (2011): 12.`

• Journal Article (Online with DOI):

`3. Sarah M. Bueler, "The Myth of the Monstrous Feminine in Medieval Literature," Journal of Medieval Studies 42, no. 3 (2018): 321, https://doi.org/10.1086/698765.`

• Website:

`4. The White House, "President Biden's Infrastructure Plan," The White House, accessed February 1, 2023, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/.`

Subsequent Citations (Short Note)

After the first full citation, subsequent notes for the same source can be shortened significantly.

Format: `Note Number. Author's Last Name, Shortened Title, Page Number.`

Examples:

• Book:

`5. Goodwin, Team of Rivals, 201.`

• Journal Article:

`6. Atwood, "Writing Utopia," 15.`

• Website:

`7. The White House, "Infrastructure Plan."` (If no specific page number, just the shortened title.)

Special Cases:

• Multiple Authors (2-3): List all authors in the order they appear.

`8. Lisa Feldman Barrett and James A. Russell, The Psychology of Emotion (New York: Guilford Press, 2015), 50.`

• Multiple Authors (4+): List the first author followed by "et al."

`9. John Doe et al., Research Methods in Practice (London: Sage, 2021), 92.`

• Ibid.: Use "Ibid." (meaning "in the same place") if a note refers to the immediately preceding note. If the page number is different, add a comma and the new page number.

`10. Ibid.` `11. Ibid., 205.`

Bibliography

The bibliography is an alphabetical list of all sources cited in your paper, appearing at the end of the document. Entries are formatted differently from notes, with the author's last name first for alphabetization.

General Rules:

• Alphabetize entries by the author's last name (or by title if no author).
• Use a hanging indent for each entry (the first line is flush left, subsequent lines are indented).
• Do not number bibliography entries.

Common Source Types in Bibliography

Book:

• Format:

`Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.`

• Example:

`Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005.`

Chapter in an Edited Book:

• Format:

`Chapter Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Chapter." In Title of Book, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Page Range. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.`

• Example:

`Smith, Jane. "The Impact of Technology on Society." In Modern World Issues, edited by John Doe, 45-67. London: Routledge, 2020.`

Journal Article (Print):

• Format:

`Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume, no. Issue (Year): Page Range.`

• Example:

`Atwood, Margaret. "Writing Utopia." The New York Review of Books 58, no. 1 (2011): 12-16.`

Journal Article (Online with DOI):

• Format:

`Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume, no. Issue (Year): Page Range. DOI or URL.`

• Example:

`Bueler, Sarah M. "The Myth of the Monstrous Feminine in Medieval Literature." Journal of Medieval Studies 42, no. 3 (2018): 315-330. https://doi.org/10.1086/698765.`

Website:

• Format:

`Author Last Name, First Name (if available). "Title of Page." Title of Website. Last modified Month Day, Year (if available). Accessed Month Day, Year. URL.`

• Example:

`The White House. "President Biden's Infrastructure Plan." The White House. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/.`

The Author-Date (AD) System

The AD system uses brief parenthetical citations in the text, which correspond to a detailed reference list at the end of the paper. This system is more concise and commonly used in the sciences and social sciences.

In-Text Citations

Parenthetical citations include the author's last name, the year of publication, and often a page number.

Format: `(Author Last Name Year, Page Number)`

Examples:

• Direct Quote:

`"The theory fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe" (Hawking 1988, 75).`

• Paraphrase:

`According to Hawking (1988), the theory significantly altered our cosmic perception.` `The theory significantly altered our cosmic perception (Hawking 1988).`

• Multiple Authors (2-3):

`(Barrett and Russell 2015, 50)`

• Multiple Authors (4+):

`(Doe et al. 2021, 92)`

• No Author: Use a shortened title.

`("Infrastructure Plan" 2021)`

• Multiple Works by Same Author in Same Year: Add a lowercase letter after the year (e.g., 2020a, 2020b).

`(Smith 2020a, 12)`

Reference List

The reference list, titled "References," includes all sources cited in the text, formatted similarly to the NB bibliography but with subtle differences, especially regarding publication dates.

General Rules:

• Alphabetize entries by the author's last name (or by title if no author).
• Use a hanging indent for each entry.
• Do not number entries.
• The publication year immediately follows the author's name.

