The Chicago Citation Style Guide (17th ed.) – Notes-Bibliography is a referencing guide developed in accordance with The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, published by the University of Chicago Press in 2017. This kind of referencing is used in the humanities, particularly in areas such as history, literature, and the arts. This includes a system of footnotes or endnotes supported by a bibliography, therefore allowing for detailed referencing/ commentary in the text whilst providing all complete bibliographic information in a separate section. This style is clear and consistent for the purpose of reference; it enables good and proper communication in scholarly matters.
General Principles of Formatting
- Set 1″ (2.54 cm) margins on all sides. (applies in APA, MLA, and Havard Style Guide)
- Use Arial 12 pt. font (unless your instructions say otherwise).
- All words except articles and prepositions should be capitalized in book/article/periodical titles.
- At the end of a paper written in compliance with the Chicago NB style, a full list of the sources cited in the paper appears in a separate section titled “Bibliography.”
- Bibliographical entries are single-spaced and separated by an additional line space.
Title Page
The title is placed in the center of the page and written in UPPERCASE. Use a colon to separate the main title from the subtitle. The subtitle should be written below the title line.
The student’s name, tutor’s name, other class information, date, and year are located in the lower part of the page, written in sentence case. There should be no page numbers on the title page or page with the table of contents/outline.
Headings and Subheadings
Level 1: Centered, Bold, Each Word is Capitalized
Level 2: Centered, Non-Emphasized Font, Capitalized
Level 3: Flush Left, Bold, Capitalized
Level 4: Flush left, regular font, sentence case
Level 5: Placed at the beginning of the paragraph. It can be italicized or bold, sentence case. A period is used to separate the subheading and the rest of the text in the paragraph.
Footnotes
1. A footnote should be created every time you use a source.
2. Footnotes appear at the bottom (footer) part of a page.
3. A footnote should be indented (left margin).
4. All succeeding lines of this footnote should be formatted flush left.
5. Footnotes are single-spaced and separated by an additional line space.
6. The first footnote for one source should present all the information related to this source
(including the author’s full name, title of the source, and other relevant facts).
7. If the source is cited more than once, subsequent footnotes should only include the last name of the author, a short title (if the original title consists of more than four words), and the number(s) of the cited page(s).
8. Note that the page number is required in all short-form citations, even if it is the same as the previous entry.
Example:
1. Firstname, Lastname, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
2. Last name, Shortened Title of Book, page number.
9. The use of ibid. Is now discouraged in favor of shortened citations as per the 17th edition of
CMOS (section 14.34). In footnotes citing the same source as the one preceding, use a
shortened form of the citation, as in note 1 below. The title of the work may also be omitted if the
previous note includes the title, as in note 2 below.
Example:
1. Harvey, “Modernity and Modernism,” 12.
2. Harvey, 13.
10. Aside from ibid., Chicago style offers cross-referencing for multiple notes with repeated content
(especially for longer, discursive notes). Remember: a note number should never appear out of
order.
Example:
1. Michel Foucault, “The Means of Correct Training” in The Foucault Reader, ed. Paul Rabinow (New York: Pantheon, 1984), 188.
Bibliography remark
If citing sacred texts, such as the Jewish or Christian scriptures, remember that they are usually mentioned in parenthetical citations or notes rather than in bibliographies. Such citations include book (in roman and usually abbreviated), chapter, and verse. A colon is used between chapter and verse. The traditional abbreviations use periods, but the shorter forms do not.
Examples:
Traditional abbreviations:
4. 1 Thess. 4:11, 5:2–5, 5:14.
5. Heb. 13:8, 13:12.
6. Gen. 25:19–36:43.
Shorter abbreviations:
7. 2 Sm 11:1–17, 11:26–27; 1 Chr 10:13–14.
8. Jo 5:9–12; Mt 26:2–5.
Bibliography
A reference page in a Chicago Notes-Bibliography style guide is known as a bibliography Page. Within each entry, bibliography entries are entered in single spacing; however, an extra space should be left between bibliographic entries. As a general rule, any item that you reference in the text of your paper must be on the bibliography page. Any item in your footnotes must have a corresponding reference entry on your bibliography page. Note differences in punctuation and word order in Bibliography entries and footnotes.
Citing Books
General book format
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Footnote citation:
1. Firstname Lastname, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page
number.
Single author
Fetherston, Trevor. Becoming an Effective Teacher. Victoria: Thomson Learning, 2007.
