citing websites in footnotes chicago style

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Chicago Style (17th Edition) Citation Guide: Websites

• 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

Table of Contents

Entire website - no separate pages or sections, page or section from a website.

Bibliography:

All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

All citations should use first line indent, where the first line of the footnote should be indented by 0.5 inches; all subsequent lines are not indented.

Footnotes should be the same font size and style as the rest of your paper.

See instructions for how to insert footnotes in Microsoft Word.

It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the website instead.

The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.

If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.

Access Date

Chicago style does not recommend including access dates in the citation, unless no date of publication or last revision for the source may be located.

“Religion & Public Life.” Pew Research Center. Accessed January 26, 2021. https://www.pewforum.org.

1. “Religion & Public Life,” Pew Research Center, accessed January 26, 2021, https://www.pewforum.org.

“Roman Catholic Church.” Religious Groups. American Religion Data Archives. Accessed July 15, 2020. http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_836.asp.

1. “Roman Catholic Church,“ Religious Groups, Association of Religion Data Archives, accessed July 5, 2020, http://www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_836.asp.

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• Last Updated: Jun 28, 2024 12:34 PM
• URL: https://libguides.up.edu/chicago

Chicago Citation Guide (17th Edition): Websites

• What Kind of Source Is This?
• Advertisements
• Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
• Book Reviews
• Class Handouts, Presentations, and Readings
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Artwork, and Maps
• Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• No Author, No Date etc.
• Sample Paper, Bibliography, & Annotated Bibliography
• Powerpoint Presentations

On This Page

Website - known author, page or document on a website - created by a corporation, group, or organization, page or document on a website - known author, page or document on a website - unknown author.

• Document from a Government Website

Citing Sources with Multiple Authors

Website dates: copyright, last modified/updated, accessed, what date should i use.

You only need to include one date when citing a web page. See the options below.

Best option: Use the “last modified” date. Sometimes this is called “last updated” or “last edited.”

Second-best option: Sometimes there is no “last modified” date. In this case, you can use the copyright date.

Third-best option: Sometimes there is no date at all on the web page. In this case, state the “Accessed” date. The "Accessed" date is the date that you visited the web page. When you are using this option you need to state the word "Accessed" before the date. 

Example: Accessed January 17, 2022.

It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the website instead.

The owner or sponsor of a website is considered to be the publisher. This information can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site. 

The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.

If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.

Access Date

If the website does not show a copyright date or the date it was last modified/updated, you should include the date you last accessed the site.

1. Author's First Name Last Name, Title of Website, Name of Owner or Sponsor of the Website [if different from Title of Website], Date of copyright or modification or access, URL. 

Bibliography Entry:

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Website. Name of Owner or Sponsor of the Website [if different from Title of Website]. Date of copyright or modification or access. URL.

1. "Title of Page or Document," Title of Website, Name of Corporation, Group, or Organization Associated with the Website [if different from Title of Website], Date of copyright or modification or access, URL. 

Name of Corporation, Group, or Organization Associated with the Website. "Title of Page or Document." Title of Website [if different from Name of Corporation, Group, or Organization]. Date of copyright or modification or access. URL.

1. Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Page or Document," Title of Website, Name of Owner or Sponsor of the Website [if different from Title of Website], Date of copyright or modification or access, URL. 

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Page or Document." Title of Website. Name of Owner or Sponsor of the Website [if different from Title of Website]. Date of copyright or modification or access. URL.

Example from Khan Academy

Example of Artist Personal Website

• Click here for examples of website citations with copyright, last modified/updated, and access dates

1. "Title of Page or Document," Title of Website, Name of Owner or Sponsor of the Website [if different from Title of Website], Date of copyright or modification or access, URL. 

"Title of Page or Document." Title of Website. Name of Owner or Sponsor of the Website [if different from Title of Website]. Date of copyright or modification or access. URL.

Government Document from a Website

1. Name of Government Department, Agency or Committee, Title of Government Publication , Date of copyright or modification or access, Page Number [if available], URL. 

Name of Government Department, Agency or Committee. Title of Government Publication . Date of copyright or modification or access. URL.

1. Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Blog Post,"  Title of Blog , Name of Publication  [if blog is part of a larger publication], Date of Post, URL. 

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Blog Post."  Title of Blog .  Name of Publication  [if blog is part of a larger publication]. Date of Post. URL. 

Add (blog) after the title of the blog unless the word  blog  is already included in the title.

1. Wikipedia, s.v. "Title of Entry," Date last modified, Time stamp, URL.

Wikipedia, s.v. "Title of Entry." Date last modified. Time stamp. URL.

 Time stamp refers to the time the article was last modified. The date and time the article was last modified appear at the bottom of each Wikipedia article.

Keep in mind that Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you can use it as a source in your assignment.

1. Author of Post's First Name Last Name [or Account Name], "Text of the post up to 160 characters," Facebook, Date of Post, URL. 

Author of Post's Last Name, First Name [or Account Name]. "Text of the post up to 160 characters." Facebook, Date of Post. URL. 

 If the Facebook account is for a group or organization, use the account name in place of an author name. E.g. The New York Times.

Content on websites will either have a copyright date, a date last modified or updated, or have no date. If there is no date, you must include the date you accessed the website.

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• Last Updated: Apr 15, 2024 11:30 AM
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Chicago Style / Chicago Style Footnotes

Chicago/Turabian Basics: Footnotes

This is your how-to guide for footnotes following the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. It will help you understand footnotes vs endnotes, teach you how to create them, and show real examples you can learn from.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

What is a footnote?

• Footnotes vs. Endnotes

Why We Use Footnotes

• Creating footnotes

Bibliography

A footnote is a note that provides additional information or references for the reader.

A footnote is indicated with a superscript numeral (like this 1 ) within the text that corresponds to the same numeral at the bottom of the page, which is followed by the reference or additional information. The footnote should be included directly following the text it pertains to, usually after any punctuation.

In Chicago style (notes-bibliography style), footnotes are used instead of in-text citations to cite sources and to reduce interruption to the flow of the writing. However, footnotes can also be used to provide an additional explanation that would be difficult or distracting to include in the body of the text, to point the reader to additional reading or background information, to clarify a term or editorial decision, or to provide any other information that cannot be included within the text itself.

People working in the humanities—literature, history, and the arts—are the primary users of the Chicago footnotes and bibliography system.

Footnotes vs Endnotes

The main difference between footnotes and endnotes is that footnotes are included at the bottom of each page, whereas endnotes are included at the end of a chapter, article, or book.

Whether to use footnotes or endnotes depends on personal preference as well as the number of footnotes/endnotes needed. For example, in a text that has a significant number of notes, it may be better to format them as endnotes since the footnotes would take up a lot of room at the bottom of each page, making the text harder to read. This guide on  footnotes, end notes, and parentheticals provides more information about the differences between these different types of notes and how to use them.

Here’s a quick overview of the two note styles:

Chicago footnotes provide a note each time a source is referenced and are often combined with a bibliography at the end. 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. For any additional usage, simply use the author’s last name, publication title, and date of publication.

Footnotes should match with a superscript number at the end of the sentence referencing the source. You should begin with 1 and continue numerically throughout the paper. Do not start the order over on each page.

In the text:

Throughout the first half of the novel, Strether has grown increasingly open and at ease in Europe; this quotation demonstrates openness and ease. 1

In the footnote:

1. Henry James, The Ambassadors (Rockville: Serenity, 2009), 34-40.

When citing a source more than once, use a shortened version of the footnote.

2. James, The Ambassadors , 14.

Creating Footnotes

Chicago footnotes provide a note each time a source is referenced and are often combined with a bibliography at the end.

• If you use a bibliography : You do not need to provide the full citation in the footnotes, but rather a shortened form of the citation. The reader can consult your bibliography to find the full reference.
• If you only include footnotes and not a bibliography : You must include the full citation the first time you reference the work. The next time you use the same work, you can just use the shortened citation form.

Footnotes should:

• Include the pages on which the cited information is found so that readers easily find the source.
• Match with a superscript number (example: 1 ) at the end of the sentence referencing the source.
• Begin with 1 and continue numerically throughout the paper. Do not start the order over on each page.

Sometimes you may not be able to find all of the information generally included in a citation. This is common for online material and older sources. If this happens, just use the information you have to form the citation.

• No author : Use the title in the author’s position.
• No date of publication : “n.d.” (no date) can be used as a placeholder.
• You may use “n.p.” to indicate no publisher, no place of publication , or no page.

Looking for extra help creating footnotes? Check out the Chicago footnotes generator that comes with a subscription to EasyBib Plus .

Citing sources with more than 1 author

If there are two or three authors, include their full names in the order they appear on the source.

In the shortened form, list the last names of all authors of a work with two or three authors.

• 1st Author First name Last name and 2nd Author First name Last name, Title (Place of publication: Publisher, Year), page number(s).
• 1st Author Last name and 2nd Author Last name, Shortened title , page number(s).
• Alexander Aciman and Emmett Rensin , Twitterature: The World’s Greatest Books in Twenty Tweets or Less (New York: Penguin Books, 2009), 47-48.
• Aciman and Rensin, Twitterature , 25.

Citing sources with 4 or more authors

If there are more than three authors, list only the first author followed by “et al.” List all the authors in the bibliography.

In the shortened form, if there are more than three authors, only give the last name of the first author followed by “et al.”

• 1st Author First name Last name et al., Title (Place of publication: Publisher, Year), page number(s).
• 1st Author Last name et al., Shortened title , page number(s).
• Karen White et al. , The Forgotten Room (New York: Berkley, 2016), 33-38.
• White, Forgotten , 52.

Get help with footnotes by using the EasyBib Plus Chicago footnotes generator.

Citing sources with other contributor information

You may want to include other contributor information in your footnotes such as editor, translator, or compiler. If there is more than one of any given contributor, include their full names in the order they appear on the source.

• Harry Mulisch, The Assault , trans. Claire Nicolas White (New York: Pantheon Books, 1985), 14.
• Mulisch, Assault , 29.If the contributor is taking place of the author, use their full name instead of the author’s and provide their contribution.

If the contributor is taking the place of the author, use their full name instead of the author’s and provide their contribution.

• Theo Hermans, ed., A Literary History of the Low Countries (Rochester: Camden House, 2009), 372.
• Hermans, Low Countries , 301.

If you have a corporate author, use that name in place of the author.

Citing sources with no author

It may not be possible to find the author/contributor information; some sources may not even have an author or contributor- for instance, when you cite some websites. Simply omit the unknown information and continue with the footnote as usual.

Example Book (New York: Scholastic, 2010), 65.

Citing a part of a work

When citing a specific part of a work in the Chicago footnotes format, for example, when citing an article in Chicago , provide the relevant page(s) or section identifier. This can include specific pages, sections, or volumes. If page numbers cannot be referenced, simply exclude them.

Article in a book:

• Kristen Poole, “Dr. Faustus and Reformation Theology,” in Early Modern English Drama: A Critical Companion , ed. G.A. Sullivan et al. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), 100.
• Poole, “Dr. Faustus,” 102.

Chapter in a book:

• Garrett P. Serviss, “A Trip of Terror,” in A Columbus of Space (New York: Appleton, 1911), 17-32.
• Serviss, “Trip,” 20.

Introduction, afterword, foreword, or preface:

• Scott R. Sanders, introduction to Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction: Work from 1970 to Present , ed. Lex Williford and Michael Martone (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007), x-xii.
• Sanders, “Introduction,” xi.

Article in a periodical:

• William G. Jacoby, “Public Attitudes Toward Public Spending,” American Journal of Political Science 38, no. 2 (May 1994): 336-61.
• Jacoby, “Public Attitudes,” 345.

Citing group or corporate authors

In your footnotes, cite a corporate author like you would a normal author. American Medical Association, Journal of the American Medical Association : 12-43.

Citing secondary sources

It is generally discouraged in Chicago style to cite material that you cannot examine in its original form. If this is absolutely necessary, you must cite both the original work and the secondary one in Chicago footnotes.

• Letter, J.B. Rhine to Aldous Huxley, August 15, 1957, Parapsychology Laboratory Records (1983-1984), Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, quoted in Stacy Horn, Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory , (New York: HarperCollins, 2009).

Citing the Bible

When you cite the Bible, include the abbreviated title of the book, the chapter(s), and the verse(s) referenced. You use a colon between chapter and verse. Also, include the version you are referencing. The version must be spelled out for a general audience, but it may be abbreviated for specialists.

