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Chicago Style Quick Reference Guide

Chicago 17th Edition - Both Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date systems

Choose Citation System

Color-Coded Legend

Author= Blue
Title= Green
Date= Orange
Publisher= Purple
URL= Indigo

Notes-Bibliography Examples

Book Citation

Book

Format Pattern:

Bibliography:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place: Publisher, Year.

Footnote (first reference):

First Name Last Name, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Example:

Bibliography:

Brown, Thomas. Academic Writing Essentials. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022.

Footnote:

Thomas Brown, Academic Writing Essentials (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022), 45.

Notes:

  • Footnotes use normal order (First Last), bibliography uses inverted
  • Book titles are always italicized
  • Include city of publication and publisher

Journal Article Citation

Journal Article

Format Pattern:

Bibliography:

Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Journal NameVolume, no. Issue (Year): pages.

Footnote:

First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Journal NameVolume, no. Issue (Year): page.

Example:

Bibliography:

Johnson, Maria. "The Impact of Citation Management." Journal of Academic Research15, no. 3 (2023): 234-250.

Footnote:

Maria Johnson, "The Impact of Citation Management," Journal of Academic Research15, no. 3 (2023): 240.

Notes:

  • Article titles in quotation marks, journal names italicized
  • Use "no." before issue number in notes-bibliography
  • Include DOI or URL for online articles

Website Citation

Website

Format Pattern:

Bibliography:

Last Name, First Name. "Page Title." Website Name. Month Day, Year. URL.

Footnote:

First Name Last Name, "Page Title," Website Name, Month Day, Year, URL.

Example:

Bibliography:

Smith, John. "How to Cite Websites." Citation Guide. March 15, 2023. https://www.citationguide.com.

Footnote:

John Smith, "How to Cite Websites," Citation Guide, March 15, 2023, https://www.citationguide.com.

Notes:

  • Include access date if content is likely to change
  • Full URLs are acceptable in Chicago style
  • Website name in italics, page title in quotes

Newspaper Article Citation

Newspaper

Format Pattern:

Bibliography:

Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Name, Month Day, Year.

Footnote:

First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Newspaper Name, Month Day, Year.

Example:

Bibliography:

Williams, Sarah. "New Study on Citations." The New York Times, February 20, 2023.

Footnote:

Sarah Williams, "New Study on Citations," The New York Times, February 20, 2023.

Notes:

  • Newspaper articles may be cited in notes only (not in bibliography)
  • Include page numbers for print editions
  • Add URL for online articles

Primary Source Citation

Primary Source

Format Pattern:

Footnote:

Document Title, Date, Collection Name, Archive Name, Location.

Example:

Footnote:

Letter from Abraham Lincoln to Mary Todd Lincoln, April 16, 1848, Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Notes:

  • Primary sources often appear in notes only
  • Include specific location information (box, folder numbers)
  • Format varies depending on source type

Interview Citation

Interview

Format Pattern:

Footnote:

Interviewee Name, interview by Interviewer Name, Month Day, Year.

Example:

Footnote:

Jane Doe, interview by John Smith, March 10, 2023.

Notes:

  • Personal interviews typically cited in notes only
  • Published interviews should be cited like articles
  • Include location if relevant

Common Chicago Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mixing Systems

Wrong: Using footnotes with author-date citations

Correct: Choose ONE system and use it consistently throughout

❌ Incorrect Name Order in Notes

Wrong: Brown, Thomas in footnote

Correct: Thomas Brown in footnote (normal order)

❌ Wrong Punctuation

Wrong: Using periods between all elements

Correct: Commas in footnotes, periods in bibliography

❌ Abbreviated Subsequent Notes

After first reference: Use shortened form

Example: Brown, Academic Writing, 47.

❌ Date Placement

Notes-Bibliography: Date at end or in parentheses

Author-Date: Year immediately after author

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