chicago style essay template google docs

Chicago Research Paper Formatting

Chicago manual of style (cmos - 17th edition).

• Finding Sources for Your Paper
• Additional Resources
• Sample Papers

You are going to love this! Save this template somewhere safe or e-mail it to yourself. Then resave it immediately with the name of your new document. This will keep your template safe and ready to reuse again for future assignments.

The templates provided will be sufficient for most student Chicago Style papers. For more information on formatting, please check out The Chicago Manual of Style Online Resources for Students page at  https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/help-tools/Resources-for-Students.html . 

• Purdue Owl Author Date Sample Paper Sample paper is downloadable.
• Purdue Owl Notes Bibliography Sample Paper Sample paper is downloadable.
• Turabian: Student Paper-Writing Tip Sheets Official Chicago style, in easy-to-use, printable PDF paper-writing tip sheets for students, teachers, and librarians. Guidelines are per Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (9th ed.) and are fully compatible with The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.).
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• Last Updated: Sep 3, 2024 1:18 PM
• URL: https://libguides.polk.edu/chicago

Polk State College is committed to equal access/equal opportunity in its programs, activities, and employment. For additional information, visit polk.edu/compliance .

james daniel hansen, editor

How to Create a Chicago/Turabian Style Template in Google Docs

Note: Click here for a free download of a Microsoft Word file for a Chicago or Turabian style paper, which you can save as a template to use for all your Chicago/Turabian style papers. You can upload the file to Google Docs if that is your preferred word processor. If you find it helpful, please consider donating via PayPal so I can keep this webpage up!

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Turabian Student Paper-Formatting Tip Sheets

Official Chicago style, in easy-to-use, printable PDF paper-writing tip sheets for students, teachers, and librarians. Guidelines are per Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations  (9th ed.) and are fully compatible with  The Chicago Manual of Style  (17th ed.).

[Important: Directions from your teacher, instructor, or dissertation office overrule these guidelines.]

• Margins and Page Numbers
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables and Figures
• Introduction or Conclusion
• Sections and Subheads
• Chapter Opening Page
• Figure and Figure Caption
• Bibliography
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference List

Chicago style guide: Chicago style page formatting

• Chicago style page formatting
• Sample pages
• Artificial Intelligence
• Image/chart
• Indirect source
• Legal/Government
• Letter/memo
• Reference source
• Social Media (Microblogs)
• Speech/lecture
• Research center
• Library home page

How to format a Chicago-style paper

Your teachers expect to receive papers that are properly formatted and laid out. Use the following guidelines when setting up your paper. It is easiest if you use the correct settings from the beginning; otherwise you will have to go back and reformat your paper.

Overall page layout

• One inch margins on sides, top and bottom.
• Use Times or Times New Roman 12 pt font.
• Double-space the text of the paper.
• Use left-justified text, which will have a ragged right edge. Do not use fully (newspaper-style) justified text.
• Use a 1/2" indent for paragraph beginnings, block quotes and hanging (bibliography) indents.
• Number the pages in the top right corner of the paper, beginning with the first page of text. It's a good idea to include your last name as well, in case pages become separated. Number straight through from the first text page to the final bibliography page but do not count any pages after the end of the text as part of your page count. (A five-page paper may also have a cover page, two pages of notes and one page of bibliography which is nine pieces of paper.)
• Ask your teacher if it is ok to print two-sided.
• Center the title of your paper in the middle of the page, halfway down.
• Center your name directly under the title.
• Your teacher's name, course title and block, and date should be written in three lines and centered at the bottom of the page.
• Use Times or Times New Roman 12 pt font for the title page. Do not try to make your cover page decorative by using bold , underline , or creative fonts.
• Do not put a page number on the cover page, and do not count it as part of the total page count.