• Prov. 3:5-10 (AV).
• Prov. 3:5-10 (Authorized King James Version).

Citing online sources

For online sources, Chicago footnotes generally follow the same principles as printed works.The URL, database name, or DOI need to be included so that the reader can easily find the work cited.

“Twitter Privacy Policy,” Privacy Policy, Twitter, last modified January 1, 2020, https://twitter.com/en/privacy.

News article: 

Eliot Brown, “In Silicon Valley, the Big Venture Funds Keep Getting Bigger,” Wall Street Journal , July 25, 2017, https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-silicon-valley-the-big-venture-funds-keep-getting-bigger-1501002000.

Cynthia J. Cyrus, The Scribes for Women’s Convents in Late Medieval Germany (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009), ProQuest Ebook Central.

Social media:

EasyBib (@EasyBib), “Writing a research paper?,” Twitter, January 21, 2020, 5:20 p.m., https://twitter.com/EasyBib/status/1219746511636049920.

Online video: 

Doritos, “The Cool Ranch Long Form feat. Lil Nas X and Sam Elliott,” YouTube video, 01:30, posted February 2, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6qchztaw9g.

Electronic personal communication:

• Jane Smith, email message to author, January 1, 2020.
• John Smith, Facebook direct message to author, January 2, 2020.

The Chicago Manual of Style . 17ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2017.

Published June 28, 2012. Updated March 11, 2020.

Written by Janice Hansen . Janice has a doctorate in literature and a master’s degree in library science. She spends a lot of time with rare books and citations.

Chicago Formatting Guide

Chicago Formatting

• Book Chapter
• Conference Paper
• Musical Recording

Citation Examples

• Thesis or Dissertation
• Encyclopedia
• Sheet Music
• YouTube Video

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• Writing Tips

Chicago Referencing – Citing a Website (Footnote Style)

3-minute read

• 11th September 2017

With the internet at our fingertips 24 hours a day, who needs books any more? Not students or researchers, that’s for sure! Actually… that’s not quite true. Print sources are still vital when writing an essay . But you can also cite a website if you find useful information online.

Most referencing styles even have specific rules for doing this, including the Chicago referencing footnote system. As such, here’s our guide to citing websites Chicago style.

Footnote Citations

The first time you cite a website, you should give full source information in the footnote :

n. Author Name(s), ‘Title of Page’, Publishing Organisation or Name of Website, publication date, URL.

If all of this information is available for the source, your footnote should look something like this:

1. Nick Stone, ‘Hidden history: Myths – Tombland, Norwich and the Plague’, Invisible Works, last modified 5 June 2015, http://www.invisibleworks.co.uk/myths-tombland-and-the-plague/.

We use the term ‘last modified’ here because web pages are often updated, but often you will just need to give the date the page was first published. If citing the same source more than once, you can then use a shortened format for subsequent footnotes.

Missing Information

Not every website will have a named author or date of publication. When this happens, you will need to adapt your footnotes accordingly.

If the author is not named, you can give the page title in first position. When no date of publication is given, include the date you accessed the site instead:

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2. ‘The Murderers Pub History’, The Murderers & The Gardeners Arms, accessed 31 July 2017, http://www.themurderers.co.uk/norwich-pub-history.html.

You need to include the ‘accessed’ date in case the content on the page changes after you access it.

Bibliography Entry

The bibliography entry for a website in Chicago referencing is similar to the first footnote. The main differences are the punctuation and the fact the author’s names are given surname first:

Author Surname, First Name. ‘Title of Page’. Publishing Organisation or Name of Website. Last modified/access date. URL.

One important difference here is that, when a page has no named author, you should give the publishing organisation or website name first. You can then use this instead of a surname when listing sources alphabetically. For example, the sites above would be listed as follows:

The Murderers & The Gardeners Arms. ‘The Murderers Pub History’ Accessed 31 July 2017. http://www.themurderers.co.uk/norwich-pub-history.html.

Stone, Nick. ‘Hidden history: Myths – Tombland, Norwich and the Plague’. Invisible Works. Last modified 5 June, 2015. http://www.invisibleworks.co.uk/myths-tombland-and-the-plague/.

Finally, as shown above, if a website or organisation name starts with ‘the’, the next word is used when listing sources alphabetically in the bibliography.

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Chicago Manual of Style: Footnotes and In-Text Citations

• Chicago Manual of Style

Footnotes and In-Text Citations

• Bibliography
• Useful Links

When writing your Chicago-formatted paper, you will want to use evidence from the resources you have gathered to support your thesis statement. In Chicago, this can be done a couple of ways. But it ultimately depends on if you are using the notes and bibliography system or the author-date system. This should be determined by your professor. If it is not, ask them to verify. 

If you are using the notes and bibliography system, your direct quotes and paraphrased sentences will be cited with footnotes or endnotes. This means that your shortened citation will appear at the bottom of the page (footnote) or at the end of your paper (endnote) and will be noted in the body of your paper with superscript numbers. 

If you are using the author-date system, your direct quotes and paraphrased sentences will be cited in-text. This way of in-text citation will be very similar to that of APA in-text citations. 

This is where the two systems of Chicago vastly differ from each other and is extremely important that you are using the correct system for your citations. Be sure to click on the appropriate tab to see the examples. 

The Chicago Manual of Style

• Chicago Manual of Style Quick Guide The Chicago Manual of Style Quick Guide is a great resource to use when you need to see how to format a foot note and the citation quickly. This is good for basic examples. For more non-traditional resources, consult The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition or ask a librarian.
• Notes and Bibliography
• Author-Date

Book with One Author

For the first time that you use a footnote, write out the full note (see number 1). The next time you use the source, use the shortened note (see number 2).

1. First name Last name,  Title: Subtitle ( City of Publication: Publisher, Publication Date), page #.

2. Last name,  Shortened Title , page #.

1.  M ichael  Pollan ,   The Omnivore's Dream: A Natural History of Four Meals  (New York: Penguin, 2006),  88 .

2. Pollan,  The Omnivore's Dream , 92. 

Book with Multiple Authors

Two Authors

1. First name  Last name  and First name Last name,  Title: Subtitle  (City of Publication: Publisher, Date), page #.

2. Last name and Last name,  Shortened Title , page #.

1. Geoffrey C. Ward  and Ken Burns,  The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945 ( New York: Knopf, 2007), 50.

2. Ward and Burns,  The War , 102. 

Three authors

1. First name La s t name , First name Last name, and First name Last name,  Title: Subtitle ( City of Publication: Publisher, Date) page #.

2. Last name, Last name, and Last name,  Shortened Title , page #. 

1. Joyce Heatherton, James Fitzgilroy, and Jackson Hsu,  Meteors and Mudslides: A Trip through...

2.  Heatherton, Fitzgilroy, and Hsu,  Meteors and Mudslides ,... 

If there are  4 or more authors , cite only the name of the first listed author followed by 'et al' in the note. 

1. Claire Hacek et al., Mediated Lives: Reflections on Wearable Technologies.. .

2. Hacek et al.,  Mediated Lives ...

Book with Author Plus Editor or Translator

1. First name Last name,   T itle: Subtitle, trans./ed.  First name, Last name (City of Publication: Publisher, Date) page #.

2. Last name, Shortened TItle , page #. 

1. Gabriel García   Márquez ,  Love in the Time of Cholera,  trans. Edith Grossman (London: Cape, 1998), 66. 

2. García   Márquez,  Cholera , 33.

Chapter in an Edited Book

1. Chapter author's First name Last name,  "Title of Chapter," in  Title,  ed. First name Last name of Editor ( City  of  Publication: Publisher,

Date), page #. 

2. Chapter author's Last name, "Chapter Title," page #. 

1. Glenn Gould,  "Streisand as Schwarzkopf," in  The Glenn Gould Reader , ed. Tim Page (New York: Vintage, 1984), 310.

2. Gould, "Streidand as Schwarzkopf," 309.

Electronic Books

For books downloaded from a library or bookseller, the note should reflect specifically where it is located and in which format. 

1. First name Last name, Title ( City of Publication: Publisher, Date) location, Format.

2. Last name,  Shortened Title , location.  

1. Mary Ann Noe,  Ivory Trenches: Adventures of an English Teacher  (self-pub., Amazon Digital Services, 2016), loc. 444 of 3023, Kindle. 

2. Noe,  Ivory Trenches , loc. 500 of 3023.

For books consulted online or through a database, include the DOI (if available) or the URL (if DOI is not available) as part of the note.

1. First name Last name,  Title ( City of Publication: Publisher, date) location, doi: .

2. Last name, Shortened  Title , location, doi. 

3. First name Last name,  Title  (City of Publication, Publisher, date), page #, stable URL.

4. Last name, Shortened TItle ,  page #. 

​1. Mark Evan Bonds,  Absolute Music: The History of an Idea  (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), chap. 3,

https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199343638.003.0004. 

2. Bonds,  Absolute Music , chap. 11,  https://doi.org/10.1093/ acprof :oso/9780199343638.003.0012.

3. Karen Lystra,  Dangerous Intimacy: The Untold Story of Mark Twain's Final Years  (Berkelley: University of California Press, 2004), 59,

http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt8779q6kr/.

4. Lystra,  Dangerous Intimacy , 60-61. 

(Last name Date, page #).

(Pollan 2008, 64)

(Pollan 2008, 79-83)

(Pollan 2008, 88, 95, 103)

For a book with two authors:

(Last name and Last name Date, page #)

(Ward and Burns 2007, 195)

For a book with three authors:

(Last name, Last name, and Last name Date, page #)

(Heatherton, Fitzgilroy, and Hsu 2008, 250)

For a book with  four or more authors , cite only the last name of the first- listed author, followed by  et al.

(Last name et al. Date, page #)

(Hacek et al. 2015, 384)

(Last name of author Date, page #)

(García  M árquez 1988, 230)

Chapter of an Edited Book

(Last name of chapter author Date, page #)

(Gould 1984, 310)

Organization as Author

If there is an abbreviation for the organization, like WHO or NASA, then list the abbreviation first followed by the spelling of the organization name.

(Organization name Date, page #)

(BSI 1985, 23)

Journal Articles

• Author- Date

Physical Journal

1. First name, Last name, "Article Title," Journal Title  vol. number, issue no. (Publication Date): page number.

1. Donald Maletz, "Tocqueville's Tangents to Democracy,"  American Political Thought  4, no. 4 (Fall 2015): 615.

Articles Consulted Online

If you accessed an article through a database, then you will need to include the DOI (digital object identifier) or if there is no DOI available, the stable URL.  If there is no DOI, use the shortened stable URL in the place of the DOI.

1. First name Last name,  "Article Title,"  Journal Title  vol. number, issue no. (Publication Date): page number, https://doi.org/xxxxxx. 

2.  First name Last name,  "Article Title,"  Journal Title  vol. number, issue no. (Publication Date): page number, shortened URL.

1. Miriam Schoenfield, "Moral Vagueness Is Ontic Vagueness,"  Ethics  126, no. 2 (2016): 260-61, https://doi.org/10.1086/683541.

2. Frank P. Whitney, "The Six-Year High School in Cleveland,"  School Review  37, no. 4 (April 1929): 268,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1078814.

If the URL is very long and not available, list the name of the commercial database in lieu of the the URL. 

1.  First name Last name,  "Article Title,"  Journal Title  vol. number, issue no. (Publication Date): page number, name of Database.

1. Zina Giannopoulou ,  "Prisoners of Plot in José Saramago's  The Cave "  Philosophy and Literature  38, no. 2 (2014): 335, Project Muse.

2. Giannopoulou, "Prisoners," 337.  

This will be the same, whether it is a physical journal article or an article from a database. 

(Last name  Date, page #)

(Maletz 2015, 615)

Magazines and Newspapers

Physical magazine articles.

1. First name Last name, "Article Name,"  Magazine Title , Month and year of publication, page.

1. Beth Saulnier, "From Vine to Wine,"  Cornell Alumni Magazine , September/October 2008, 48. 

2. Jill Lepore, "The Man Who Broke the Music Business," New Yorker , April 27, 2015, 59. 

Magazine Articles Consulted Online

Include the URL at the end of the citation. If the URL is not available, then include the name of the database where you got the article. 

1. First name Last name, "Article Name,"  Magazine Title , Month and year of publication, [page if given], URL/ Database name.