Common Source Types in Reference List

Book:

• Format:

`Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher.`

• Example:

`Goodwin, Doris Kearns. 2005. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Simon & Schuster.`

Chapter in an Edited Book:

• Format:

`Chapter Author Last Name, First Name. Year. "Title of Chapter." In Title of Book, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Page Range. Place of Publication: Publisher.`

• Example:

`Smith, Jane. 2020. "The Impact of Technology on Society." In Modern World Issues, edited by John Doe, 45-67. London: Routledge.`

Journal Article (Print or Online with DOI):

• Format:

`Author Last Name, First Name. Year. "Title of Article." Title of Journal Volume (Issue): Page Range. DOI or URL.`

• Example:

`Bueler, Sarah M. 2018. "The Myth of the Monstrous Feminine in Medieval Literature." Journal of Medieval Studies 42 (3): 315-330. https://doi.org/10.1086/698765.`

Website:

• Format:

`Author Last Name, First Name (if available). Year (of publication or last update). "Title of Page." Title of Website. Accessed Month Day, Year. URL.`

• Example:

`The White House. 2021. "President Biden's Infrastructure Plan." The White House. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/.`

Key Differences & When to Use Each

| Feature | Notes-Bibliography (NB) System | Author-Date (AD) System | | :--------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------- | | In-text | Superscript numbers linking to footnotes/endnotes | Parenthetical citations (Author Year, Page) | | End of paper | Bibliography (full source details) | Reference List (full source details, year after author) | | Use case | Humanities (history, literature, arts), extensive notes desired | Social sciences, natural sciences, more streamlined approach | | Date placement | At the end of the citation in bibliography/notes | After the author's name in the reference list/in-text citations |

Always confirm with your institution or publisher which system is preferred for your specific field or assignment.

General Chicago Style Formatting Tips

Beyond citations, Chicago style also has guidelines for the overall presentation of your paper.

• Page Numbers: Typically placed in the upper right-hand corner, starting from the first page of the main text (or the title page if it's not counted).
• Title Page: A separate title page is optional but often required. It includes the paper's title, your name, course title, and date, centered vertically and horizontally. No page number on the title page itself.
• Margins: 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Font: A readable font, usually 12-point Times New Roman or a similar serif font.
• Spacing: Double-space the main text. Block quotes, bibliography/reference list entries, and footnotes/endnotes have specific spacing rules (often single-spaced within an entry, double-spaced between entries).
• Block Quotes: For prose quotations of five or more lines, or poetry quotations of two or more lines, indent the entire quote 0.5 inches from the left margin, single-space it, and omit quotation marks. The citation follows the punctuation at the end of the block quote.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Inconsistency: The most common error. Ensure you consistently apply either NB or AD throughout your paper, and maintain the exact formatting for each source type.
• Missing Information: Double-check that all required elements (author, title, publisher, year, page numbers, URLs/DOIs) are present for each citation.
• Incorrect Punctuation: Chicago style is very precise with commas, periods, and colons. Pay close attention to these details.
• Direct Quotes vs. Paraphrases: Remember to use quotation marks for direct quotes and always cite sources for both direct quotes and paraphrased information.
• "No Date" (n.d.): If a source has no publication date, use "n.d." in place of the year. This is more common in websites or archival materials.
• "No Publisher" (n.p.): If a source has no publisher, use "n.p." This is rare for academic sources but can occur with obscure or self-published works.

Tools and Resources for Chicago Style

Mastering Chicago style takes practice. Fortunately, many resources are available to help:

• The Chicago Manual of Style Online: The official, comprehensive guide. It's subscription-based but often available through university libraries.
• Purdue OWL Chicago Guide: A highly respected, free online resource with clear examples.
• Citation Generators: Many online tools can help format citations, but always double-check their output for accuracy.
• University Writing Centers: Most universities offer free writing support, including citation help.

For complex projects or if you need an expert eye to ensure your citations are flawless, EssayMatrix offers professional editing services that include meticulous style checking and formatting. Relying on such services can save significant time and ensure your academic work adheres to the highest standards.

By diligently following these guidelines and utilizing available resources, you can confidently navigate the complexities of Chicago style citation, ensuring your academic work is impeccably referenced and free of plagiarism.