Assemble your paper in the following order

• Cover/title page
• Body of the paper
• Appendix (if needed)

Bibliography

Names and numbers

• Use full names of people and agencies/legislation the first time you use them. For agencies, include the acronym in parentheses after the full name when first used, e.g. Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA).
• After the first time you can refer to people by their last name or agencies/bills by their acronyms for the rest of the paper.
• Write out numbers lower than 100. (“All nine members of the Supreme Court...”)

Footnotes and endnotes

Caution: If you are writing your paper in Google Docs, you MUST use footnotes. Google Docs does not have a way to make Endnotes, and if you use the Endnote Generator add-on it will make a mess of your paper!

• Footnotes go at the bottom of the page where the reference occurs; endnotes go on a separate page after the body of the paper. Both use the same formatting guidelines.
• Within the essay text: put the note number at the end of the sentence where the reference occurs, even if the cited material is mentioned at the beginning of the sentence.
• The note number goes after all other punctuation.
• Be sure to use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) nor Roman (i, ii, iii).
• Put the word Notes (not Endnotes) at the top of the page with your endnotes. Use Times/Times New Roman 10 pt font.
• Single space each entry; double space between entries.
• Indent the first line of each note.
• Never reuse a number - use a new number for each reference, even if you have used that reference previously.
• Be sure to look at shortened form examples for sources you refer to more than once.
• To cite multiple sources in a single note, separate the two citations with a semicolon. Never use two note numbers at the end of a sentence.
• Your bibliography should go on a separate page, with the word Bibliography centered at the top of the page in Times/Times New Roman 12 pt font. Do not use bold or large size font for the heading.
• Be sure to use proper formatting - note and bibliography styles are different.
• Use a "hanging indent" - the first line of the citation begins at the margin, subsequent lines are indented.
• If your source has no author, alphabetize by title within the authors - don't make a separate list.
• Don't separate primary and secondary sources unless your teacher requests it.

Watch out for these common errors:

• Note format uses first name last name, bibliography uses last name, first name.
• In your notes, do not reuse numbers! Each citation gets a new number.
• Pay attention to indents. Notes use a first line indent, a bibliography uses a hanging indent.
• A bibliography goes in alphabetical order by author (or title if there is no author). Notes are numbered and are listed in the order the sources are used.
• Don't put Works Cited at the top of your bibliography - that is MLA style.

General citation components

Overall, all citations should include information that will allow the reader to identify and locate a source. this generally includes the following:  author, title, and publication information (publisher, date, url, etc.)  you should be looking for and providing all the above information that is available to you to allow your reader to track your sources. use the tabs above to see specific source citation formats and examples. , citing your sources.

The library subscribes to NoodleTools, a citation management tool. You can get to it in one of two ways:

1. Go to your Menlo gmail and click on the 9-box "waffle" menu. Scroll down to NoodleTools. 

2. Go to the NoodleTools home page  and log in with Google using your Menlo Gmail username and password.

Can't decide whether your source needs a citation?  Click here to hear Dr. Hanson explain when citations are needed.  Click here to view a flowsheet that will guide your choices.

Google Docs formatting tips

Formatting page breaks and page numbers in Google Docs

Inserting Chicago style footnotes in Google Docs

Citation checklist

Do you want to be sure you've formatted your research paper correctly? Click the link below to download a Chicago style citation and formatting checklist. 

• Citation formatting checklist
• Middle school citation checklist
• Next: Sample pages >>
• Last Updated: May 8, 2024 12:51 PM
• URL: https://library.menloschool.org/chicago

How to Format Your Research Paper

• APA 7 Paper Format
• MLA Paper Format

Writing Your Paper: Chicago

Chicago style papers.

• Hanging Indents
• Ask a Librarian

Chicago Style Resources

• How Do I Format My Class Paper in Chicago Style? If your instructor has specific requirements for the format of your research paper, check with them before preparing your final draft. The most common formatting is presented here.

Things to know before you begin:

• Font:  Times New Roman  
• Font Size:  12 point
• Margins:  1 inch
• Paragraphs: All paragraphs should be indented.
• Spacing: All of the text in the body of your paper should be double-spaced.

