Chicago Style

Citation requires you to properly acknowledge the sources you use in your research and writing. This guide provides basic information on how to cite sources as well as examples for formatting citations in Chicago Style. 

The Chicago Manual of Style presents two basic documentation systems, Notes/Bibliography and Author-Date. Choosing between the two depends on the discipline. Your professor probably has a preference too, so make sure you ask!

The Chicago Manual of Style Notes/Bibliography system is used by scholars in history, arts, and humanities.

Citing sources in this style consists of two parts:

1. A superscript number in the text (1) and corresponding note containing the full citation, placed either at the bottom of the page (footnote) or at the end of the paper (endnote).

2. A bibliography at the end of the work. 

For examples of citations in Author-Date format, see the Chicago Manual of Style's Notes and Bibliography Sample Citations webpage and the Notes/Bibliography - Example tab of this guide. 

For information and examples of how to properly format ALL aspects of a paper using Chicago Manual of Style Notes/Bibliography system, see Purdue's Online Writing Lab Guide. 

The Chicago Manual of Style Author-Date system is used by scholars in the social sciences and natural sciences. 

Citing sources in this style consists of two parts:

1. An in-text citation with the last name of the author(s), and the year the work was published. 

2. A reference list at the end of the work. 

The in-text citation points the reader to the full information about the source found in the reference list. 

For examples of citations in Author-Date format, see the Chicago Manual of Style's Author-Date Sample Citations webpage and the Author-Date Examples tab of this guide. 

Do you have a question this guide does not answer? Consider consulting the following resources. 

• The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a fantastic and easy-to-use online resource for any Citation Style. You may want to start there, since it has plenty of examples and even a Chicago Style Sample Paper with annotations. 
• The 17th Edition of the Chicago Manual of Style Online is the authority of ALL things Chicago Style. You can find it listed in the Olin Library A-Z Database Listing. There is also a free online "Quick Guide" for reference. 

For in-person help, stop by the  Olin Library to get research help from a Librarian. You may also call the research help line at (407) 646-250. Or, visit the Tutoring and Writing Center to get citation help from a peer tutor. 

Why should you cite your sources? 

• To give credit to ideas that are not your own

• To provide support for your argument (professor's love that!)

• To enable your reader to find and read the sources you used -- this makes your research process transparent

• To avoid Honor Code infractions and/or plagiarism!

What should you cite?

• Exact wording taken from any source, including freely available websites
• Paraphrases of passages
• Indebtedness to another person for an idea
• Use of another student's work
• Use of your own previous work

Note: You DO NOT need to cite common knowledge.