Chicago Citation Generator

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 two documentation systems:


  • 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.

This guide is not officially associated with the citation style, but it will give you a good overview of the rules and format. So read on to see how both Chicago variants work.

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 here about creating footnotes.

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, date of publication, and sometimes a page number, 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 generate your citations. Simply log in to your account, or create one for free, and select either the “note-bib” or “author-date” option.

Popular Chicago Citation Guides

Cite This For Me Chicago Citation Generator

Our mission at Cite This For Me is to educate students in 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 citation 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 world’s most accurate 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 7,000+ 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 style or Harvard referencing, you’ll find the style you need on the Cite This For Me website. As well as the Chicago citation generator above, you can find citation generators and style guides for styles such as ASA, IEEE or AMA. You can find your college’s style by logging into your Cite This For Me account and setting your institution in ‘My Profile’. 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.).

How Do I Create and Format Chicago Style Citations?

Whilst the Cite This For Me generator ensures ultimate accuracy 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: This is an example.1

    • 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 - whilst 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, 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.)

    Read more about formatting your footnotes here. You can also consult sections 14.24-14.60 of the CMOS for more detailed information on notes.

  • Formatting a shortened note

    • Whilst 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 provide only the last name of the first author

      • Example:
      1. Ethan Carr, Carol Grove, and Keith N. Morgan, “Why History Matters,” View, no. 17 (Summer 2017): 61-66, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26476461.

      2. Carr, "Why History Matters," 64.

    • Citing one source multiple times in the same paragraph? You can cite it either parenthetically in-text or in subsequent shortened notes

    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. Whilst 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 the Cite This For Me 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

    • At the end of the chapter or assignment, list the endnotes under the heading ‘Notes’

    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 and the year of publication in parentheses, with each element separated by a comma. Include a page number if you are quoting a particular section of a source

    • 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, followed by et al. - e.g., (Schonen et al. 2009)

    • 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. For instance, 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 web tool a try? Save yourself the bother of formatting each Chicago style citation and have the whole thing done using our state-of-the-art automated technology. Simply search for the author or title of the book you want to cite and leave the rest to us.

    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.

    I. Notes-Bibliography System

    Have you been wondering how to organize all of your fully-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 may 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 - not enclosed in parentheses)

    • The majority of 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. CMOS sections 15.10-15.20 will also be able to give you more guidance on the nuances of the author-date reference list. There are two basic differences from the notes-bibliography system:


    • Instead of a bibliography your list should be titled ‘References'

    • 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 take a weight off your mind. Sign up to Cite This For Me to save and export your completed bibliography.

    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.

    I. Notes-Bibliography System

    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, 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.

    • Shortened citation in a footnote:

      • 3. Ward and Burns, War, 52.

    • Bibliography entry:

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

    Print journal article:


    • Full Chicago citation in a footnote:

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

    • Shortened citation in a footnote:

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

    • Bibliography entry:

      • 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.


    • Full Chicago style citation in a footnote:

      • 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.

    • Shortened citation in a footnote:

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

    • Bibliography 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.

    DOI:

    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.


    • Full Chicago citation in a footnote:

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

    • Shortened citation in a footnote:

      • 3. Novak, “Myth,” 770.

    • Bibliography entry:

      • Novak, William J. “The Myth of the ‘Weak’ American State,” American Historical Review 113 no. 3 (June 2008): 752-72. https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr.113.3.752.


    Website:


    • Footnote:

      • 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/.

    • Shortened:

      • 5. Ishizuka “Steal this Infographic.”

    • Bibliography entry:

      • 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:


    • In-text citation:

      • 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…

    • 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, no. 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)...

    • Reference list entry:

      • Mnookin, Robert, and Lewis Kornhauser. 1979. “Bargaining in the Shadow of the Law: The Case of Divorce.” Yale Law Journal 88, no. 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)

    Website:



    • In the text:

      • (Ishizuka 2013)

    • Reference List:

      • 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 (17th Edition), or find more information available here.

    A Brief History of the Style

    The Chicago format dates back to 1891 when the Univ. of Chi. 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. Today’s thousand-page 17th 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 latest manual of Chicago citation style, released in 2017, is the 17th edition. It features many modifications, clarifications, and updates. One of the biggest updates is the inclusion of URL strings in references displaying a DOI number. In addition, numerous technology-related sources, such as social media platforms and apps, now have specific structures in place. Lastly, the use of the latin abbreviation, ibid., which translates to “in the same place,” was once placed in footnotes to mark a repetitive source. Now, writers are encouraged to use shortened footnotes for repetitive sources, rather than “ibid.” The use of ibid. can be confusing for readers. Presenting a shortened footnote, displaying the author’s name, title, and date, allows readers to clearly see and understand the origin of a source.

    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 whilst 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 help to 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 - and avoid being marked down for plagiarism - 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:

    • primary

    • secondary

    • 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 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 now to add and edit each Chicago citation on the spot, as well as import and export full projects or individual entries. You can also make use of our browser extension Cite This For Me for Chrome - work smarter by citing web pages, articles, books and videos directly from your browser whilst 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 on the move with your with the Cite This For Me to add automatically formatted citations to your projects.

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

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    Published October 1, 2015. Updated June 5, 2020.