Typical Chicago style papers have three sections:

• Bibliography

See the tabs below for a breakdown of how each portion should be formatted.

• Sample Papers

Below you will find an example of an accurately formatted CMOS paper. 

• Sample Paper Chicago Style - PDF Click here to see a sample of an accurately formatted CMOS paper.
• Sample Paper Chicago Style - Word Click here to see a sample of an accurately formatted CMOS paper.

• Your title should be centered and place a third of the way down the page. Use Times New Roman 12-point font.
• Capitalize all the words in your title. If there is a subtitle, place it on the second line.
• Place your course name first, then your name, then the due date of the paper. This should be double-spaced and placed in the bottom third of your paper. 

• Start the body of your paper on the first line of a new page.
• Insert the page number in the top right corner of the page using the header function.
• CMS uses footnotes. Place the footnote after any punctuation. Each number must have an entry at the bottom of the page.

• Center the word "Bibliography" on the first line of a new page.
• Your citations should be alphabetical.
• Each entry is single-spaced with one blank line separating entries.
• Be sure to use a hanging indent for any citations that require more than one line.

Need help formatting your Chicago/Turabian style citations using the 17th edition of the  Chicago Manual of Style ? Click the image or link below to go to the citation guide.

• Chicago Style Citations

Need help learning what hanging indents are and how to create them using Google Docs or Microsoft Word? 

• Hanging Indents This page gives a brief description of what they are, where to find information on when and how to properly use them, and also video tutorials on how to create them.

Need help learning what footnotes are and  how to create them  using Google Docs or Microsoft Word? 

• Footnotes This page gives a brief description of what they are, where to find information on when and how to properly use them, and also video tutorials on how to create them.
• << Previous: MLA Paper Format
• Next: Footnotes >>
• Last Updated: Jul 19, 2024 3:41 PM
• URL: https://necc.mass.libguides.com/formatting

To cite this LibGuide use the following templates:

APA : Northern Essex Community College Library. (Date updated). Title of page . Title of LibGuide. URL

MLA : Northern Essex Community College Library. "Title of Page." Title of LibGuide, Date updated, URL.

Chicago style sample papers 

Published March 8, 2021. Updated August 15, 2021.

In general, the following formatting guidelines apply for all Chicago/Turabian-style papers (based on Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, which adapts The Chicago Manual of Style ’s guidelines for articles and papers):

• Paper size: The paper should be written on a standard 8.5” x 11” page.
• Margins : The margins should be set to at least 1” and no more than 1.5” on all sides for all pages including the title page.
• Font: The paper should be written in a readable font that is accessible to all readers, such as 12-point Times New Roman, Calibri, or Courier, or 11-point Arial. Use one font consistently throughout the entire text. The font size should be no smaller than 10-point.
• Line spacing: The title page, body, and headings should be double-spaced. Block quotations (with a blank line before and after the block), bibliographies, reference lists, endnotes, and footnotes should be single-spaced (with a blank line between notes and reference list entries).
• First page: Papers should either begin with a title page or include a title on the first page of text.
• Indentation : The first line of each new paragraph of the main text should be indented 0.5” from the left.
• Quotations: Quotations of five or more lines should be indented as a block. Block quotations should be indented 0.5” from the left margin and do not use beginning or ending quotation marks.
• Page numbers: Every page except the title page should include a page number in an Arabic numeral. If there is no title page, the paper’s first page of body text should begin with an Arabic numeral “1.” If there is a title page, the paper’s first page of main text should begin with an Arabic numeral “2.” Place the page number either at the bottom center in the footer or the top right in the header. (Though theses or dissertations once called for page numbers to be placed in the footer for front matter, main text, and back matter, and for page numbers to be placed in the header for all other text, most schools now require consistent page number placement throughout a paper.)

For help writing your essay, research paper , or other project, check out these writing tips .