Footnote citation:
1. Trevor Fetherston, Becoming an Effective Teacher (Victoria: Thomson Learning, 2007), 33.
Note:
- If the city of publication may be unknown to readers or may be confused with another city of the
same name, the abbreviation of the state, province, or (sometimes) country is usually added.
Washington is traditionally followed by DC, but other major cities, such as Los Angeles and
Baltimore needs no state abbreviation. (For countries not easily abbreviated, spell out the name.)
When the publisher’s name includes the state name, the abbreviation is not needed.
- In notes and bibliography, the initial is omitted from a publisher’s name, as are abbreviations such as Inc., Ltd., or S.A. following a name. Co., & Co., Publishing Co., and the like are also omitted. Books are usually retained (Basic Books, Riverhead Books). The word Press can sometimes be omitted (for example, Pergamon Press and Ecco Press can be abbreviated to Pergamon and Ecco, but Free Press and New Press—whose names might be confusing without Press—must be given in full). The press should not be omitted from the name of a university press because the university itself may issue publications independent of its press. The word University may be abbreviated to Univ. if done consistently.
Examples:
Houghton Mifflin, not Houghton Mifflin Co.
Little, Brown, not Little, Brown & Co.
Macmillan, not Macmillan Publishing Co.
Two or three authors
Bohm, Andrew, and Dean Chaudri. Securing Australia’s Future: An Analysis of the International Education Markets in India. Sydney: IDP Education Australia, 2000.
Footnote citation:
1. Andrew Bohm and Dean Chaudri, Securing Australia’s Future: An Analysis of the International
Education Markets in India (Sydney: IDP Education Australia, 2000), 33–55.
Four or more authors
Bell, Michael, David Bush, Peter Nicholson, Dan O’Brien, and Thomas Tran. Universities Online: A Survey of Online Education and Services in Australia. Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training, 2002.
Footnote citation:
1. Michael Bell et al., Universities Online: A Survey of Online Education and Services in Australia (Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training, 2002), 33–55.
No author
If there are no authors or editors in the source, then cite the source by title. In footnotes and corresponding bibliographical entries, citations should begin with the title, omitting the element with the first name and last name. The citation looks like this:
Mythology: Myths, Legends and Fantasies. Sydney: Hodder Headline Australia, 2003.
Footnote citation:
1. Mythology: Myths, Legends and Fantasies (Sydney: Hodder Headline Australia, 2003), 24.
Multiple works by the same author
Using multiple works by the same author poses no challenge as all are to be cited in footnotes at the bottom of the page.
Fromm, Erich. The Fear of Freedom. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1942.
—. The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1987.
Footnote citation:
1. Erich Fromm, The Fear of Freedom (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1942), 33.
2. Erich Fromm, The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books,
1987), 42.
Different editions
Kremer, John, and Aidan Moran. Pure Sport: Practical Sports Psychology. 2nd ed. Hove, East Sussex: Routledge, 2013.
Footnote citation:
1. John Kremer and Aidan Moran, Pure Sport: Practical Sport Psychology, 2nd ed. (Hove, East Sussex: Routledge, 2013), 104.
Note:
- It may be required to further specify the place of publication. In this example, it is Hove, East Sussex. In most cases, it would be sufficient to simply list the city.
Editor or translator instead of author
Smith, Jane, ed. The Stanford Handbook of Business and the American Press. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.
Footnote citation:
1. Jane Smith, ed., The Stanford Handbook of Business and the American Press (New York:
Oxford University Press, 2012), 202.
Note:
- In a case with a translator, use trans. Instead of ed.
Authors plus editors or translators
Churchill, Winston. The Literary Works of Winston Churchill. Edited by Samuel Jackson. London: The Limited Editions Club, Inc., 1963.
Footnote citation:
1. Winston Churchill, The Literary Works of Winston Churchill, ed. Samuel Jackson (London: The Limited Editions Club, Inc., 1963), 12.
Note:
- Use phrases like edited by (ed.), compiled by (comp.), or translated by (trans.) when it is
necessary.
Corporate Author
UNESCO. Worldwide Child Development Program 2000-2006. Zurich: UNESCO, 2000.
Footnote citation:
1. UNESCO, Worldwide Child Development Program 2000-2006 (Zurich: UNESCO, 2000), 2.
Encyclopedia or dictionary
The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th ed. s.v. “Tradition.”
If there is a need to cite the encyclopedia multiple times on the same page, use s.vv. Instead of s.v., and cite all the words after (sub verbo, “under the word”; pl. s.vv.).
The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th ed. s.vv. “Astronomy,” “Chemistry,” “Tradition,” “Philosophy.”
