The Ultimate Guide to Chicago Style Citations: Mastering Notes, Bibliography, and More

The Chicago Manual of Style is a comprehensive guide used by researchers, students, and professionals to properly cite sources in academic writing. Currently in its 17th edition, it offers two primary citation styles: Notes and Bibliography and Author-Date. This article delves into the Notes and Bibliography style, offering a detailed overview of how to cite various sources, format footnotes and endnotes, and create a comprehensive bibliography.

Understanding the Basics of Chicago Style

The Chicago Manual of Style provides clarity and consistency in academic citations. This is crucial for avoiding plagiarism and giving proper credit to the original authors. While this guide focuses on the Notes and Bibliography style, understanding these core elements is essential for effective research and writing.

Notes and Bibliography vs. Author-Date

• Notes and Bibliography: This method uses footnotes or endnotes to provide citation information within the text, accompanied by a comprehensive bibliography at the end of the document.
• Author-Date: This method includes the author's last name and year of publication within the text (e.g., (Smith, 2023)), with a corresponding list of references.

This article specifically focuses on the Notes and Bibliography style.

Creating a Bibliography in Chicago Style

A bibliography is a comprehensive list of all sources used in your paper, providing essential publication details. Adhering to a specific format ensures clarity and professionalism.

Key Formatting Guidelines:

• Single Spacing: Each entry within the bibliography should be single-spaced.
• Alphabetical Order: Arrange entries alphabetically by the author's last name.
• Indentation: The second and subsequent lines of each citation should be indented.

Citing Different Types of Sources

Chicago style provides specific guidelines for citing various source types, ensuring accuracy and consistency. Common elements in a Chicago-style citation include:

• Author's Name
• Title of the book/article
• Title of the newspaper/journal
• Publication year
• Publication month and date (if applicable)
• Publisher
• City of publication
• Date of access (for online sources)
• Page numbers
• URL or Name of Database

Mastering Footnotes and Endnotes

In-text citations in Chicago style's Notes and Bibliography system rely on footnotes and endnotes to acknowledge sources.

Distinguishing Footnotes and Endnotes:

• Footnotes: Appear at the bottom of the page where the cited material is located.
• Endnotes: Compiled at the end of a chapter or the entire document.

Formatting Footnotes and Endnotes:

1. Superscript Numbers: A superscript numeral is placed at the end of the borrowed information in the text.
2. Matching Number: The corresponding footnote or endnote begins with the same number, but in normal size (not superscript).
3. Full Citation Information: Each note contains the complete citation details for the source.

Example:

"One would wonder, "Would young Einstein be characterized as belonging somewhere on the autism spectrum? Would Erdos have been given a diagnosis of A.D.H.D.?" ¹"

Chicago style footnote:

¹ Silver, Nate. "Beautiful Minds." The New York Times. July 13, 2013. Accessed August 04, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/books/review/the-boy-who-loved-math-and-on-a-beam-of-light.html?ref=books&_r=0.

Citing a Source Multiple Times

When citing the same source multiple times, abbreviated citations can be used to avoid repetition.

Shortened Citations:

Instead of repeating the full citation, include:

• Author's last name
• A shortened title (if the original title is more than four words)
• Page number(s)

Example:

Cohen, Micah, "Rubio is Losing Support Among Republican Voters." FiveThirtyEight. July 09, 2013. Accessed August 04, 2015. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/rubio-is-losing-support-among-republican-voters/

Wolf, Leon H. "Marco Rubio's Campaign Must Adapt or Die." RedState. August 04, 2015. Accessed August 04, 2015. http://www.redstate.com/2015/08/04/marco-rubios-campaign-must-adapt-die/.

Subsequent citation:

Cohen, "Rubio Losing Support"

The Role of "Ibid." (and Why It's Less Preferred)

Previous Chicago Manual of Style editions utilized "ibid." (short for "ibidem," meaning "in the same place") to refer to a source cited immediately before. While still acceptable, the current edition favors shortened citations because "ibid." requires readers to look back and find the original source.

Citing Books in Chicago Style

Print books

• Footnotes/Endnotes: First name Last name, Title of Book (Publication Place: Publisher, Year), page range.
• Bibliography: Last name, First name. Title of book. Publication Place: Publisher, Year.

E-books

When citing e-books, include the URL or the name of the database. The URL or database name should be the last part of the citation.

• Footnotes and endnotes: First name Last name, Title of e-book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page range, URL, Database Name.
• **Bibliography:**Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publication Place: Publisher, Year. URL, Name of Database.

Citing Journals and Magazines in Chicago Style

Print Journals

• Footnotes and endnotes: First name Last name, "Title of Article," Journal Title Volume Number, No. of issue (Year): Page range.
• Bibliography: Last name, First name. "Title of Article," Journal Title Volume Number, No. of issue (Year): Page range.

Online Journals or Databases

• Footnotes and endnotes: First name Last name, "Article Title," Journal Title Volume Number, Issue No.(Year): Page range. URL or Name of Database.
• **Bibliography:**Last name, First name. "Article Title." Journal Title Volume Number, Issue No. (Year): Page range. URL or Name of Database.

Citing Websites and Online Content in Chicago Style

Websites

• Footnotes and endnotes: First name Last name of Author, "Title of Article or Page," Title of Website, Date published or last modified or accessed, URL.
• Bibliography: Last name, First name or Organization Name. "Title of Article or Page." Title of Website. Date published or last modified or accessed. URL. ###Social Media (e.g. Facebook)
• Footnotes and endnotes: Title of Facebook Page, “Text of Post,” Facebook, Month Day, Year, URL.
• Bibliography: Title of Facebook Page. “Text of Post.” Facebook, Month Day, Year. URL.

Other Source Types

The Chicago Manual of Style covers a very wide range of sources. Some of them are:

• TV Broadcasts
• Case Studies
• Conference Proceedings
• Court or Legal Cases
• Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries
• Dissertations
• DVDs, Video, and Film
• E-mail
• Government Publications
• Images
• Live Performances
• Musical Recordings
• Online Videos
• Podcasts
• Poems
• Presentations and Lectures

Tools and Resources for Chicago Style

Several tools and resources can aid in creating accurate Chicago-style citations:

• Citation Machine®: A tool that helps generate citations in various styles, including Chicago.
• The Chicago Manual of Style Website: The official website, offering guidelines, FAQs, and citation examples.

Conclusion

Mastering Chicago style citations is essential for students, researchers, and professionals aiming for academic integrity and credibility. By understanding the nuances of footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies, writers can effectively acknowledge sources and present well-researched work.