Paper order

In general, your paper should be put together in this order:

• Table of Contents (optional)
• List of Tables and Figures (optional)
• Introduction (optional)
• Body (with footnotes or in-text citations)
• Conclusion (optional)
• Appendixes (optional)
• Endnotes (optional)
• Bibliography or Reference List

Formatting for the title page

• From the top of the page, find a line about 1/3 of the way down the page and set the title (and subtitle) of the paper in bold.
• Capitalize each significant word using headline-style capitalization.
• Use the same font as the main text.
• When using subtitles, end the main title with a colon and start the subtitle on the following line.
• Double-space all text on the title page.

For student papers ONLY:

• Include course information several lines after the title and subtitle.
• course name and number
• due date of the assignment

For more information, visit this page on Chicago title pages.

Formatting for the abstract

Chicago rarely requires abstracts, which generally appear in scientific papers and journals.

For more information, visit this page on Chicago abstracts .

Formatting for the body of the paper

• When a title page is not required, write the title at the top of your first page of main text.
• Begin every new paragraph in the body of the paper on its own line with a 0.5” indentation; do this by pressing the Tab key once.
• Double-space the main text (except when using block quotations).
• Use only one space after a period, not two spaces.
• Start page numbering with the first page of body text, not the title page, and use Arabic numerals (1, 2, etc.). When there is a title page, start the first page of body text with page “2.” When there is no separate title page, start the first page of body text with page “1.”

Notes-Bibliography vs. Author-Date format

To cite references in the body of the paper, Chicago style follows either the author-date format (preferred for science and social science) or the notes-bibliography format (preferred for humanities) . Choose one format and use it consistently throughout the paper.

Author-Date

When using the author-date format, use in-text citations. To create an in-text citation, place the author’s last name and the publication year of the cited work in parentheses at the end of the quote or paraphrase. Do not separate the author’s last name and the publication year with a comma.

(Sato 2020)

If you quote a specific part of a text, you’ll also provide a specific page number or another location identifier in the in-text citation.

(Sato 2020, 203)

For author-date citations, include a reference list at the end of the paper with full source information.

For more author-date information, visit these pages on Chicago style in-text citations and Chicago style reference lists.

When using the notes-bibliography format, add a note (endnote or footnote) after each quotation, paraphrase, or summary. To create a note, insert a superscript number after any punctuation marks except the dash. Use the same number in the endnote or footnote providing full source information. The first note provides all source information while any subsequent notes may use a shortened citation with the author’s name, a shortened form of the title (if more than four words), and the page number(s).

For notes-bibliography citations, include a bibliography at the end of the paper with full source information.

For more information, visit these pages on Chicago style footnotes and Chicago style bibliographies .

Bibliography or reference list formatting

Both Chicago formats include a full list of sources at the end of a paper. Author-date format requires a reference list while notes-bibliography encourages (but does not require) a bibliography.

Here are formatting guidelines that apply to both lists:

• Begin the bibliography (Notes-Bib) or reference list (Author-Date) on a new page immediately following the last page of main text.
• Center the word “Bibliography” or “References” on the first line of the page. Add two blank lines after the title.
• Single-space each entry and add a blank line between entries.
• Begin each reference entry with a hanging indentation so that the first line of the reference touches the left margin while all subsequent lines have a 0.5” indent.
• Order reference list entries alphabetically by the author’s last name, followed by the first name(s) (last name, first name).

Apart from the guidelines above, there are some differences between creating a Chicago bibliography and reference list. For more information, visit these pages on styling a Chicago bibliography and Chicago reference list.

Notes-Bib example paper

Download the example paper here .

Author-Date example paper

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Chicago Style Guide - 17th Edition

• Chicago Style
• Title Page and Pagination
• Quotations and Signal Phrases
• Bibliography
• Chicago's Citation Parts
• Articles - Online
• Articles - Print
• Blogs and Social Media
• Government Publications
• Elders & Knowledge Keepers
• Other Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Generative AI Tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL·E 2)
• Author/Date (Scientific) System
• Need More Help?