Footnote citation:
1. The New Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. “Tradition.”
2. The New Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.vv. “Astronomy,” “Chemistry,” “Tradition,”
“Philosophy.”
Note:
- Since all words in a dictionary or encyclopedia are typically placed in alphabetical order, no page
numbers are necessary. However, the words must also be arranged in alphabetical order.
Chapter in an edited book
Higgs, Malcolm. “Change and Its Leadership: The Role of Positive Emotions.” In The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work, edited by P. Alex Linley, Susan Harrington, and Nicola Garcea, 67–94. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Footnote citation:
1. Malcolm Higgs, “Change and Its Leadership: The Role of Positive Emotions,” in The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology and Work, ed. P. Alex Linley, Susan Harrington, and Nicola Garcea (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 67–72.
Chapter in a single-author book
Phibbs, Brendan. “Herrlisheim: Diary of a Battle.” In The Other Side of Time: A Combat Surgeon in World War II, 117–63. Boston: Little, Brown, 1987.
Samples, John. “The Origins of Modern Campaign Finance Law.” Chap. 7 in The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.
Footnote citations:
1. Brendan Phibbs, “Herrlisheim: Diary of a Battle,” in The Other Side of Time: A Combat Surgeon in World War II (Boston: Little, Brown, 1987), 117–63.
2. John Samples, “The Origins of Modern Campaign Finance Law,” chap. 7 in The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006).
E-book
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Penguin Classics, 2007. Kindle.
Borel, Brooke. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016. ProQuest Ebrary.
Chan, Mimi. All the King’s Women. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2000. PDF e-book.
Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick or The Whale. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851. http://mel.hofstra.edu/moby-dick-the-whale-proofs.html.
Footnote citations:
1. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (New York: Penguin Classics, 2007), chap. 3, Kindle.
2. Mimi Chan, All the King’s Women (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2000), PDF e[1]book, chap. 4.
3. Brooke Borel, The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2016), 92, ProQuest Ebrary.
4. Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851), 627,
http://mel.hofstra.edu/moby-dick-the-whale-proofs.html.
Note:
- Including the format of the document is important, so it must be specified. The most common formats are PDF, Kindle, Microsoft Reader, Dejavu, etc. Pages in electronic versions of a book may differ from the original printed version. You can use chapters or sections of the book as locators.
Book consulted online
Antokoletz, Elliot. Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartók. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195365825.001.0001.
Footnote citation:
1. Elliot Antokoletz, Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartók (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2008), doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195365825.001.0001.
Note:
- Alternatively, the URL may be included instead of a doi.
Preface, foreword, afterword, or introduction
Reamer, Frederic G. Foreword to Social Justice and Social Work, edited by Michael J. Austin, xiii–xv. Los Angeles: Sage, 2014.
Footnote citation:
1. Frederic G. Reamer, foreword to Social Justice and Social Work, ed. Michael J. Austin (Los Angeles: Sage, 2014), xiv.
Note:
- Should the book have multiple publishers, it is not necessary to cite all of them. Include only the first one in both footnotes and bibliography.
Co-publishers
Doe, John, and Daniel K. F. Beaverfang. The Dead Sky Chronicles, Study Edition. 2 vols. New York: Brill; San-Francisco: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2005.
Footnote citation:
1. John Doe and Daniel K. F. Beaverfang, The Dead Sky Chronicles, Study Edition (New York:
Brill; San-Francisco: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2005), 2:35.
Citing Articles in Periodicals
Journal article
Davies, David. “From the Further Education Margins to the Higher Education Centre? Innovation in Continuing Education.” Education Training 39, no. 1 (1997): 4–13.
Footnote citation:
1. David Davies, “From the Further Education Margins to the Higher Education Centre?
Innovation in Continuing Education,” Education Training 39, no. 1 (1997): 10.
Note:
- When a journal uses issue numbers only, without volume numbers, a comma follows the journal-title.
Example:
Beattie, J. M. “The Pattern of Crime in England, 1660–1800.” Past and Present, no. 62 (1974): 47–95.
- When a month/season stands for volume and/or issue number, it becomes an indispensable element and should be, therefore, enclosed in reference; a comma follows the journal title and the date.
Example:
Saberhagen, Kelvin. “Lake Superior Beluga?” Sturgeon Review, Winter 1928, 21–45.
- When page numbers immediately follow a volume number, separated only by a colon, no space follows the colon. However, when parenthetical information intervenes, a space follows the colon.
Examples:
Social Networks 14:213–29
Critical Inquiry 19 (Autumn): 164–85
- When the page number follows an issue number, a comma—not a colon—should be used.
