Welcome to the Chicago Style Guide!
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The Basics |
Introduction to Chicago Style and overview of the notes/bibliography system components |
Formatting Your Paper |
Margins, indents, spacing, etc. |
Notes and Bibliographies |
Formatting these sections |
Elements of a Citation |
Rules for each element of the citation |
Types of Sources |
Citation examples for print books e-books print articles electronic articles web pages miscellaneous sources |
Quotations |
In-text citations, run-in (short), and block (long) quotes |
Resources |
Help resources and printable resources. |
Special Thanks
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to the librarians at Lorain College in Ohio, who allowed IWU to adapt this library guide from theirs.
The Chicago Manual of Style, first published in 1906, has long been a standard reference book for writers, particularly those in the disciplines of literature, history, and the arts.
This library guide covers the Notes and Bibliography System of Chicago Style, often used by those in the humanities and history. It does not include the Author-Date System, frequently used in the natural, physical and social sciences. Be sure you know which system your professor requires.
If you have a question not answered in this guide, ask your instructor, check with a librarian, or use the resources below.
What is the Notes/Bibliography System?
Requirements of the Notes and Bibliography style:
Insert a number in each place in your paper that references a source. This number is usually placed at the end of the sentence that discusses or quotes the source. Format this number as a superscript (above the line, like the number one that follows this¹).
For each numbered reference in your text, include a note. You may use footnotes (a numbered list of citations at the bottom of the page where the reference appears) or endnotes (a page after the body of the paper that lists all of the references in the entire paper).
When a bibliography is required, your professor might indicate that you may use shortened citations for all notes.
Components of Notes and Bibliography Style
The Chicago Manual of Style provides formatting information for a manuscript, but does not address formatting of student papers. This page provides basic information about components/format of the CMS Notes-Bibliography system.
Always find out whether your instructor has specific requirements when you are writing a paper. Basic elements of a paper using Chicago style are as follows:
Margins, Indents
Spacing
Author(s)
Titles
Edition
Page Numbers
Journals: Volume Number, Issue, Page Numbers
Online Journals
Databases
Publication Date
Place of Publication
Publisher
Authors |
Full Notes |
Bibliography |
1 |
Charles Schultz. |
Schultz, Charles. |
2 |
Charles Schultz and Ron Brown. |
Schultz, Charles, and Ron Brown. |
3 |
Charles Schultz, Ron Brown, and Lucy VanPelt. |
Schultz, Charles, Ron Brown, and Lucy VanPelt. |
4 |
Charles Schultz et al. |
Include all names. |
Original Title |
Shortened Title |
Men and Events; Historical Essays |
Men and Events |
The Empire of the Seas: A Biography of Rear |
Empire of the Seas |
Wordmark Encyclopedia of the Nations |
Encyclopedia of Nations |
Note the edition of a source in a note or reference if it is not the first edition; that is, if the source is a numbered edition, or if the title page reads, "revised edition."
Numbered editions are abbreviated as shown below.
Sample Note:
Sample Bib:
Louis: Mosby, 2002.
Journals: Volume Number, Issue, Page Numbers
Information |
Included in a Citation? |
Volume number |
Always |
Issue number |
"The issue number should be recorded even if pagination is continuous throughout a volume or when a month or season precedes the year." See the Chicago Manual of Style Online Section 14.171: Journal volume, issue, and date. |
Page numbers |
If referencing a passage, cite the relevant page number(s) only. If referencing an entire article, cite the entire page range. See the Chicago Manual of Style Online Section 14.174: Journal page references. |
Include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) in your citation if one is listed. A DOI, appended to the address, https://doi.org/10..., links directly to the source. If no DOI is available, list a URL. Include the access date only if required by your professor.
Use CrossRef's Free DOI Lookup to find out if your resource has been assigned a DOI.
Sample Note:
12. Pamela Paul, "The Playground Gets Even Tougher," New York Times, October 10, 2010, 12, Academic Search Complete (54317717).
Sample Bib:
Books:
Magazines: Use the most complete date available on the cover or table of contents.
Articles (Electronic)
Articles (Print)
Books (Electronic)
Books (Print)
Websites / Webpages
Miscellaneous Sources
Color is used in the examples below only to help you identify the elements of a citation. You should not format your citations in color.
For more information about any particular element of the citation samples, e.g., if you want to know how to include and punctuate author information for items with more than one author, or for information about shortening titles, refer to the tab in this LibGuide titled Elements of a Citation.