1. Karl Vick,  "Cuba on the Cusp,"  Time , March 26, 2015, http://time.com/3759629/ cuba-us-policy /.

2.  Henry William Hanemann ,  "French as She Is Now Spoken,"  Life,  August 26, 1926, 5,  ProQuest . 

Newspapers are formatted the same way as magazine articles. 

1.  First name Last name, "Article Name,"  Newspaper Title , Month and year of publication [, edition if given].

1. Mike Ryoko, "Next Time, Dan, Take Aim at Arnold,"  Chicago Tribune , September 23, 1992. 

2. Christopher Lehmann- Haupt, "Robert Giroux, Editor, Publisher and Nurturer of Literary Giant, Is Dead at 94,"  New York Times ,

September 6, 2008, New York edition.

If the newspaper article was accessed online, include the URL at the end. If there is no URL and it was accessed via a database, include the database name. 

1.  First name Last name, "Article Name,"  Newspaper Title , Month and year of publication, URL.

2.  First name Last name, "Article Name,"  Newspaper Title , Month and year of publication, Database name.

1. David G. Savage, "Stanford Student Goes to Supreme Court to Fight for Her Moms,"  Los Angeles Times , April 27, 2015, Nation,

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-gay-marriage-children-201504024-story.html.

2. John Meyers, "Invasive Faucet Snails Confirmed in Twin Ports Harbor,"  Duluth (MN) News-Tribune , September 26, 2014, EBSCOhost.  ​

Magazine and Newspaper Articles

Magazine and newspaper article in-text citations will be very similar to that of journal articles, no matter where they were accessed. 

If the page number is listed, include the page number.

If the page number is not listed, still include the last name and date.

(Last name  Date)  

1. "Title of Webpage," Title of Website, Owner or Sponsor of website, [last modified or accessed date], URL. 

1. "Apps for Office Sample Pack," Office Dev Center, Microsoft Corporation, updated October 20, 2015,

https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/office/Apps-for-Office-code-d04762b7.

2. "Privacy Policy," Privacy & Terms, Google, last modified March 25, 2016, http://www.google.com/policies/privacy. 

3. "Balkan Romani," Endangered Languages, Alliance for Linguistic Diversity, accessed April 6, 2016, http://www.endangered

languages.com/lang/5342. 

University of Chicago.  The Chicago Manual of Style . 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017. 

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Chicago Style Guide - 17th Edition

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Chicago Citation Bibliography Quick Guide

1 author : LastName, First Name and/or Initial. 

2+ authors : LastName, FirstName, and FirstName LastName.

10+ authors  (list the first 7 authors and add "et al."): Last Name, First Name, FirstName LastName, FirstName LastName, FirstName LastName, FirstName LastName, FirstName LastName, FirstName LastName, et al. 

No author? Begin you citation with the Title of the Book in italics.

Title is in quotation marks , provided in full, capitalized headline-style, and followed by a period.

E.g., "Title is in Quotation Marks and Capitalized Headline-style."

Title is in  italics , provided in full, and capitalized headline-style.

E.g., Title is in Italics and Capitalized Headline-style

When citing articles, the volume number follows the journal title with no punctuation. A comma separates the volume and the issue number is preceded by "no." 

E.g.,   Title 42, no. 3

The publication place precedes the publisher's name and is followed by a full colon.

E.g., Sidney: Hedgerow Press, 2013.

Unlike some other citation styles, when citing in Chicago, always  provide the publisher's name in full . 

If a  printed work  has no known publication date , use the abbreviation “n.d.” For  online resources , provide an access date if the publication date is unavailable.  

If page numbers are not available in your resource, you can use other markers including: chapter (chap.), section (sec.), equation (eq.), volume (vol.), or note (n.).

Cite the DOI wherever possible . If no DOI is available, cite the URL (preferably a stable url or permalink if available). DOIs and URLs should not be hyperlinked . 

Includes CDs, DVDs, VHS, film, and digital formats such as MPEG, MP3, and WAV. Depending on the resource type, you may need to include the original format and/or a digitized format .

Tips & Tricks for Citing Websites

When citing websites:

• Include as much information as you can determine : title, author, site owner or sponsor, publication or latest revision date, and the URL.
• If the publication/latest revision date can not be determined, include the access date .
• If there is no author , begin the citation with the site owner or sponsor.
• Titled sections or webpages within a website should be placed in quotation marks .
• Website names are italicized . 
• URL's should not be hyperlinked , underlined, or appear in a colour other than black.
• The Chicago Manual of Style suggests citing web pages only in the footnotes. They may be included in the bibliography at your or your instructor’s discretion.  Should you want to include webpages in your bibliography, the following examples provide the suggested Camosun College Library format.
• Check with your instructor to confirm if they want you to include website citations as both footnotes and in your bibliography.

Website with Person as Author

Author's  Last Name ,  FirstN ame Initial . “Title of Web Article.” Owner/Sponsor of Site . Published, Modified or Accessed Month Day, Year. URL.

MacDonald, George F. “The Haida: Children of Eagle and Raven.” Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation . Last modified April 1, 2010. http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haindexe.html.

FOOTNOTE FORM

26. George F. MacDonald, “The Haida: Children of Eagle and Raven,” Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation , last modified April 1, 2010, http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haindexe.html.

Webpage on a Website with Person as Author

Author's LastName, FirstName. “Title of Web Article.” Publishing Organization or Name of Website . Published, Modified or Accessed Month Day, Year. URL.

Ross, Andrea. “'It Still Fits': Diamond Ring Missing Since 2004 Turns Up on Garden Carrot.” CBC.ca . Last modified August 15, 2017. http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/edmonton/engagement-ring-found-on-carrot-alberta-1.4248131.

26. Andrea Ross, “'It Still Fits': Diamond Ring Missing Since 2004 Turns Up on Garden Carrot,” CBC.ca , last modified April 1, 2010, http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/edmonton/engagement-ring-found-on-carrot-alberta-1.4248131.

Webpage with Corporation as Author

CorporationName. “Title of Web Article.” Year Published  or last  Modified.  URL.

Gap Inc. “How We Do Business is as Important as What We Do.” Last modified December, 2009. http://gapinc.com/com/content/dam/gapincsite/documents/COBC/Code_English.pdf.

28. Gap Inc., “How We Do Business is as Important as What We Do,” last modified December, 2009, http://gapinc.com/com/content/dam/gapincsite/documents/ COBC/Code_English.pdf.

Webpage with Corporation as Author - No Publish Date

CorporationName.  “Title of Web Article.” Date Accessed. U RL.

McDonald’s Corporation. “The Ray Kroc Story." Accessed March 25, 2011. http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/our_story/our_history/the_ray_kroc_story.html.

27. McDonald’s Corporation, “The Ray Kroc Story,“ accessed March 25, 2011, http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/our_story/our_history/the_ray_kroc_story.html.

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Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Please note that although these resources reflect the most recent updates in the The Chicago Manual of Style  (17 th  edition) concerning documentation practices, you can review a full list of updates concerning usage, technology, professional practice, etc. at  The Chicago Manual of Style Online .

Introduction

The Chicago Manual of Style  (CMOS) covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage, and documentation, and as such, it has been lovingly dubbed the “editor's bible.”

The material on this page focuses primarily on one of the two CMOS documentation styles: the Notes-Bibliography System (NB) , which is used by those working 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 by those working in the social sciences.

Though the two systems both convey all of the important information about each source, they differ not only in terms of the way they direct readers to these sources, but also in terms of their formatting (e.g., the position of dates in citation entries). For examples of how these citation styles work in research papers, consult our sample papers: 

Author-Date Sample Paper

NB Sample Paper

In addition to consulting  The Chicago Manual of Style  (17th edition) 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 edition). This manual, which presents what is commonly known as the "Turabian" citation style, follows the two CMOS patterns of documentation but offers slight modifications suited to student texts.

Notes and Bibliography (NB) in Chicago style

The Chicago Notes and Bibliography (NB) system is often used in the humanities to provide writers with a system for referencing their sources through the use of footnotes, endnotes, and through the use of a bibliography. This offers writers a flexible option for citation and provides   an outlet for commenting on those sources, if needed. Proper use of the Notes and Bibliography system builds a writer’s credibility by demonstrating their accountability to source material. In addition, it can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the intentional or accidental uncredited use of source material created by others.

Introduction to Notes

In the Notes and Bibliography system, you should include a note (endnote or footnote) each time you use a source, whether through a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary. Footnotes are added at the end of the page on which the source is referenced, while endnotes are 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, along 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.

If a work includes a bibliography, which is typically preferred, then it is not necessary to provide full publication details in notes. However, if a bibliography is not included with a work, 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, or if a bibliography is included in the work, the note only needs to include the surname of the author, a shortened form of the title (if more than four words), and the page number(s). However, in a work that does not include a bibliography, it is recommended that the full citation be repeated when it is first used in a new chapter.

In contrast to earlier editions of CMOS, if you cite the same source two or more times consecutively, CMOS recommends using shortened citations. In a work with a bibliography, the first reference should use a shortened citation which includes the author’s name, the source title, and the page number(s), and consecutive references to the same work may omit the source title and simply include the author and page number. Although discouraged by CMOS, if you cite the same source and page number(s) from a single source two or more times consecutively, it is also possible to utilize the word “Ibid.,” ( from the Latin ibidem, which means “in the same place,”) as the corresponding note. If you use the same source but a draw from different new page, 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 full-sized number, followed by a period and then a space.

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, websites, etc.) are arranged alphabetically by author’s last name. If no author or editor is listed, the title or, as a last resort, a descriptive phrase may be used.

Though useful, a bibliography is not required in works that provide full bibliographic information in the notes.

Common Elements

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

Author 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.

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 14.61 of  The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition).

The Chicago Manual of Style Online

Go to Index

Chicago Style (17th ed.): Citation Guide

• Getting Started with Chicago
• Formatting a Paper in Chicago Style

Chicago Style Citations

Footnotes/ endnotes, bilbiography, chicago style elements.

• Chicago Style Citation Examples
• Additional Chicago Style Resources
• Citation Guides Homepage

Ask A Librarian

Citing Sources in Chicago Style

Unlike with APA and MLA, Chicago style uses footnotes within the paper itself to cite sources.

There are two parts to Chicago Style citations:

• Footnotes (within the paper itself)
• Bibliography (full citations at the end of the paper)

In order to be correctly citing your sources, you have to make sure to include both footnotes and bibliographic entries.

Footnotes/Endnotes

Unlike MLA and APA, Chicago uses notes for in-text documentation. 

• numbered notes that use a number in superscript to refer the reader to the citation in the note itself
• Include a note every time you use a source, whether paraphrasing, summarizing, or directly quoting.
• The first note referring to a note must include the full note style. Any note after the first can follow the subsequent note format.

What is the difference between Footnotes and Endnotes?

Both Footnotes and Endnotes follow the same format. The only difference is where they appear in your paper.

Footnotes will appear at the bottom, or foot, of the page where they are cited in the text.

Endnotes will all be at the end of the paper together, before the bibliography.

Be consistent and use one or the other throughout your paper. Always  check with your instructor and paper guidelines to see which note format they prefer.

Formatting Footnotes

You can use the built-in Notes feature in Microsoft Word to help you format your notes.

To insert a note:

• Place your cursor at the end of the sentence that needs citing.
• Go to the  References  menu
• Click on  Insert Footnote
• This will automatically assign the appropriate number in superscript at the end of the sentence and jump you down to the footnote at the bottom of the page.
• Type your footnote as needed based on the examples.

One good thing about using Word's footnote system is that it will automatically update footnote numbers as needed.

Full Note Format

The first time you cite a source in your paper, you need to use the full footnote format, which includes all elements of the citation.

1 Felix Garfield, "Why Tabbies Have Stripes,"  Feline Quarterly  3, no. 1 (2022): 25-28. https://doi.org/CAT

Subsequent Note Format

Any additional times that you cite a work that you have already cited in your paper with the full note citation can then be cited using the shortened footnote, or the subsequent note format.

2  Garfield, "Why Tabbies," 27.

Bibliography

• full citations for every work referenced in your paper
• cites the entire book, article, video, etc
• includes information about the source itself and where it can be located
• listed alphabetically

Bibliography entries will look very similar to your full-length footnotes (the first time a source is referenced in your paper). 

For examples of all of the different types of Footnotes and Bibliography entries, see Chicago Citation Examples

Elements of a Chicago Style Citation

Basic elements of a Chicago Style citation are author, title, and publication information.

