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:
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.
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.).
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
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.
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:
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.
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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:
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:
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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:
Book with multiple authors:
For a book with two authors, note that only the first-listed name is inverted in the bibliography entry.
Print journal article:
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.
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.
Website:
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:
Article with multiple authors, author not mentioned in text:
*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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
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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.
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