If your question is not answered by the LibGuide, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (see The Basics tab for a link to the catalog record for the CMS).
Access dates are given in these examples. However, they should be used only if your instructor requires them. CMOS 17th edition does not require access dates as part of full note or bibliography formats.
Electronic Journal Article
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author(s), "Article Title," Journal Title volume, issue (Date): page number or range, access date if required by instructor, DOI (preferred) or URL.
1. Sheryl Bobroff and Caren L. Sax, "The Effects of Peer Tutoring Interview Skills Training with Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities," Journal of Vocation Rehabilitation 33, no. 3 (2010): 143-157, accessed August 1, 2010, doi: 10.3233/JVR-2010-0523.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author(s) last name(s), "Shortened Article Title," page number or range.
1. Bobroff and Sax, "Effects of Peer Tutoring," 143-157.
|
Bibliography
Format →
Sample →
|
Author(s) Inverted (only first author inverted, other in direct order). "Article Title." Journal Title volume, issue
(Date): page number or range. (Access date if required by instructor.) DOI (preferred) or URL.
Bobroff, Sheryl, and Caren L. Sax. "The Effects of Peer Tutoring Interview Skills Training with Transition-Age
Youth with Disabilities." Journal of Vocation Rehabilitation 33, no. 3 (2010): 143-157 (Accessed August 1, 2010). doi: 10.3233/JVR-2010-0523.
|
Electronic Newspaper or Magazine Article
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author(s), "Article Title," Newspaper or Magazine Title, date, access date if required, URL (or DOI - not as likely to be available for a magainze).
1. Jeffrey Kluger, "When Plants Become Refugees," Time, November 9, 2010, accessed November 10, 2010, https://science.time.com/2010/11/09/when-plants-become-refugees/.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author(s) last name(s), "Shortened Article Title," page number or range.
1. Kluger, "When Plants Become Refugees."
|
Bibliography
Format →
Sample →
|
Author(s) Inverted (only first author inverted, other in direct order). "Article Title." Newspaper
or Magazine Title, Date. (Access date.) URL.
Kluger, Jeffrey. "When Plants Become Refugees." Time, November 9, 2010. Accessed November
10, 2010. https://science.time.com/2010/11/09/when-plants-become-refugees/.
|
Color is used in the examples below only to help you identify the elements of a citation. You should not format your citations in color.
For more information about any particular element of the citation samples, e.g., if you want to know how to include and punctuate author information for items with more than one author, or for information about shortening titles, refer to the tab in this LibGuide titled Elements of a Citation.
If your question is not answered by the LibGuide, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (see The Basics tab for a link to the catalog record for the CMS).
Journal Article, Single Author (print)
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author, "Article Title," Journal Title volume, issue (Date): page number or range.
1. Sheila Stoeckel, "Translating Evidence Based Practice to Information Literacy Instruction," College & Research Library News 71, no. 8 (2010): 410-411.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author last name, "Shortened Article Title," page number or range.
1. Stoeckel, "Translating Practice," 410-411.
|
Bibliography
Format →
Sample →
|
Author Name Inverted. "Article Title." Journal Title volume, issue (Date): page number or range.
Stoeckel, Sheila. "Translating Evidence Based Practice to Information Literacy Instruction." College & Research Library News 71, no. 8 (2010): 410-411.
|
Magazine Article (print)
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author, "Article Title," Magazine Title, Date, page number or range
1. Michael D. Lemonick, "Is Anybody Out There?," Time, November 8, 2010, 58.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author last name, "Shortened Article Title," page number or range.
1. Lemonick, "Is Anybody Out There?," 58.
|
Bibliography
Format →
Sample →
|
Author Name Inverted. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Date.
Lemonick, Michael D. "Is Anybody Out There?" Time, November 8, 2010.
|
Newspaper Article (print)
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author, "Article Title," Newspaper Title, Date, page number or range
1. Steven Litt, "Cleveland Museum of Art's Atrium Skylight Rises at Last," The Plain Dealer, October 31, 2010.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author last name, "Shortened Article Title."
1. Litt, "Cleveland Museum."
|
Bibliography
Format →
Sample →
|
Author Name Inverted. "Article Title." Newspaper Title, Date.