Useful Links

• Chicago Manual of Style Online - Quick Guide
• Douglas College Library - Chicago Style Guide (PDF)
• Purdue OWL - Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.)
• SFU Library - Chicago/Turabian (17th ed.) Citation Guide

Avoid Plagiarism

• Camosun Academic Integrity Guide
• Camosun Plagiarism Guide
• Douglas College Learning Centre - Paraphrasing Without Plagiarizing
• Purdue OWL - Avoiding Plagiarism
• SFU Library - Plagiarism Tutorial

Chicago Style Sample Research Paper

Formatting and Sample Paper

The formatting guidelines listed on this page, provide general best practices for formatting your work using the Chicago style. Detailed information about formatting your title page , using quotes and signal phrases , and creating a bibliography , can be found by navigating to various sub-pages of this "Formatting Your Paper" page.

Learning how to correctly format your research paper into Chicago style can seem overwhelming, especially if the style is new to you. One of the best ways to help visualize what your paper needs to look like is by checking out an example of a paper that has already been formatted correctly.

View this  sample Chicago style research paper   ( notes and bibliography/humanities system ) from Purdue OWL for examples on how to format:

• A title page
• Headers and page numbers
• A bibliography

For a sample paper in the Chicago author/date style , visit the "Author/Date (Scientific) System" page in this guide.

Paragraphs and Spacing

The first line of all new paragraphs should begin with an indent . You can use either the tab key or your word processor's indentation tool to make your indentations–just be sure to be consistent and use the same process throughout your paper.

Your paper should be double spaced throughout its main body , with the following exceptions: 

• Block quotations , table titles , and figure captions should be single-spaced . 
• ​An extra line of space should be inserted both before and after a block quotation. 

Entries in the bibliography and footnotes/ endnotes are single spaced within entries , but double-spaced between entries (unless your instructor prefers double-spacing throughout).​

Footnotes and Endnotes

• Notes can be either  footnotes   (placed at the  foot   (bottom) of the same page  as the referenced text) or  endnotes   (listed on a  separate sheet at the end  of the essay, before the bibliography).
• Other than placement in your document, footnotes and endnotes are  structured in exactly the same way .
• Notes are  numbered consecutively  throughout the paper. Most word processing programs (such as MS Word) handle footnotes automatically.
• Follow your instructors’ directions when deciding whether to use footnotes or endnotes.

To insert a footnote in a Microsoft Word document:

• Place the cursor after the text you want to cite.
• Click on the " References "   tab.
• In the " Footnotes " section , click on the " In sert Footnote " button.
• A superscript number 1 will appear after the text you want to cite.
• A superscript number 1 will also appear at the bottom of page.
• At the bottom of the page next to the superscript number, enter the citation information for your resource (see the citation examples in this guide for how to create footnotes).
• Repeat these steps to insert and consecutively number your footnotes.

Some instructors may ask you to use endnotes, instead of footnotes. For information on inserting endnotes, see the  Microsoft Office Tutorial .

• << Previous: Chicago Style
• Next: Title Page and Pagination >>
• Last Updated: Jun 11, 2024 10:55 AM
• URL: https://camosun.libguides.com/Chicago-17thEd

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• Knowledge Base
• Research paper
• Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates

Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates

Published on November 19, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 20, 2023.

The formatting of a research paper is different depending on which style guide you’re following. In addition to citations , APA, MLA, and Chicago provide format guidelines for things like font choices, page layout, format of headings and the format of the reference page.

Scribbr offers free Microsoft Word templates for the most common formats. Simply download and get started on your paper.

APA |  MLA | Chicago author-date | Chicago notes & bibliography

• Generate an automatic table of contents
• Generate a list of tables and figures
• Ensure consistent paragraph formatting
• Insert page numbering

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Formatting an apa paper, formatting an mla paper, formatting a chicago paper, frequently asked questions about research paper formatting.