Who created the work

If the work has editors instead of authors, use the editors in the author position.

Author is written First Name Last Name

Author is written Last Name, First Name

The name of the work.

Works that are part of a greater whole

e.g.- articles, chapters, webpages, songs

Use quotation marks around the title.

Example : "The Ice Cream Tastes of Today's Academics"

Works that stand alone

e.g.- books, journals, websites

Italicize the title.

Example:  Nursing: A Concept Based Approach to Learning

Publication Information

Where the information is found.

The information needed to describe the source varies by format and information type. See the examples page for more details.

Volume and Issue numbers

The volume and issue number follow the journal title.

ex-  Gothic Studies  21, no. 1

Publication Place

The place where it was published comes before the publisher's name and is followed by a colon.

ex- New York:

Always write out the full publisher's name.

If a printed work doesn't have a date, use the abbreviation "n.d."

If an online resource doesn't have a date, include an access date.

If page numbers are not available, you can use other markers: chapter (chap.), section (sec.)

Use the DOI whenever available.

When not available, cite a permanent or stable URL (shouldn't be hyperlinked)

Include the format consulted. Includes both physical formats (CDs, DVDs) and digital formats (MPEG, MP2, WAV). 

Depending on the resource type, you may need to include the original format and/or a digitized format.

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Referencing style - Chicago: Notes and Bibliography (Footnote) Referencing Style

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Chicago Referencing Style Notes and Bibliography System

The Chicago Referencing Style Notes and Bibliography system (sometimes referred to as Chicago Footnote) requires:

• footnotes on each page within the text where you are referencing,
• a bibliography at the end of your document listing all the works that you have cited and any other works you have consulted. The bibliography should be arranged alphabetically by author.

This guide divides references into different formats for ease of use.

References by Format

See our Information on Footnotes page for explanations on how to create and format footnotes.

Our Endnote style tab explains how to create both footnotes and your bibliography using the Endnote referencing software. If you use EndNote, the style is referred to as 'Chicago 17th Footnote'.

For additional examples and explanations refer to Chapter 14  of the Chicago Manual of Style  17th edition or its Sample Citations page.

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Chicago Style Citation Guide 17th Edition: Formatting Footnotes and Shortened Citations

• Formatting Footnotes and Shortened Citations
• Example of Biblography
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Formatting a Foonote

FOOTNOTE FORMAT 

Footnotes go at the bottom of the page where the reference occurs. 

Within the essay text: put the note number at the end of the sentence where the reference occurs, even if the cited material is mentioned at the beginning of the sentence. 

The note number goes after all other punctuation. 

Be sure to use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) not Roman (i, ii, iii). 

Single space each entry; double space between entries. 

Indent the first line of each note. 

Never reuse a number - use a new number for each reference, even if you have used that reference previously. 

Use a shortened form examples for sources you refer to more than once. 

To cite multiple sources in a single note, separate the two citations with a semicolon. Never use two note numbers at the end of a sentence. 

Shorten Structure of Footnotes

The use of  ibid.  is now discouraged in favor of shortened citations.

To reduce the bulk of documentation in scholarly works that use footnotes or endnotes, subsequent citations of sources already given in full should be shortened whenever possible Basic structure of the short form

The most common short form consists of the last name of the author and the main title of the work cited, usually shortened if more than four words, as in examples 4–6 below. For more on authors’ names, see ( 14.32 ). For more on short titles, see ( 14.33 ). For short titles for articles, see ( 14.185 ).

1. Samuel A. Morley, Poverty and Inequality in Latin America: The Impact of Adjustment and Recovery (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995), 24–25.

2. Regina M. Schwartz, “Nationals and Nationalism: Adultery in the House of David,” Critical Inquiry 19, no. 1 (1992): 131–32.

3. Ernest Kaiser, “The Literature of Harlem,” in Harlem: A Community in Transition , ed. J. H. Clarke (New York: Citadel Press, 1964).

4. Morley, Poverty and Inequality , 43.

5. Schwartz, “Nationals and Nationalism,” 138.

6. Kaiser, “Literature of Harlem,” 189–90.

MORE INFORMATION ON JOURNAL ARTICLES SEE ( 14.185 ).

On subsequent references to journal articles, the author’s last name and the main title of the article (often shortened) are most commonly used. In the absence of a full bibliography, however, the journal title, volume number, and page number(s) may prove more helpful guides to the source. 

1. Daniel Rosenblum, “Unintended Consequences of Women’s Inheritance Rights on Female Mortality in India,” Economic Development and Cultural Change 63, no. 2 (January 2015): 223, https://doi.org/10.1086/679059. 

2. Rosenblum, “Female Mortality in India,” 225.  or  3. Rosenblum, Economic Development and Cultural Change 63:225. 

The page numbering for Economic Development and Cultural Change is continuous throughout a single volume. Where that is not the case, the short form should include the issue number in addition to the volume number (i.e., “63 (2): 225”). 

Taken from the Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition

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• Chicago In-text Citations | Styles, Format & Examples

Chicago In-text Citations | Styles, Format & Examples

Published on September 12, 2019 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on April 9, 2024.

An in-text citation is used to point readers toward any source you quote , paraphrase or refer to in your writing. The Chicago Manual of Style has two options for in-text citations:

• Author-date : you put your citations in parentheses within the text itself.
• Notes and bibliography : you put your citations in numbered footnotes or endnotes.

You should choose one of these two citation options and use it consistently throughout your text. The source details are listed in full in a bibliography or reference list at the end. Make sure to pay attention to punctuation (e.g., commas and quotation marks ).

Chicago Citation Generator

Author-date citation example

(Woolf 1921, 11)

Footnote citation example

1. Woolf, “Modern Fiction,” 11.

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Table of contents

Which chicago style should you use, option 1: author-date in-text citations, option 2: citations in footnotes or endnotes, citing sources with multiple authors, missing information in chicago in-text citations, frequently asked questions about chicago in-text citations.

First, you need to decide whether you are using notes or author-date in-text citations. You can usually find out from your instructor or syllabus which style you should use.

The notes and bibliography system is usually preferred in humanities subjects like literature, history and the arts. The author-date system is preferred in the sciences, including social sciences.

The styles are similar in the information they present, but they differ in terms of the order, location, and format of that information. It’s important to use one style consistently, and not to confuse the two.

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Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

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See an example

Author-date style places citations directly in the text in parentheses . In-text citations include the author’s last name, the year of publication, and if applicable, a page number or page range:

This style of Chicago in-text citation looks the same for every type of source.

When using author-date, you should always include a reference list  with an entry corresponding to each citation. This provides the reader with full publication information to locate the source.

Where should citations appear in the text?

The author-date style gives you some flexibility in where you place your citations in the text.

Most commonly, you will put the citation at the end of the relevant sentence (before the period). You can also integrate it into the sentence. If you name the author in your sentence, you only need to include the date and page number in parentheses.

Multiple citations can also be combined within one set of parentheses using a semicolon .

As you can see in the Valentine citation, it’s not always necessary to include a page number—only when you’re referring to a specific part of the text. If you want to cite the text as a whole, you can leave out the page number.

In notes and bibliography style, your citations appear in either footnotes or endnotes .

To create a Chicago footnote or endnote reference, a superscript number is placed at the end of the clause or sentence that the citation applies to, after any punctuation (periods, quotation marks , parentheses ). Your first citation is marked with a 1, your second with a 2, and so on.

These superscript numbers correspond to numbered footnotes or endnotes containing the actual citation.

Full notes and short notes

There are two types of note you can use in Chicago style: full and short.

• Full notes contain the full publication details of the source.
• Short notes contain the author’s last name, the title (shortened if it is longer than four words), and the page number (if relevant).

You should usually use a full note the first time you cite each source. If you cite the same source more than once, use a short note for each subsequent citation. You may also use “ ibid. ” to repeat the citation from the previous note, but short notes are the more usual choice.

The rules of your specific institution may vary, requiring you to use one of the two note styles every time. It’s important to check with your instructor if you’re unsure.

This is what a full and short note for the same citation might look like:

The format of the note varies depending on the type of source. Below you can see examples of a Chicago website citation , book citation , book chapter citation , and journal article citation .

Chicago footnote citation examples

• Book chapter
• Journal article

Footnotes or endnotes?

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page they refer to, while endnotes appear in their own section at the end of the text, before the Chicago style bibliography .

The citation looks exactly the same whether it appears in a footnote or an endnote . If you haven’t been told which one to use, the choice is a matter of personal preference. The important thing is to consistently use one or the other.

In both styles, when you cite a source with two or three authors, list the names in the order they appear in the original publication:

When a source has four or more authors, use the term “ et al. ” after the first author’s name:

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Sometimes, not all of the information you need for your citation will be available. Thankfully, there are ways to work around this in both styles.

No page number

Page numbers are not always necessary; if the source doesn’t have page numbers (e.g., a website ), or if you’re referring to the general argument of a text instead of a specific passage, you can omit page numbers.

If a source has no page numbers but you still want to specify a particular part of the text, you can use other locators like paragraphs, chapters or headings instead—whatever markers the text provides:

No publication date

If the source doesn’t have a stated publication date, you can write “n.d.” in place of the year:

If no specific author is listed, you can refer to the organization that published the source:

Page numbers should be included in your Chicago in-text citations when:

• You’re quoting from the text.
• You’re paraphrasing a particular passage.
• You’re referring to information from a specific section.

When you’re referring to the overall argument or general content of a source, it’s unnecessary to include page numbers.

When a source has four or more authors , your in-text citation or Chicago footnote should give only the first author’s name followed by “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”). This makes your citations more concise.

In your bibliography or reference list , when a source has more than 10 authors, list the first seven followed by “et al.” Otherwise, list every author.

• 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.

In Chicago notes and bibliography style , the usual standard is to use a full note for the first citation of each source, and short notes for any subsequent citations of the same source.

However, your institution’s guidelines may differ from the standard rule. In some fields, you’re required to use a full note every time, whereas in some other fields you can use short notes every time, as long as all sources are listed in your bibliography . If you’re not sure, check with your instructor.

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😕 What is a Chicago Citation Generator?

A Chicago Citation Generator is a software tool that automatically generates citations and bibliographies in the Chicago citation style.

Citations can be created by entering an identifying piece of information about a source, such as a website URL, book ISBN, or journal article DOI to the generator. The generator will then create a fully formatted citation in the Chicago style containing all the required information for the source.

Chicago style citations are used to give credit to the authors of supporting work that has been used to write an academic paper or article.

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The Chicago style is primarily used by college and university students studying business, history, social sciences, the fine arts, amongst others.

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Citing sources is often an afterthought in paper writing because formatting citations correctly is time-consuming and confusing, and staying on top of source management manually can be hard. A citation generator makes this easier by:

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In short, there is no reason not to use a citation generator in academic writing.

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's Chicago Citation Generator?

To get started, scroll up back up to the tool at the top of the page and follow these steps:

• Select the type of source you want to cite
• If it's a website, enter the URL in the search bar. If it's a book, enter the ISBN or title. If it's a journal article, enter the DOI or title. For all other sources, enter the details of the source into the form
• Select the search result that most closely represents the source you referred to in your paper
• Shazam! The generator will automatically format the citation in the Chicago style. Copy it into your paper, or save it to your bibliography to download later
• Repeat for every other citation you need to create for your paper

MyBib supports the following for Chicago style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

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Chicago Citation Generator

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, the ultimate guide to citing anything in chicago style, everything you ever needed to know about citing sources from the chicago manual of style, the basics of citing in chicago style.

The Chicago Manual of Style, currently in its 16th edition, was created to help researchers properly cite their sources. There are two types of referencing styles in Chicago: 1) Notes and Bibliography and 2) Author-Date.

This guide displays the Notes and Bibliography style of referencing and is not associated with the official publishers of the style.

Need help with other styles? Our thorough MLA format and APA format guides are available for all of your writing and citing needs!

Creating a Bibliography in Chicago Style

The bibliography is a list of all the sources used in the paper. The list includes the important publication details of the sources. The bibliography must also follow this format:

• The citation list or bibliography must be single spaced.
• The last names of the authors must be arranged alphabetically.
• The second line of the source must be indented.