Litt, Steven. "Cleveland Museum of Art's Atrium Skylight Rises at Last." The Plain Dealer,
October 30, 2010.
|
Color is used in the examples below only to help you identify the elements of a citation. You should not format your citations in color.
For more information about any particular element of the citation samples, e.g., if you want to know how to include and punctuate author information for items with more than one author, or for information about shortening titles, refer to the tab in this LibGuide titled Elements of a Citation.
If your question is not answered by the LibGuide, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (see The Basics tab for a link to the catalog record for the CMS).
Electronic Book, Downloaded (various formats)
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author, Book Title (Publisher location: Publisher Name, Year), format information, location information.
1. Henry James, Washington Square (New York: Signet Classic, 2004), Fictionwise e-book, chapter 10.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author last name, Shortened Book Title, location information.
1. James, Washington Square, chapter 10.
|
Bibliography Format → Sample →
|
Author Name Inverted. Book Title. Publisher Location: Publisher name, Year. Format information. James, Henry. Washington Square. New York: Signet, 2004.
Fictionwise e-book.
|
Electronic Book, Accessed and Read Online
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author(s), "Section Heading," in Book Title (Publisher location: Publisher Name, Year), location information, URL or DOI.
1. Grady Booch, James Rumbaugh, and Ivar Jacobson,"Modeling the Context of a System," in The Unified Modeling Language User Guide, 2nd ed. (Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2005), under "Chapter 18, Use Case Diagrams," http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/0321267974.
NOTE: Edition is included only if the item is not the first edition.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author(s) last name(s), Shortened Book Title, location information.
1. Booch, Rumbaugh, and Jacobson, "Modeling Context," under "Common Modeling Techniques."
|
Bibliography Format → Sample →
|
Author(s) Inverted (only first author inverted, other in direct order). Book Title. Publisher Location: Publisher Name, Year. DOI or URL. Booch, Grady, James Rumbaugh, and Ivar Jacobson, The Unified Modeling Language User Guide.
2nd ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2005. http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/0321267974.
|
Electronic Book, Copyright Expired, Freely Available Online
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author, Book Title (Publisher Location: Publisher Name, Year), location information, URL.
1. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov (New York: Lowell, n.d.), book 8, chap. 7, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28054/28054-0.txt.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author last name, Shortened Book Title, location information.
1. Dostoyevsky, Brothers, book 8, chap. 7.
|
Bibliography Format → Sample →
|
Author Name Inverted. Book Title. (Publisher Location: Publisher Name, Year). URL. Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. New York: Lowell, n.d.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28054/28054-0.txt.
|
Color is used in the examples below only to help you identify the elements of a citation. You should not format your citations in color.
For more information about any particular element of the citation samples, e.g., if you want to know how to include and punctuate author information for items with more than one author, or for information about shortening titles, refer to the tab in this LibGuide titled Elements of a Citation.
If your question is not answered by the LibGuide, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (see The Basics tab for a link to the catalog record for the CMS).
A Book with a Single Author
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author, Book Title (Publisher location: Publisher, Year), page number or range.
1. Terence R. Mitchell, People in Organizations: An Introduction to Organizational Behavior (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1987), 55-57.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author last name, Shortened book title, page number or range.
1. Mitchell, People in Organizations, 56.
|
Bibliography Format → Sample →
|
Author name inverted. Book Title. Publisher location: Publisher name, Year. Mitchell, Terence R. People in Organizations: An Introduction to Organizational Behavior. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1987.
|
A Book with an Author and Editor or Translator
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author(s), Book Title, trans./ed. Translator or Editor Name (Publisher location: Publisher, Year), page number(s).
1. Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Double: a Poem of St. Petersburg, trans. George Bird (Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1958), 199.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author last name, Shortened book title, page number or range.
1. Dostoevsky, The Double, 199.
|
Bibliography Format → Sample →
|
Author name inverted. Book Title. Translated /Edited by Translator/Editor Name. Publisher location:
Publisher name, Year.
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Double: a Poem of St. Petersburg. Translated by George Bird. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press, 1958.
|
A Chapter in an Edited Book
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Chapter author, "Chapter title," in Book Title, ed. Editor Name (Publisher location: Publisher, Year), page number(s).
1. Dorothy Kelly, "Writing Difference Itself," in Literature as Philosophy/Philosophy as Literature, ed. Donald G. Marshall (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1987), 240.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Chapter author last name, "Chapter title," page number(s).