Example:
Diogenes, no. 25, 84–117.
Journal articles with more than four authors
Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences. If there are four or more authors, list up to ten in the bibliography; in a note, list only the first, followed by et al. (“and others”). For more than ten authors (not shown here), list the first seven in the bibliography, followed by et al.
Bay, Rachael A., Noah Rose, Rowan Barrett, Louis Bernatchez, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Jesse R. Lasky, Rachel B. Brem, Stephen R. Palumbi, and Peter Ralph. “Predicting Responses to Contemporary Environmental Change Using Evolutionary Response Architectures,” American Naturalist 189, no. 5 (May 2017): 463–73. https://doi.org/10.1086/691233 .
Footnote citation:
1. Rachel A. Bay et al., “Predicting Responses to Contemporary Environmental Change Using Evolutionary Response Architectures.” American Naturalist 189, no. 5 (May 2017): 465, https://doi.org/10.1086/691233.
Note:
- You may indicate the month/season of publication in addition to the year, if available.
Journal article (no author)
“Effects Teacher Certification and Teacher Commitment on Teacher Performance.” International Journal of Scientific Research and Management 4, no. 11 (2017): 33–45.
Footnote citation:
1. “Effects Teacher Certification and Teacher Commitment on Teacher Performance,” International Journal of Scientific Research and Management 4, no. 11 (2017): 36, 38, 39.
Newspaper article
Page numbers, if any, can be cited in a note but are omitted from a bibliography entry.
Higgins, Marguerite. “Obesity Policy Will Benefit Trial Lawyers; Enables Fast-Food Lawsuits.” The Washington Times, December 22, 2010.
Footnote citation:
1. Marguerite Higgins, “Obesity Policy Will Benefit Trial Lawyers; Enables Fast-Food Lawsuits,” The Washington Times, December 22, 2010, 3.
Newspaper article (no author)
“Obesity Epidemic Expected to Cut Life Expectancy, Experts Say.” Chicago Tribune, June 5, 2012.
Footnote citation:
1. “Obesity Epidemic Expected to Cut Life Expectancy, Experts Say,” Chicago Tribune, June 5, 2012, 6.
Journal article consulted online
Cliff, Amy Fish. “’ What Are We Doing Here’: Eastern Cherokee Civil Authorities and Sovereign Territorial Rights.” American Indian Quarterly 36, no. 2 (2013): 234–269. doi: /1d11d977-389e.
Footnote citation:
1. Amy Fish Cliff, “’ What Are We Doing Here’: Eastern Cherokee Civil Authorities and Sovereign Territorial Rights,” American Indian Quarterly 36, no. 2 (2013): 234–269, doi: /1d11d977-389e.
Note:
- If there is no DOI, it is acceptable to use the URL in order to link the article to your work. If you possess both URL and DOI, always use the latter.
Full text from a database (no author)
“Higher Education in the Hi-Tech Age: Higher Education Leadership Forum.” The Chronicle of Higher Education 52, no. 16 (2005): 105–107. doi: /1001oi567.
Footnote citation:
1. “Higher Education in the Hi-Tech Age: Higher Education Leadership Forum,” The Chronicle of Higher Education 52, no. 16 (2005): 105–107, doi: /1001oi567.
Full text from the newspaper, newswire (no author)
“Trump is Going to Ruin America.” BBC, January 17, 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/video_and_audio/headlines/389742289.
Footnote citation:
1. “Trump is Going to Ruin America,” BBC, January17, 2017, http://www.bbc.com/news/video_and_audio/headlines/389742289.
Online newspaper article
If you consulted the article online, include a URL (or DOI, if available) or the name of the database.
Glier, Ray. “Missed Plays Burn Atlanta; Falcons Have No Regrets after Rising from ‘Ground Zero’.” The Washington Post, February 1, 1999. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-574623.html?refid=easy_hf
Pegoraro, Rob. “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple.” Washington Post, July 5, 2007. LexisNexis Academic.
Footnote citation:
1. Ray Glier, “Missed Plays Burn Atlanta; Falcons Have No Regrets after Rising from ‘Ground Zero’,” The Washington Post, February 1, 1999, http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-574623.html?refid=easy_hf
2. Rob Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple,” Washington Post, July 5, 2007, LexisNexis Academic.
Citing Dissertations and Theses
Thesis or dissertation
Rutz, Cynthia Lillian. “King Lear and Its Folktale Analogues.” PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2013.
Footnote citation:
1. Cynthia Lillian Rutz, “King Lear and Its Folktale Analogues” (PhD diss., University of Chicago,
2013), 99–100.