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in APA Style are as follows:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial.
• Set 1 inch page margins.
• Apply double line spacing.
• If submitting for publication, insert a APA running head on every page.
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch.

Watch the video below for a quick guide to setting up the format in Google Docs.

The image below shows how to format an APA Style title page for a student paper.

Running head

If you are submitting a paper for publication, APA requires you to include a running head on each page. The image below shows you how this should be formatted.

For student papers, no running head is required unless you have been instructed to include one.

APA provides guidelines for formatting up to five levels of heading within your paper. Level 1 headings are the most general, level 5 the most specific.

Reference page

APA Style citation requires (author-date) APA in-text citations throughout the text and an APA Style reference page at the end. The image below shows how the reference page should be formatted.

Note that the format of reference entries is different depending on the source type. You can easily create your citations and reference list using the free APA Citation Generator.

Generate APA citations for free

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

The main guidelines for writing an MLA style paper are as follows:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman.
• Use title case capitalization for headings .

Check out the video below to see how to set up the format in Google Docs.

On the first page of an MLA paper, a heading appears above your title, featuring some key information:

• Your full name
• Your instructor’s or supervisor’s name
• The course name or number
• The due date of the assignment

Page header

A header appears at the top of each page in your paper, including your surname and the page number.

Works Cited page

MLA in-text citations appear wherever you refer to a source in your text. The MLA Works Cited page appears at the end of your text, listing all the sources used. It is formatted as shown below.

You can easily create your MLA citations and save your Works Cited list with the free MLA Citation Generator.

Generate MLA citations for free

The main guidelines for writing a paper in Chicago style (also known as Turabian style) are:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman.
• Use 1 inch margins or larger.
• Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center.

Chicago doesn’t require a title page , but if you want to include one, Turabian (based on Chicago) presents some guidelines. Lay out the title page as shown below.

Bibliography or reference list

Chicago offers two citation styles : author-date citations plus a reference list, or footnote citations plus a bibliography. Choose one style or the other and use it consistently.

The reference list or bibliography appears at the end of the paper. Both styles present this page similarly in terms of formatting, as shown below.

To format a paper in APA Style , follow these guidelines:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial
• Set 1 inch page margins
• Apply double line spacing
• Include a title page
• If submitting for publication, insert a running head on every page
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch
• Apply APA heading styles
• Cite your sources with APA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a reference page at the end

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
• Center the paper’s title
• Use title case capitalization for headings
• Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in Chicago style are to:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Use 1 inch margins or larger
• Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center
• Cite your sources with author-date citations or Chicago footnotes
• Include a bibliography or reference list

To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, January 20). Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/research-paper-format/

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Chicago Style Google Docs Template

Create high-quality, professional documents quickly and easily with the Chicago Style Template! Our cloud-based template is free to use and customizable for any project you have. Whether you're writing an academic paper, a business proposal, or something else, this template has everything you need to make sure your document looks great. Get started now and take advantage of this incredible resource!

• Familiarize yourself with the Chicago Style guidelines before using the template.
• Use the pre-formatted sections for your title page, abstract, main text, and bibliography to ensure consistency.
• Customize the placeholders with your own information, including your title, name, and citations.
• Determine whether to use footnotes or endnotes based on your discipline and consult with your instructor or supervisor.
• Use the pre-formatted styles for headings, block quotes, and lists to create a professional-looking document.
• Proofread your paper carefully before submitting it to catch any errors.
• Take advantage of the built-in spelling and grammar checkers in Google Docs.
• Consider having a friend or colleague review your work for additional feedback.

Format: Google Docs

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Please note that although these resources reflect the most recent updates in the The Chicago Manual of Style  (17 th  edition) concerning documentation practices, you can review a full list of updates concerning usage, technology, professional practice, etc. at  The Chicago Manual of Style Online .