1. Kelly, "Writing Difference Itself," 240.
|
Bibliography
Format →
Sample →
|
Chapter author name inverted. "Chapter title." In Book Title, edited by Editor name. page range.
Publisher location: Publisher name, Year.
Kelly, Dorothy. "Writing Difference Itself." In Literature as Philosophy/Philosophy as Literature, edited by
Donald G. Marshall, 240-250. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1987.
|
Color is used in the examples below only to help you identify the elements of a citation. You should not format your citations in color.
For more information about any particular element of the citation samples, e.g., if you want to know how to include and punctuate author information for items with more than one author, or for information about shortening titles, refer to the tab in this LibGuide titled Elements of a Citation.
If your question is not answered by the LibGuide, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (see The Basics tab for a link to the catalog record for the CMS).
For a source that does have a discernable publication or revision date, CMOS asks you to include an access date.
More information and examples of Notes and Bibliography entries for Website Content are available in the CMOS Online Notes and Bibliography Style: Sample Citations for Website Content.
Web Pages (e.g, a page on a website)
Note Format → Sample →
|
Author, "Title of Web Page," Page Owner or Sponsor, publication date or last modified date, access date if publication/modification date is not available, URL
"Google Search Basics: More Search Help," Google, accessed February 15, 2011. https://www.google.com/au/support/websearch/bin/answer/py?answer=136861
|
Bibliography Format → Sample →
|
Author, "Title of Web Page." Page Owner or Sponsor. Publication date or last modified date, access date if
publication/modification date is not available. URL
"Google Search Basics: More Search Help." Google. Accessed February 15, 2011.
https://www.google.com/au/support/websearch/bin/answer/py?answer=136861
|
Color is used in the examples below only to help you identify the elements of a citation. You should not format your citations in color.
If you need to cite a type of resource not included in this LibGuide, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (see The Basics tab for a link to the catalog record for the CMS).
Additional information and examples related to E-mail, Text Messages, or Direct Messages sent using social media applications can be found in the Chicago Manual of Style Online section on Personal Communication.
Book Review
If a book review has no title, omit the Review Title element shown in the examples.
Note (Full) Format → Sample →
|
#. Reviewer, "Review Title (if any)," review of Title of Book, by Author Name, Periodical Title <follow guidelines for periodical (newspaper, magazine, or journal) citations>.
1. Janet Maslin, "For Master of Surreal, This Cast Feels Real," review of Under the Dome, by Stephen King, New York Times, November 12, 2009, 1.
|
Note (Short) Format → Sample →
|
#. Author Last Name, "Shortened Article Title," location information.
1. Maslin, Master of Surreal, 1.
|
Bibliography
Format →
Sample →
|
Author Name Inverted. "Review Title (if any)." Review of Book Title, by Author Name.
Periodical <follow guidelines for periodical (newspaper, magazine, or journal) citations>.
Maslin, Janet. "For Master of Surreal, This Cast Feels Real." Review of Under the Dome, by Stephen
King. New York Times, November 12, 2009, 1.
|
Unpublished Interviews
Cite only within text or in a note.
Note Format → Sample →
|
#. Person Interviewed (identifying information), interviewed by Interviewer Name (identifying information), place or date of interview (or both), transcript information if available.
1. Joe Smith (postal worker), interviewed by John Doe (student), November 2008.
|
Bibliography
|
Only include the citation for unpublished interviews in the bibliography if required by the instructor.
|
Email or Text Messages
Cite only within text or in a note.
Note Format → Sample →
|
#. Author of Message, email message to Recipient Name, Date.
1. Clyde Beagle, email message to John Doe, September 30, 2008
|
Bibliography
|
Only include the citation for an email or text message in the bibliography if required by the instructor.
|
A run-in quotation is one that is simply inserted within the text of your paper, enclosed by quotation marks. Use run-in quotations for short quotations; CMS considers quotations of less than 100 words as short.
CMS considers quotations of 100 words or more as long quotations. When you quote a long passage in your paper, format it as a block quotation:
Would you like a second set of eyes to look at your paper?
OCLS Librarians will look at your paper and give you feedback on your CMOS notes, bibliographies, and other style elements. We review final papers only. We do not review grammar, spelling, or paper structure.
Please allow a minimum of two (2) business days (not including weekends or holidays) for OCLS to finish your Format Review. Longer papers may require additional time.
Fill out the Paper Review form to request a review.