Examples of Citing Different Sources in Chicago Style

Generally, Chicago citations require:

• Title of book/article
• Title of newspaper/journal
• Publication year
• Publication month and date
• City of publication
• Date of access
• Page numbers
• URL or Name of Database

How to Create Footnotes and Endnotes for Chicago Style

If you’re wondering how to format Chicago in-text citations, Notes and Bibliography formatting requires writers to use footnotes and endnotes. These footnotes and endnotes acknowledge the different sources used in the work.

When a source is used in a research paper, a roman numeral is placed at the end of the borrowed information as superscript (it is smaller than the normal line of text and raised). That number correlates with a footnote or endnote.

• Footnotes are found at the bottom of the page
• Endnotes are added at the end of the chapter or project
• A footnote or endnote contains the complete citation information
• The matching number in the footnote or endnote is normal sized and not raised
• It is up to the discretion of the writer to either place the citation at the bottom of the page where the superscript is placed (a footnote) or to place all citations together at the end of the work (endnotes)

One would wonder, "Would young Einstein be characterized as belonging somewhere on the autism spectrum? Would Erdos have been given a diagnosis of A.D.H.D.?" ¹

Chicago style footnotes are placed at the bottom of the page:

• Silver, Nate. "Beautiful Minds." The New York Times. July 13, 2013. Accessed August 04, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/books/review/the-boy-who-loved-math-and-on-a-beam-of-light.html?ref=books&_r=0 .

If a source is used more than once in a research project, follow these guidelines:

• When used again, instead of writing out the complete citation for a second time in the footnote, only include: the author’s last name, the title or a phrase for the title (if it’s more than four words), and the page number(s) that were used. This will reduce the bulk of citation information in the paper.
• Cohen, Micah, "Rubio is Losing Support Among Republican Voters." FiveThirtyEight. July 09, 2013. Accessed August 04, 2015. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/rubio-is-losing-support-among-republican-voters/
• Wolf, Leon H. "Marco Rubio's Campaign Must Adapt or Die." RedState. August 04, 2015. Accessed August 04, 2015. http://www.redstate.com/2015/08/04/marco-rubios-campaign-must-adapt-die/ .
• Cohen, "Rubio Losing Support"

If a source is used consecutively, follow these guidelines for shortened citation and ibid :

If you are citing the same source continually throughout your text, use a shortened version of the full citation in your footnotes.

Previous versions of the style used the abbreviation “ibid,” short for “ibidem.” Ibidem is a Latin word that means “in the same place.” It was used when referring to a source that was just cited within a document (without other sources in between). Writers would use ibid instead of writing out the source information again. This was meant to save space since it’s fewer characters than citing the source again.

In the current version of Chicago, the 17th version, ibid is accepted but not preferred. This is because ibid requires readers to go back and search for the previous source cited, an inconvenience which outweighs the benefits of shortening the citation. Also, shortened citations are compact, so using ibid doesn’t always save line space.

Shortened citations

The first mention of a source should include all relevant information (e.g., full author name(s), full title, publisher, date published, etc.).

Subsequent mentions should be a shortened version using this formula:

Last Name, Title of the Work , page number(s).

Mentions after the shortened form can use the abbreviated formula:

Last Name, page number(s).

If there are two or three authors, list their full names in the order they appear in the source. If there are more than three authors, list the first author’s name followed by “et al.”

Examples of using shortened citations (preferred format in the 17th Edition):

• Philip R. Cateora et al., International Marketing (New York: McGraw Hill, 2020), 292-294.
• Cateora et al., International Marketing , 28-29.
• Cateora et al., 28-29.
• Cateora et al., 377.

Long titles that are more than four words are usually shortened. Focus on keeping key words from the title and omitting any beginning “a” or “the.” Examples:

• And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street = Mulberry Street
• Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe = Fried Green Tomatoes

If you are using the discontinued ibid notation, here are a few guidelines:

• When the same source is used consecutively, instead of typing in the citation information again, use the abbreviation “ibid.” Add the page numbers immediately following.
• If the same source AND same page number are used consecutively, simply write “Ibid.”

Same example above, but using ibid:

• Philip R. Cateora et al, International Marketing (New York: McGraw Hill, 2020), 292-294.

Another example with two sources that were mentioned earlier in the text:

• Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See (New York: Scribner, 2014), 82-84.
• Tatiana de Rosnay, Sarah's Key (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2007), 24-27.
• Ibid., 133-134.
• Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See , 397-401.
• Ibid., 405.
• Ibid., 411.

For further clarification on the Chicago in-text citation style of footnotes and endnotes, consult the Chicago Manual of Style's website . This site is full of helpful pages, so if you’re tempted to head to Google to type in, “in-text citations Chicago,” take a peek at the official site first.

Creating Your Citations in Chicago Style

As mentioned, when you're following The Chicago Manual of Style, you'll be required to create a list of all sources used in your paper. Even though full bibliographic information can be found in the footnotes and endnotes, it is still acceptable, and often required by instructors, to create a bibliography. The bibliography is placed at the end of an assignment.

How to Cite a Print Book in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

First name Last name, Title of Book (Publication Place: Publisher, Year), page range.

In the bibliography:

Last name, First name. Title of book . Publication Place: Publisher, Year.

Example of Chicago Style for Books with One Author

Sam Staggs, Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009), 84.

Staggs, Sam. Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009.

Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for books quickly and accurately.

Example of Chicago Citation for Books with Multiple Authors

Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media (London: Routledge,1994) 24-28.

Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media . London: Routledge, 1994.

How to Cite Chapters or Articles from a Book in Chicago Style

First name, Last name of Chapter Author, “Chapter or Article Title,” in Book Title , ed. First Name Last Name of Editor (Publication Place: Publisher, Year), page range.

Last name, First name. "Chapter Title." In Book Title , edited by First Name Last Name, page range. Publication Place: Publisher, Year.

Looking for a simple and easy-to-use Chicago citation maker? Head to our homepage and start building your Chicago format references with ease!

Example of Chicago Citation for Chapters in a Book

Laura Aymerich-Franch and Maddalena Fedele, "Student's Privacy Concerns on the Use of Social Media in Higher Education," in Cutting-Edge Technologies and Social Media Use in Higher Education, ed. Vledlena Benson and Stephanie Morgan (Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2014), 35-36.

Aymerich-Franch, Laura, and Maddalena Fedele. "Student's Privacy Concerns on the Use of Social Media in Higher Education." In Cutting-Edge Technologies and Social Media Use in Higher Education, edited by Vledlena Benson and Stephanie Morgan, 35-36. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2014.

How to Cite Online E-books in Chicago Style

When citing e-books, include the URL or the name of the database. The URL or database name should be the last part of the citation.

First name Last name, Title of e-book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page range, URL, Database Name.

Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publication Place: Publisher, Year. URL, Name of Database.

Example of Chicago Citation for E-Books

Michael J. Baker, The Marketing Book (Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002), 89, https://htbiblio.yolasite.com/resources/Marketing%20Book.pdf .

Baker, Michael J. The Marketing Book. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002. https://htbiblio.yolasite.com/resources/Marketing%20Book.pdf .

If you understand how to structure your references easily, thanks to this thorough guide, and are looking for help with the written portion of your paper, look no further! There are tons of Citation Machine grammar guides to help you write with ease. Here’s just one of our many useful pages: Positive & Negative Adjectives .

How to Cite E-books in Chicago Style E-books from a Kindle or E-book Reader

If there aren’t any clearly labeled page numbers, use chapter numbers or titles, section numbers or titles, or any other established numbering system in the text. It’s also acceptable to omit page information from Chicago style citations if there aren’t clearly labeled page numbers.

First name Last name, Title of the Book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page range, Type of E-reader

Last name, First name. Title of book . Publication Place: Publisher, Year. Type of e-reader.

Example of Chicago Citation for Kindle or E-book Reader

Corina Bomann, The Moonlight Garden (Washington: AmazonCrossing, 2016), chap. 8, Kindle.

Bomann, Corina. The Moonlight Garden . Washington: AmazonCrossing, 2016. Kindle.

How to Cite Print Journals in Chicago Style

First name Last name, "Title of Article," Journal Title Volume Number, No. of issue (Year): Page range.

Chicago style citation in the bibliography:

Last name, First name. "Title of Article," Journal Title Volume Number, No. of issue (Year): Page range.

Example of Chicago Citation for Print Journals

Damien O'Brien and Brian Fitzgerald, "Digital Copyright Law in a YouTube World," Internet Law Bulletin 9, no. 6 (2007): 71-74.

O'Brien, Damien, and Brian Fitzgerald, "Digital Copyright Law in a YouTube World." Internet Law Bulletin 9, no. 6 (2007): 71-74.

If you’re come this far and you’re still searching for in-text citation Chicago information, remember, this style uses footnotes and endnotes! Scroll up to find out more!

How to Cite Online or Database Journals in Chicago Style

First name Last name, "Article Title," Journal Title Volume Number, Issue No.(Year): Page range. URL or Name of Database.

Last name, First name. "Article Title." Journal Title Volume Number, Issue No. (Year): Page range. URL or Name of Database.

Example of Chicago Citation for Online or Database Journals

Trine Schreiber, "Conceptualizing Students’ Written Assignments in the Context of Information Literacy and Schatzki’s Practice Theory," Journal of Documentation 70, no. 3 (2014): 346-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-01-2013-0002 .

Schreiber, Trine. "Conceptualizing Students’ Written Assignments in the Context of Information Literacy and Schatzki’s Practice Theory." Journal of Documentation 70, no. 3 (2014): 346-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-01-2013-0002 .

Our Citation Machine Chicago citation generator helps you create your references in just a few clicks. Give it a whirl and watch the magic unfold!

How to Cite Print Magazines in Chicago Style

First name Last name, "Article Title," Magazine Title, Full Date, page range.

Last name, First name. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Full Date.

Example of Chicago Citation for Print Magazines

George J. Church, "Sunny Mood at Midsummer: Americans Take a Brighter View of Reagan," _Time, July 18, 1983, 56-59.

Church, George J. "Sunny Mood at Midsummer: Americans Take a Brighter View of Reagan" Time, July 18, 1983.

How to Cite Online Magazines in Chicago Style

First name, Last name, "Article Title," Title of Magazine, Full Date, URL.

Chicago style bibliography structure:

Last name, First name. "Article Title" Magazine Title, Full Date, URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Online Magazines

Bill Donahue. “King of the Mountains,” Backpacker, September/October 2019, 76-82, http://backpacker.eoncontent.ebscohost.com/2226647#&pageSet=39

Donahue, Bill. “King of the Mountains.” Backpacker, September/October 2019. http://backpacker.eoncontent.ebscohost.com/2226647#&pageSet=39

How to Cite a Web Page in Chicago Style

Creating a footnote, endnote, or bibliographic information for web content isn’t always necessary. It’s acceptable to simply mention the source in the written portion of the paper. For example, “The Marco Polo page on History’s website, last updated on March 6, 2019, describes his travels along the Silk Road while....” Include formal Chicago citation style references if you or your professor prefers to do so.

A bit more:

• If the website page is missing a date of publication, include the date the source was last modified or accessed in the footnote and endnote.
• If the website page is missing the name of the author, begin the footnote with the “Title of the Article or Page.”

First name Last name of Author, "Title of Article or Page," Title of Website, Date published or last modified or accessed, URL.

Last name, First name or Organization Name. "Title of Article or Page." Title of Website. Date published or last modified or accessed. URL.

Figuring out how to style web references can be tricky, but thanks to our Chicago citation machine, we’ve made the whole process much easier for you. Try it out!

Example of Chicago Citation for a Web Page

Sujan Patel, "15 Must-have Marketing Tools for 2015," Entrepreneur, January 12, 2015. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241570 .

Patel, Sujan. “15 Must-have Marketing Tools for 2015.” Entrepreneur. January 12, 2015. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241570 .

Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for websites quickly and accurately.

How to Cite The Bible or Religious Texts in Chicago Style

Bible references are often displayed in the text of a paper (similar to web content) or in footnotes and endnotes. Formal bible references in bibliographies are not necessary.

Abbreviated Title of Book, Chapter:Verse (Edition).

Example of Chicago Citation for Bible

2 Cor. 11:7 (New Standard Version).

If you’re looking for other resources to help you with the written portion of your paper, we have quite a few handy grammar guides. Two of our favorites? Adjectives starting with X and List of verbs .

How to Cite Blogs in Chicago Style

*According to the 17th edition of the manual, blogs are not typically cited in bibliographies. They are generally cited in the footnotes/endnotes section. Of course, if the writer or professor prefers a full bibliographic reference, one can be created.