Citing Learning Environment
Course materials
Jackson, Sean. “The Basics of Cloud Computing.” Lecture, the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, October 10, 2015.
Footnote citation:
1. Sean Jackson, “The Basics of Cloud Computing” (lecture, the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, October 10, 2015).
Citing Online Sources
Website
“Educational Products.” Educational Resources. Last modified November 3, 2011. http://www.edresources.com/products.
Footnote citation:
1. “Educational Products,” Educational Resources, last modified November 3, 2011, http://www.edresources.com/.
Note:
- For web sources, include the date of access or the date of last modification.
Web page (no date)
Carpenter, John. “Alternative Cancer Treatments for Stage I, II and III Cancer Patients.” Cancer Tutor. Accessed January 25, 2017. https://www.cancertutor.com/ruleofthumb/.
Footnote citation:
1. John Carpenter, “Alternative Cancer Treatments for Stage I, II and III Cancer Patients,” Cancer Tutor, accessed January 25, 2017, https://www.cancertutor.com/ruleofthumb/.
Image
Tesla Autopilot Function. Digital image. Wired. Accessed January 25, 2017. https://assets.wired.com/photos/w_860/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Telsa_Autopilot_TA.jpg .
Footnote citation:
1. Tesla Autopilot Function, digital image, Wired, accessed January 25, 2017, https://assets.wired.com/photos/w_860/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Telsa_Autopilot_TA.jpg.
Blog
Middleton, Jane. “The Southeast States Trivia Treasure Hunt.” Deceptively Educational (blog), March 13, 2015. http://deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.com/2015/03/southeast-states-trivia-treasure-hunt.html.
Footnote citation:
1. Jane Middleton, “Southeast States Trivia Treasure Hunt,” Deceptively Educational (blog), March 13, 2015, http://deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.com/2015/03/southeast-states-trivia-treasure-hunt.html.
Films and video recordings
Titanic. Directed by James Cameron. Performed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Los Angeles: Paramount Pictures, 1997. DVD.
Footnote citation:
1. Titanic, dir. James Cameron, perf. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (Los Angeles:Paramount Pictures, 1997), DVD.
YouTube video
“U.S. System of Education—English Language Notes.” YouTube video, 3:14. Posted by JenniferESL. July 19, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ciiaPwhF0I .
Footnote citation:
1. “U.S. System of Education—English Language Notes,” YouTube video, 3:14, posted by JenniferESL, July 19, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ciiaPwhF0I
Citing Governmental Sources
Government report
Canada. British Columbia. Ministry of Education. Learning Assessment Branch. The 1982 B.C Science Assessment. Edited by Hugh Taylor. [Victoria, B.C.]: Queen’s Printer, 1982.
Plant, P. Geoffrey. Access and Excellence: The Campus 2020 Plan for British Columbia’s Post-Secondary Education System. [Victoria, B.C.]: Ministry of Advanced Education, 2007.
Footnote citation:
1. Canada, British Columbia, Ministry of Education. Learning Assessment Branch, The 1982 B.C Science Assessment, edited by Hugh Taylor. [Victoria, B.C.]: Queen’s Printer, 1982.
2. Geoffrey P. Plant, Access and Excellence: The Campus 2020 Plan for British Columbia’s Post-Secondary Education System, [Victoria, B.C.]: Ministry of Advanced Education, 2007.
Secondary Sources
Personal communication
Footnote citation:
1. Jared Jones, e-mail message, July 4, 2015.
Note:
- Personal communications, including email and text messages and direct messages sent through social media, are usually cited in the text or in a note only; they are rarely included in a bibliography.
Books
No bibliographical citation is necessary.
Footnote citation:
1. Jim Bean, A Book about Nothing, (New York: Elsevier, 2001), 37, quoted in Alexander Schultz, Modern Nihilism (London: Routledge, 2007), 5.
Note:
The 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style discourages the use of secondary sources in academic research. It is to be avoided at all times. Should the original source not be available in any possible way, it is recommended to use the “quoted in” format for the footnote
Frequently Asked Questions
Notes should be placed at the bottom of the page, and endnotes should be placed before the bibliography at the end of the paper. Note that numbers should be regular in size and followed by a period.
Bibliographic citations must be formatted with double spacing and include a hanging indent, where the first line aligns with the margin, and subsequent lines are indented. For footnotes, however, the first line should have an indent, but all following lines should remain flush with the left margin without any indentation.
Personal communication, such as emails, text messages, and personal letters, are typically excluded from the bibliography and are not listed as formal references.