Style notes and bibliographic references the same way as you would an online newspaper, but include (blog) in parentheses immediately following the title of the blog.

First name Last name, "Title of Blog Post," Title of Blog (blog), Title of Larger Blog, if part of a larger one, Month Day Year of post, URL.

Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Blog." Name of Blog Site (blog). Title of Larger Blog, if part of a larger one, Month Day Year of post. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Blogs

Shannon Miller, "Valentine Ideas Using Digital Tools, Hands, Creativity, and a Little Love for Padlet," The Library Voice (blog), January 20, 2016, http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/2016/01/valentine-ideas-using-digital-tools.html .

Miller, Shannon. "Valentine Ideas Using Digital Tools, Hands, Creativity, and a Little Love for Padlet." The Library Voice, January 20, 2016. http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/2016/01/valentine-ideas-using-digital-tools.html .

Chicago style bibliographies aren’t as complicated as they seem, especially when you have a generator to do the work for you. Head to our homepage and try ours out!

How to Cite TV Broadcasts in Chicago Style

Title of Series , episode number, “Title of Episode,” directed by First Name Last Name, written by First Name Last Name, featuring First Names Last Names of actors, aired Month Day, Year, on Station Name, URL.

Last Name, First Name, dir. Title of Series . Season Number, episode number, “Title of Episode.” Aired Month Day, Year, on Station Name. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Broadcasts

Riverdale , episode 15, “American Dreams,” directed by Gabriel Correra, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, featuring KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, and Cole Sprouse, aired March 13, 2019, on CW.

Bibliography Chicago style:

Correra, Gabriel, dir. Riverdale . Season 3, episode 15, “American Dreams.” Aired March 13, 2019, on CW.

How to Cite a Case Study in Chicago Style

First name Last name. Title of Case Study. (Publication Place: Publisher, Year).

Last name, First name. Title of Case Study.

Example of Chicago Citation for Case Study

Peter Finn. Disulfiram.

Finn, Peter. Disulfiram.

How to Cite Conference Proceedings in Chicago Style

First Name Last Name, “Title of Conference Paper” (format, Title of Conference, Location, Full Date).

Last name, First name. “Title of Conference Paper.” Format presented at Title of Conference, Location, Date. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Conference Paper

Craig Myerson, “Historical Markings in New Castle, Delaware” (Power-Point presentation, The University of Delaware, Newark, DE, June 18, 2019.

Myerson, Craig. “Historical Markings in New Castle, Delaware.” Power-point presentation presented at The University of Delaware, Newark, DE, June 18, 2019.

How to Cite Court or Legal Cases in Chicago Style

The 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style recommends referring to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation , or the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation to learn how to create court or legal references. Both guides are widely used by those in legal fields and have become the standard for referencing legal cases.

The examples below reflect the format found in The Bluebook .

Legal cases are rarely documented in bibliographies, usually only in notes.

Plaintiff v. Defendant, Court Case Number (Abbreviated Name of the Court. Year).

Example of Chicago Citation for Legal Cases

Michael Clum v. Jackson National Life Insurance Co., 10-000126-CL (Ingham Cty. 2011).

How to Cite Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries in Chicago Style

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition, well-known reference books, including major dictionaries and encyclopedias, are normally cited in notes rather than bibliographies. Lesser known reference books can be cited in the bibliography.

The abbreviation "s.v." means sub verbo , which is Latin for "under the word."

Chicago style formatting in the footnotes and endnotes:

Name of dictionary or encyclopedia , Numbered ed. (Year), s.v. “term.”

If found online:

Name of dictionary or encyclopedia , s.v. "term," accessed Month Day Year, url.

Last name, First name of Author. Title of Dictionary or Encyclopedia . Numbered ed. Location of Publisher: Publisher, Year.

Example of Chicago Citation for Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries

Encyclopedia Britannica , s.v. “pressure,” accessed September 15, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/science/pressure .

Gover, Emily. Encyclopedia of Birds . 4th ed. New York: Chegg, 2016.

How to Cite Dissertations in Chicago Style

First name Last name, "Title of Dissertation" (type of paper, school, year), url.

Last name, First name. "Title of Dissertation." Type of Paper, School, Year. URL or Database(Identification Number).

Example of Chicago Citation for Dissertations

Michele Kirschenbaum, "Young Students' Online Searching Capabilities" (master's thesis, Drexel University, 2009).

Kirschenbaum, Michele. "Young Students' Online Searching Capabilities." Master's thesis, Drexel University, 2009.

How to Cite DVDs, Video, and Film in Chicago Style

Title , directed by First Name Last name (Year; City, State Abbrev: Producer), Format.

Last Name, First Name, dir. Title . Year; City, State Abbrev: Producer, Year. Format.

Example of Chicago Citation for Film, DVDs, or Videos

_Home Lone , directed by Chris Columbus (1990; Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox), DVD.

Columbus, Chris, dir. Home Alone . 1990; Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox. DVD.

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How to Cite Facebook Pages in Chicago Style

Title of Facebook Page, “Text of Post,” Facebook, Month Day, Year, URL.

Title of Facebook Page. “Text of Post.” Facebook, Month Day, Year. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Facebook Post

Awakenings, “Maceo Plex gave us goosebumps during Awakenings Festival! We can't wait to hear what he has in store during Maceo Plex x Lone Romantic | Awakenings ADE Elementenstraat on October 19:awak.enin.gs/2KMxDCH,” Facebook, September 12, 2019, https://www.facebook.com/pg/awakenings/posts/?ref=page_internal .

Awakenings. “Maceo Plex gave us goosebumps during Awakenings Festival! We can't wait to hear what he has in store during Maceo Plex x Lone Romantic | Awakenings ADE Elementenstraat on October 19:awak.enin.gs/2KMxDCH.” Facebook, September 12, 2019. https://www.facebook.com/pg/awakenings/posts/?ref=page_internal .

How to Cite Government Publications in Chicago Style

Title of Publication , prepared by Organization (City, State Abbrev, Year).

Firm/Department. Title of Publication . City, State Abbrev, Year.

Example of Chicago Citation for Government Publication

Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Annual Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2014 , prepared by The Department of Justice (Washington, DC, 2014).

Department of Justice. Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Annual Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2014 . Washington, DC, 2014.

How to Cite Interviews in Chicago Style

Published Interviews are treated in Chicago format style like an article in a magazine or a newspaper. Use one of those formats to cite your interview.

How to Cite an E-mail in Chicago Style

According to The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th edition, personal communications, such as letters, e-mails, text messages, and phone calls are usually referenced in the footnotes and endnotes or explained in the text of the paper. They are rarely listed in the Chicago style bibliography. In addition, an e-mail address belonging to an individual should be omitted, unless given permission by its owner.

Individual's First name Last name, type of communication, Month Day Year of correspondence.

Example of Chicago Citation for E-mail

Michele Kirschenbaum, e-mail message to author, January 18, 2016.

How to Cite Musical Recordings in Chicago Style

"Title of Song," Year of recording date, Platform, track number on Artist’s Name, Album Title, Producer, Year.

Last name, First name of performer. Title of Album. Recorded Year. Producer.

Example of Chicago Citation for Recordings

"Sucker,” Spotify, track 1, on Jonas Brothers, Happiness Begins , Republic Records, 2019.

Jonas Brothers. Happiness Begins . 2019. Republic Records.

Still wondering how to style a Chicago in-text citation? Remember, this style uses footnotes and endnotes! Head to the top of this page to learn more!

How to Cite Online Videos in Chicago Style

First name Last name of individual who posted the video, “Title of Video,” Producer, published on Month Day, Year, Site video, Length, URL.

Last name, First name. "Title of Video." Producer. Published on Month Day, Year. Site video, Length. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Online Videos

“Habitats Work in Texas After Hurricane Harvey,” Habitat for Habitat for Humanity, published on September 11, 2019, YouTube video, 01:35, https://youtu.be/EPPALfWYGRo .

“Habitats Works in Texas After Hurricane Harvey.” Habitat for Humanity. Published on September 11, 2019. YouTube video, 01:35. https://youtu.be/EPPALfWYGRo .

How to Cite Images in Chicago Style

First name Last name, Title of Image , Year, format, Location, State, URL.

Last Name, First Name. Title of Image . Date. Format. Location, State, URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Photographs and Images

Jerome Liebling, May Day , New York, 1948, photograph, The Jewish Museum, New York.

Liebling, Chris. May Day , New York. 1948. Photograph. The Jewish Museum, New York.

How to Cite Live Performances in Chicago Style

Since most live performances are not retrievable by the reader, simply refer to them in the text of the paper or in the notes, and omit it from the bibliography. If it’s a recorded performance, follow the Chicago style format for musical recordings.

Title of Play , music and lyrics by First Name Last Name, dir. First Name Last name, chor. Name of Theatre, City, State Abbrev, Date of Live Performance.

Example of Chicago Citation for Live Performances

The Lion King , Julie Taymor, dir. Garth Fagan, chor. Minskoff Theatre, New York, NY, August 8, 2019.

How to Cite Podcasts in Chicago Style

When citing podcasts in Chicago Style, treat it as an article in a periodical or a chapter in a book. If found online, include the url.

How to Cite Poems in Chicago Style

When citing poems in Chicago Style, cite it as you would a chapter in a book.

How to Cite Presentations and Lectures in Chicago Style

Follow the same guidelines as in the “Conference Papers” section above.

How to Cite Sheet Music in Chicago Style

According to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, cite sheet music the same way as you cite books.

Once you’ve styled each and every reference, take a minute to run your paper through our plagiarism checker . It’s the perfect go-to resource when you’re in need of another set of eyes to scan your paper!

Updated January 8, 2020

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Wendy Ikemoto. Michele Kirschenbaum has been an awesome school librarian since 2006 and is an expert in citing sources. Wendy Ikemoto has a master’s degree in library and information science and has been working for Citation Machine since 2012.

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What is the Chicago Style Citation?

Chicago citations are used by students, writers and researchers worldwide to acknowledge the use of other people’s words and ideas in their written work, thereby lending credibility to their statements and conclusions without committing plagiarism.

There are two basic documentation systems in this style:

• Notes-Bibliography System (NB) is made up of footnotes or endnotes (or both), and a bibliography
• Author-Date System consists of parenthetical author-date citations and a corresponding reference list including full publication information

The style offers academic writers the choice between these two formats; choosing which system you are going to apply to your work will depend on your discipline and the type of sources you are citing. If you are unsure which system you should be using, make sure you consult your tutor before you begin.

The notes and bibliography system is primarily used in the humanities – including literature, history, and the arts – because it is a flexible style that accommodates unusual source types and opens up space for commentary on the sources cited. A superscript number at the end of the sentence signals to the reader that a source has been used, and summary details of the source can be found using the numbered footnote at the bottom of the page. Full details of the source information can be located in the bibliography, which is presented at the end of the essay in alphabetical order by author. Read more about creating Chicago style footnotes here.

The Chicago style citation also has an author-date variant, which is commonly used by those in the physical, natural, and social sciences. Sources are briefly cited in the text and enclosed within parentheses. Each parenthetical citation includes the author’s last name and date of publication, and is keyed to a corresponding citation in a complete list of references, where full bibliographic information is provided.

Whether you are using the notes and bibliography system or the author-date style in your work, the Cite This For Me citing tool will help to generate your citations in seconds. Simply log in to your account, or create one for free, and select the note-bib or author-date version of this style.

Popular Chicago Citation Examples

• Chapter of a book
• Image online or video
• Presentation or lecture
• Video, film, or DVD

Cite This For Me Chicago Citation Generator

Our mission at Cite This For Me is to educate students on the benefits of utilizing multiple sources in their written work and the importance of accurately citing all source material. This guide has been written to support students, writers and researchers by offering clear, well-considered advice on the usage of Chicago citations.

We understand that it is easy to inadvertently plagiarize your work under the mounting pressure of expectation and deadlines. That’s why we’ve created this generator to automate the citing process, allowing you to save valuable time transcribing and organizing your citations. So, rather than starting from scratch when your essay, article, or research is due, save yourself the legwork with the Cite This For Me citation generator . It’s a quick and easy way to cite any source.

There are thousands of other citation styles out there – the use of which one varies according to scholarly discipline, college requirements, your professor’s preference or the publication you are writing for. Sign up to Cite This For Me to select from over thousands of widely used global college styles, including college variations of each.

If you are looking to cite your work using MLA formatting , or your discipline requires you to use the APA citation format, you’ll find the style you need on the Cite This For Me website. As well as the Chicago citation generator above, Cite This For Me provides open generators and style guides for styles such as ASA , AMA or IEEE . Simply go to the Cite This For Me website and choose your style from our comprehensive list. Whichever style you’re using, make sure that you apply the recommended method consistently throughout your work.

Keep reading our comprehensive guide for practical advice and examples that will help you create each Chicago style citation with ease. If you need further information or examples, consult The Chicago Manual of Style 17th ed. (we’re not affiliated with the official manual which is published by the University of Chicago Press).

How do I Create and Format Chicago Style Citations?

While the Cite This For Me generator helps you be accurate, whether you are writing a college assignment or preparing a research project, you are encouraged to review your citations manually for consistency, accuracy and completeness according to this guide.

I. Notes-Bibliography System

• Formatting a footnote

Rather than a parenthetical Chicago citation, you should insert a footnote to acknowledge your source material. Whenever you cite a source, whether it is using a direct quote, paraphrasing another author’s words, or simply referring to an idea or theory, you should:

• Insert a superscript number (raised slightly above the line) at the end of the sentence containing the source – begin with number 1 and continue numerically throughout the paper
• The superscript number should follow any punctuation mark (full stops, parentheses and commas etc.). Do not put any punctuation after the number
• Each number must correspond to a matching number at the foot of the page – while note numbers in-text are set as superscript numbers, the notes themselves are full size
• A footnote generally lists the author (first name first), title, and facts of publication (enclosed in parentheses), in that order – each should be separated by commas. Titles are capitalized, titles of books and journals are italicized, titles of smaller works (e.g., chapters or articles) are presented in roman and enclosed in double quotation marks
• A footnote, or Chicago style citation, should always end with a period
• Notes should be separated from the main body of text with a typed line 1 ½ inches long
• Notes are single-spaced in Chicago style format, and the first line of each footnote is indented two spaces from the page margin. Double-space between each note
• Abbreviations include editor/edited by/ edition (ed/eds.), translator/translated by (trans.), volume (vol.), chapter (chap.), no date (n.d), part (pt.), and others (et al.) and revised/revised by/revision/review (rev.)

If you’re looking for additional help and still finding it necessary to type “in-text citations Chicago” into a search engine, read here for more information about formatting your footnotes. You can also consult sections 14.24-14.60 of the CMOS for more detailed information on notes.

• Formatting a shortened note

While the first Chicago style citation for each source should include all relevant bibliographic information, if you cite the same source again you can use a shortened form of the note.

• The short form need only include enough information to remind your reader of the full title, or to direct them to the appropriate entry in the bibliography
• Include the surname of the author, a shortened form of the title of the work cited (if more than four words), and page number(s) in the Chicago citation
• If a work has two or three authors, cite in full the first time and subsequently give the last name of each; for more than three, the surname of the first author followed by et al.
• Farmwinkle, Humor of the Midwest , 241.
• Farmwinkle, 260-263.
• Citing one source multiple times in the same paragraph? You can cite it either parenthetically in-text or in subsequent notes by means of an abbreviation – e.g. Virginia Woolf, Mrs Dalloway (Ware: Wordsworth Editions, 1996), 52 (hereafter cited in text as Dalloway )

Sections 14.29-14.36 of the CMOS contain more information on shortened notes.

Formatting an endnote

If you are drawing on multiple sources, a page cluttered with footnotes can overwhelm your reader. While readers of scholarly works generally prefer footnotes for ease of reference, endnotes are less intrusive and will not interrupt the flow of your work. You should judge for yourself whether footnotes or endnotes would best compliment your assignment, and then Cite This For Me’s Chicago style citation maker will generate them for you.

• Whilst footnotes are added at the end of the page on which the source is cited, endnotes will be compiled at the end of each chapter or at the end of the entire work (this usually depends on the length of your work)
• Notes should be numbered consecutively (beginning with number 1) throughout each chapter or article

I. Author-Date System

If you are using the author-date system to format your Chicago style citations, you must indicate each source with a brief parenthetical citation:

• Include the last name of author, the year of publication, and a page number in parentheses. A comma should be placed after the year of publication and before the page number.
• Position the parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence referring to the source, and place just inside a mark of punctuation – unless it is a block quotation , in which case it is placed outside the punctuation
• Where the author’s name appears in the text, you don’t need to repeat it in the Chicago style in-text citation
• When citing works with more than three authors, only the name of the first author is used in the in-text citation Chicago reference, followed by et al. – e.g. (Schonen et al. 2009, 145)
• Compile a list of all source material in a reference list at the end of your assignment

Chapter 15 of the CMOS is devoted to the author-date reference system.

Recent revisions to the format have allowed for a certain degree of flexibility when it comes to Chicago in-text citations. You may prefer to use a combination of footnotes and parenthetical author-date citations (especially if you have an excess of notes) – you could use author-date citations to indicate sources within the text, and numbered footnotes or endnotes to add comments.

Why not give the Cite This For Me app or web tool a try? Save yourself the bother of formatting each Chicago style citation and have the whole thing done using our automated technology. Simply search for the author or title of the book you want to cite and leave the rest to us. Your Chicago style bibliographies have never been easier to develop!

Creating My Bibliography and Reference List

Each Chicago citation in the body of your written work should be directly keyed to a bibliography or reference list entry. Compiling a full list of all the source material that has contributed to your research and writing process is the perfect opportunity to show your reader the effort you have gone to in researching your chosen topic, ensuring that you get the grade you deserve.

Have you been wondering how to organize all of your formatted Chicago style citations in a comprehensive list? Well look no further, because here’s the lowdown on how to structure your bibliography and you can always find more in sections 14.61-14.71 of the CMOS:

• Arrange sources alphabetically by author’s last name (if no author or editor is listed then by the title or keyword that readers are most likely to seek)
• Usually titled ‘Bibliography’, and placed at the end of your work but preceding the index
• A full bibliography will include all relevant sources that provided further reading, even if they were not directly cited in your work – check with your tutor whether or not this is necessary
• Each bibliographic entry should include: author name (last name first, separating last and first name with a comma), title of work (italicized, titles of articles and chapters etc. enclosed in quotation marks instead), publication information (publisher name, location, year of publication)
• All the main elements in the Chicago citation are separated by periods rather than commas
• Terms such as editor, edition, translator, volume are abbreviated, but edited by, translated by must be spelled out in the bibliography
• Do not include specific page numbers, but for easier location of chapters or journal articles, include the beginning and ending page numbers of the whole chapter or article
• Go here to find more information on accurately compiling a bibliography

II. Author-Date System

If you are adopting the author-date variant of Chicago style citations, read the above list for a guide on how to compile your reference list. There are just two differences from the notes-bibliography system:

• Instead of a bibliography your list should be titled ‘References’ or ‘Works Cited’
• The year of publication comes directly after the author’s name – this facilitates the easy lookup of reference list entries because it copies the format of the in-text citation

Are you spending too much time on completing your bibliography? The Cite This For Me Chicago citation generator is here to help take a weight off your mind. Try our Chicago citation machine and see how simple it is to create your references.

Chicago Format Examples (17th Edition)

Carefully follow these examples when compiling and formatting both your in-text citations and bibliography in order to avoid losing marks for citing incorrectly.

Each example in this section includes a numbered footnote, a shortened form of the note, and a corresponding bibliography entry.

Book with single author or editor:

• Full Chicago citation in a footnote:

5. Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (New York: Penguin, 2006), 99-100.

• Shortened citation in a footnote:

5. Pollan, Omnivore’s Dilemma , 3.

• Bibliography entry:

Pollan, Michael, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals . New York: Penguin, 2006.

Book with multiple authors:

For a book with two authors in Chicago format style, note that only the first-listed name is inverted in the bibliography entry.

• Full Chicago style citation in a footnote:

3. Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns, The War: An Intimate History, 1941–1945 (New York: Knopf, 2007), 52.

3. Ward and Burns, War , 52.

Ward, Geoffrey C., and Ken Burns. The War: An Intimate History, 1941–1945 . New York: Knopf, 2007.

Print journal article:

89. Walter Blair, “Americanized Comic Braggarts,” Critical Inquiry 4, no. 2 (1977): 331-32.

89. Blair, “Americanized Comic Braggarts,” 335.

Blair, Walter. “Americanized Comic Braggarts.” Critical Inquiry 4, no. 2 (1977): 331-49.

Online journal article:

When citing electronic sources consulted online, the Chicago style citation manual recommends including an electronic resource identifier, where possible, to lead your reader directly to the source.

A URL is a uniform resource locator, which directs the reader straight to the online source. When using a URL, simply copy the address from your browser’s address bar when viewing the article. You must include the source’s full publication information as well.

12. Wilfried Karmaus and John F. Riebow, “Storage of Serum in Plastic and Glass Containers May Alter the Serum Concentration of Polychlorinated Biphenyls,” Environmental Health Perspectives 112 (May 2004): 645, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3435987.

12. Karmaus and Riebow, “Storage of Serum,” 645.

• Bibliography Chicago style entry:

Karmaus, Wilfried, and John F. Riebow. “Storage of Serum in Plastic and Glass Containers May Alter the Serum Concentration of Polychlorinated Biphenyls.” Environmental Health Perspectives 112 (May 2004): 643-647. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3435987.

A DOI is a digital object identifier; a unique and permanent name assigned to a piece of intellectual property, such as a journal article, in any medium in which it is published. If it is available, a DOI is preferable to an ISBN.

3. William J. Novak, “The Myth of the ‘Weak’ American State,” American Historical Review 113 (June 2008): 758, doi:10.1086/ahr.113.3.752.

3. Novak, “Myth,” 770.

• Chicago style bibliography entry:

Novak, William J. “The Myth of the ‘Weak’ American State,” American Historical Review 113 (June 2008): 752-72. doi:10.1086/ahr.113.3.752.

5. Kathy Ishizuka, “Steal this Infographic: Librarians as Tech Leaders,” The Digital Shift, Library Journal, December 10, 2013, http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/12/k-12/steal-infographic/.

5. Ishizuka “Steal this Infographic.”

Ishizuka, Kathy. “Steal this Infographic: Librarians as Tech Leaders.” The Digital Shift, Library Journal. December 10, 2013. http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/12/k-12/steal-infographic/.

II. Author-Date System:

Each example in this section includes a Chicago style in-text citation and a corresponding reference list entry.

Article with single author or editor, author mentioned in text:

• An in-text citation without a direct quote does not require a page number:

Here we empirically demonstrate that workers’ and regulatory agents’ understandings of discrimination and legality emerge not only in the shadow of the law but also, as Albiston (2005) suggests…

• With a direct quote, include the page number:

In her study on FMLA, Albiston (2005, 30) found that, “virtually all of the female respondents had no difficulty initially taking leave, but when they attempted to return, they encountered resistance and perceptions that they were less reliable and committed to their work.

• Reference list entry:

Albiston, Catherine R. 2005. “Bargaining in the Shadow of Social Institutions: Competing Discourses and Social Change in the Workplace Mobilization of Civil Rights.” Law and Society Review 39 (1): 11-47.

Article with multiple authors, author not mentioned in text:

• Chicago in-text citation:

As legal observers point out, much dispute resolution transpires outside the courtroom but in the “shadow of the law” (Mnookin and Kornhauser 1979, 950-97)…

Mnookin, Robert, and Lewis Kornhauser. 1979. “Bargaining in the Shadow of the Law: The Case of Divorce.” Yale Law Journal 88 (5): 950-97.

*For a work with four or more authors, include all the authors in the reference list entry. However, in the in-text citation you need only cite the last name of the first-listed author, followed by et al. (e.g. Barnes et al. 2008, 118-19)

• In the text:

(Ishizuka 2013)

Ishizuka, Kathy. 2013. “Steal this Infographic: Librarians as Tech Leaders.” The Digital Shift, Library Journal. http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/12/k-12/steal-infographic/.

For more examples, see chapters 14 and 15 of the Chicago style citation handbook: The Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition), or find more information available here .

To create references for a variety of sources, stop by our homepage and use our Chicago citation maker.

A Brief History of the Style

The Chicago format dates back to 1891 when the University of Chicago Press opened. The Press housed typesetters and compositors who were working on setting and deciphering complicated scientific material in fonts such as Hebrew and Ethiopic. A style sheet was devised with the aim of maintaining consistency throughout the typesetting process; from the typesetter, to the compositor, to the proofreader.

Over the years the ‘University Press stylebook and style sheet’ developed into a pamphlet used by the entire college community, before becoming a 200-page book in 1906: Manual of Style: Being a compilation of the typographical rules in force at the University of Chicago Press, to which are appended specimens of type in use – also known as the first edition of the Manual . Today’s thousand-page 16th edition Chicago style citation manual provides authors, editors, publishers, copywriters and proofreaders across the globe with the authoritative text on the style.

The Chicago style is continually evolving, with each edition undergoing revisions that reflect technological developments. For instance, the publication of the 13th edition in 1982 addressed the use of personal computers and word processors for the first time. When the World Wide Web became a global phenomenon in the 1990s, the very nature of research and communication shifted dramatically. The style’s editorial staff tackled this development by releasing a comprehensive 15th edition (2003) that incorporated the role of computer technology in the publishing industry by providing guidance on citing electronic sources.

The 16th edition of the Chicago citation manual (2010) was the first edition to be published both in hardcover and online. The manual reflects the changes undergone by the publishing industry in response to the digital age, and the subsequent evolution in the way in which authors and publishers work. It addresses a diverse range of source types that define academic publishing today; from URLs and DOIs to ebooks, Instagram and foreign languages, and provides comprehensive examples that illustrate how to cite online and digital sources.

The 16th edition also revamped the Chicago style citation system in order to move towards a more uniform style that closes the gap between the Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date systems. By recommending a single approach to each stylistic matter, rather than a myriad of confusing options and exceptions to the rule, the style offers efficient and logical solutions to the sometimes-complex citing process.

The 17th edition, released in 2017, is the latest edition. It includes minor changes, expansions on topics, and new referencing structures. It is no longer recommended to use the abbreviation ibid. (which is latin for “in the same place”) to mark repetitive references. Instead, shortened references, such as the ones in the examples towards the top of this page, are preferred. Furthermore, the website and blog sections were expanded to display additional examples and scenarios. Finally, structures and examples for numerous social media platforms and other online resources were added into the official manual.

Why is Citing Important?

Plagiarism occurs when a writer does not properly credit their source material; stealing the ideas or words of another and passing them off as one’s own is literary theft. Failure to acknowledge the sources upon which you’ve built your work is a breach of academic integrity, and this can result in a failed grade, expulsion from college or even legal action from the original author. The proper use of a referencing system, such as the Chicago format, protects writers from committing plagiarism and being accused of plagiarizing their work.

Both courtesy and copyright laws require you to identify the following in your work:

• Where you directly quote another author’s words
• Where you paraphrase or summarize another author’s words or ideas
• Where you include information, facts or ideas that are not generally known or easily checked

As a general rule, you must highlight any borrowed source material that might appear to be your own if it is not cited correctly. When in doubt, remember that it is much better to over-cite your work than under-cite.

It is important to bear in mind, however, that simply citing your sources does not keep your paper free from plagiarism. Plagiarism can occur if you use an exact quote but do not identify the exact quote as such with quotation marks even if you do cite it. Additionally, if you paraphrase a source but just change a few words here and there instead of making it your own, you could be committing plagiarism even with a citation. For more information on incorporating the work of others into your paper, the CMOS offers some helpful guidelines in sections 13.1-13.6.

The importance of attributing your research goes beyond avoiding plagiarism, and while it may seem like a tedious process, attributing and documenting your sources is an essential practice for all academic writers. The use of accurate Chicago style citations validate your work by demonstrating that you have thoroughly researched your chosen subject and found a variety of scholarly opinions and ideas to support, or challenge, your thesis. As an academic writer, your written work is a chance to engage in conversation with the scholars that you are citing by placing your own ideas in the context of the larger intellectual conversation about your topic. In correctly using citations, you also lead your reader directly to the sources you have consulted, thereby enabling them to form their own views on your opinions and appreciate your contribution to the topic.

Here at Cite This For Me we know that citing can be an arduous and time-consuming process. Luckily for you, you can work more efficiently by using the Cite This For Me Chicago style citation generator.

How Do I Know What Types of Sources I Should be Citing?

As you research and write your paper, you will come across all types of material. It is important to know what kinds of sources are appropriate for research papers and what types are not as you begin to write and cite the material you are building your research on. There are three kinds of sources that you will come across as you delve into your research topic:

• reference (sometimes called tertiary)

Each type of source has a different role to play in the research and writing process.

When you first begin to write, you will often have a broad topic or research question in mind. This is the perfect time to use reference sources to begin to understand the basics surrounding your topic and the current research on it.

Reference sources include those that summarize information about topics. You might read some pages on Wikipedia, check out an encyclopedia entry on your topic, look at a specialized dictionary entry (e.g., a literary or philosophical dictionary), or even read news articles that provide a concise overview of the topic at hand. These sources will help you to understand your topic broadly, but generally are not sources considered acceptable to cite in scholarly work. They are, however, excellent starting points and may point you to important and relevant scholarly literature you should read.

Primary Sources

An important part of research is finding and analyzing primary sources , or sources that provide original material about your given topic or question. What is considered to be a primary source will vary significantly depending on your field of research and the time period about which you are writing.

For example, if you are writing about Renaissance literature, a text by Shakespeare might be one of your primary sources. If you are studying Renaissance history, you might be looking at letters written during that time in an archive or published critical edition. If you are looking at modern current events, social media posts revealing reactions to these events or posting videos of the events might be your primary source. For social sciences, data collected through surveys might be your primary source. Primary sources provide the evidence for the argument you are going to make in your paper.

Secondary Sources

Secondary sources are sources that are aimed at scholars, well-researched, and generally based on primary sources. These are sources you will engage frequently in your research as they help to show your readers that you are informed on the topic, know what the current field of research looks like, and that you have considered multiple viewpoints on the topic before taking your stance. Secondary sources include scholarly books, journal articles, published reports, and other similar types of material.

Cite This For Me can help you handle citations for all of these types of sources.

How do I Accurately Cite My Sources with Cite This For Me?

Are you battling to get your Chicago citations finished in time? Feeling the pressure of imminent deadlines? Remove all the pain of citations with the Cite This For Me intuitive and accurate citation generator.

Cite This For Me is committed to educating academic writers across the globe in the art of accurate citing. We believe it is essential that you equip yourself with the knowledge of why you need to use a referencing system, how best to insert citations in the main body of your assignment, and how to accurately compile a bibliography. At first, referencing may seem like a waste of time when you would much rather be focusing on the actual content of your work, but after reading this extensive Chicago style citation guide we hope that you will see referencing as a valuable, lifelong skill that is worth honing.

Our multi-platform tool is designed to fulfill all of your referencing needs – whether you’re working at home, in the library, or on-the-go.

Sign up for free now to add and edit each Chicago citation on the spot, import and export full projects or individual entries, and save your work in the cloud. Or step it up a notch with our browser extension – work smarter by citing web pages, articles, books and videos directly from your browser while you research online.

Have you found a relevant book in the public library? Or stumbled across the perfect source to support your thesis in an archive? Wherever you are, cite your sources with the Cite This For Me website to formatted citations to your projects.

Stand on the shoulders of giants by accurately citing your source material using the Cite This For Me fast, accessible and free Chicago style citation maker.

Manage all your citations in one place

Create projects, add notes, cite directly from the browser.

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Published October 2, 2015. Updated June 5, 2020.

Chicago-style footnotes

Published February 12, 2021. Updated August 15, 2021.

This guide has everything you need to get started with notes in Chicago style. The notes-bibliography citation style in Chicago uses a system of numbered notes (either footnotes or endnotes) to cite sources. Depending on whether your notes use full or shortened citations, you may also need to include a bibliography. Notes are most commonly used in fields of study like the humanities (e.g., literature, history, and the arts).

The information in this guide follows the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (the 17th edition) but this guide is not affiliated with the CMOS.

Here’s what you’ll find on this page:

What is a note?

What’s the difference between footnotes and endnotes, when can you use shortened notes in chicago style, how do you format citations for notes.

For help writing your essay, research paper , or other project, check out these writing tips .

In Chicago style, the notes and bibliography citation style signals the use of a source with a superscript number at the end of the sentence in which you provide a quote or use information from a specific source. The superscript number refers the reader to a note with the same number. The note gives information about the source so that the reader can identify it. If a specific portion of the source is being cited (like a quotation), the related page numbers will also be identified in the note.

The notes corresponding to the superscript numbers are either located at the bottom of the page and called footnotes, or at the end of your paper (or chapter) and called endnotes. The only difference between footnotes and endnotes is where they are located in your paper. The citation format for both footnotes and endnotes is the same.

Whether you use footnotes or endnotes is generally a personal choice. However, check with your instructor to see if they prefer one over the other.

Footnotes make it very easy for your reader to identify the sources you are citing as the reader can simply look to the bottom of the page. However, footnotes can clutter the page and break up your text, especially if you use a lot of footnotes.

Endnotes can make your citations a bit harder to navigate as the reader will have to flip back and forth in your paper. Endnotes do make for a smooth reading experience as your text will not be interrupted by footnotes on every page.

If there are no guidelines in place, the choice is up to you and based on personal preference. Both footnotes and endnotes are acceptable in the notes-bibliography citation style in Chicago and your citations will be the same regardless of your choice of note type.

When you use notes in Chicago style, you have two options. You can include a full citation the first time you reference a source, and when you use the same source afterward, you can use a shortened form of the citation. If you choose to do this, Chicago style does not require you to include a full bibliography as all the citation information is found in your notes. Your instructor may still want you to include a bibliography, so make sure to check with them.

Some fields only use shortened notes in the text and then provide full citation information in the bibliography. If you only use shortened notes, you must always include a full bibliography at the end of your paper.

Keep in mind that Chicago style no longer recommends the use of “ibid.” in notes where you refer to the same source that you cited in the previous note. This means that when you cite the same source multiple times in a row, you’ll use a shortened citation form for each subsequent citation.

Here’s an example:

In her guide to growing and selling cut flowers, Byczynski notes that the “complete flower garden will have a mixture of annuals, perennials, and bulbs and plants that are seeded directly into the garden.” 1 She continues, adding that it will also include “plants that must be started in a greenhouse, and plants that are purchased from suppliers.” 2

• Lynn Byczynski, The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower’s Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers , rev. ed. (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008), 47.
• Byczynski, Flower Farmer , 47.

If you were only using shortened notes, your notes would look like this and you would provide a full reference in your bibliography:

This section of the guide will show you how to format citations for notes (both full and shortened) for three types of sources you will likely use in your paper: books, journal articles, and websites. For information on how to format bibliography entries, be sure to check out this guide.

If you need to cite a book in your notes, you can use the following templates for full and shortened citations:

Full citation template for a book:

• Author First Name Author Surname, Book Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Publication Year), Page #.

Full citation example for a book:

Shortened citation template for a book:

• Author Surname, Shortened Book Title , Page #.

Shortened citation example for a book:

To cite a journal article, you can use the following templates and examples to help your format your citations:

Full citation template for a journal article:

• Author First Name Author Surname, “Article Title,” Journal Name Volume #, no. Issue # (Publication Year): Page #, DOI (if applicable).

Full citation example for a journal article:

• Emily Kader, “ Rose Connolly Revisited: Re-Imagining the Irish in Southern Appalachia,” The Journal of American Folklore 127, no. 506 (2014): 436.

Shortened citation template for a journal article:

• Author Surname, “Shortened Article Title,” Page #.

Shortened citation example for a journal article:

• Kader, “ Rose Connolly ,” 436.

To cite a website in your notes, you can use to following templates and examples to guide you. If your web page has a clear author, begin your citation with the author’s full name, otherwise, just start with the web page title:

Full citation template for a website:

• “Web Page Title,” Website Owner, last modified/accessed Month Day, Year, URL.

Full citation example for a website:

• “Rabbiteye Type Bushes,” Finch Blueberry Nursery, last accessed December 30, 2020, https://finchblueberrynursery.com/rabbiteye-type.

Shortened citation template for a website:

• Website Owner/Author, “Shortened Web Page Title.”

Shortened citation example for a website:

• Finch Blueberry Nursery, “Rabbiteye.”

Works Consulted:

The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017. https://doi.org/10.7208/cmos17.

Chicago Style Guides

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