Introduction

The Chicago Manual of Style  (CMOS) covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage, and documentation, and as such, it has been lovingly dubbed the “editor's bible.”

The material on this page focuses primarily on one of the two CMOS documentation styles: the Notes-Bibliography System (NB) , which is used by those working in literature, history, and the arts. The other documentation style, the Author-Date System, is nearly identical in content but slightly different in form and is preferred by those working in the social sciences.

Though the two systems both convey all of the important information about each source, they differ not only in terms of the way they direct readers to these sources, but also in terms of their formatting (e.g., the position of dates in citation entries). For examples of how these citation styles work in research papers, consult our sample papers: 

Author-Date Sample Paper

NB Sample Paper

In addition to consulting  The Chicago Manual of Style  (17th edition) for more information, students may also find it useful to consult Kate L. Turabian's  Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations  (8th edition). This manual, which presents what is commonly known as the "Turabian" citation style, follows the two CMOS patterns of documentation but offers slight modifications suited to student texts.

Notes and Bibliography (NB) in Chicago style

The Chicago Notes and Bibliography (NB) system is often used in the humanities to provide writers with a system for referencing their sources through the use of footnotes, endnotes, and through the use of a bibliography. This offers writers a flexible option for citation and provides   an outlet for commenting on those sources, if needed. Proper use of the Notes and Bibliography system builds a writer’s credibility by demonstrating their accountability to source material. In addition, it can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the intentional or accidental uncredited use of source material created by others.

Introduction to Notes

In the Notes and Bibliography system, you should include a note (endnote or footnote) each time you use a source, whether through a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary. Footnotes are added at the end of the page on which the source is referenced, while endnotes are compiled at the end of each chapter or at the end of the entire document.

In either case, a superscript number corresponding to a note, along with the bibliographic information for that source, should be placed in the text following the end of the sentence or clause in which the source is referenced.

If a work includes a bibliography, which is typically preferred, then it is not necessary to provide full publication details in notes. However, if a bibliography is not included with a work, the first note for each source should include  all  relevant information about the source: author’s full name, source title, and facts of publication. If you cite the same source again, or if a bibliography is included in the work, the note only needs to include the surname of the author, a shortened form of the title (if more than four words), and the page number(s). However, in a work that does not include a bibliography, it is recommended that the full citation be repeated when it is first used in a new chapter.

In contrast to earlier editions of CMOS, if you cite the same source two or more times consecutively, CMOS recommends using shortened citations. In a work with a bibliography, the first reference should use a shortened citation which includes the author’s name, the source title, and the page number(s), and consecutive references to the same work may omit the source title and simply include the author and page number. Although discouraged by CMOS, if you cite the same source and page number(s) from a single source two or more times consecutively, it is also possible to utilize the word “Ibid.,” ( from the Latin ibidem, which means “in the same place,”) as the corresponding note. If you use the same source but a draw from different new page, the corresponding note should use “Ibid.” followed by a comma and the new page number(s).

In the NB system, the footnote or endnote itself begins with the appropriate full-sized number, followed by a period and then a space.

Introduction to Bibliographies

In the NB system, the bibliography provides an alphabetical list of all sources used in a given work. This page, most often titled Bibliography, is usually placed at the end of the work preceding the index. It should include all sources cited within the work and may sometimes include other relevant sources that were not cited but provide further reading.

Although bibliographic entries for various sources may be formatted differently, all included sources (books, articles, websites, etc.) are arranged alphabetically by author’s last name. If no author or editor is listed, the title or, as a last resort, a descriptive phrase may be used.

Though useful, a bibliography is not required in works that provide full bibliographic information in the notes.

Common Elements

All entries in the bibliography will include the author (or editor, compiler, translator), title, and publication information.

Author Names

The author’s name is inverted in the bibliography, placing the last name first and separating the last name and first name with a comma; for example, John Smith becomes Smith, John.

Titles of books and journals are italicized. Titles of articles, chapters, poems, etc. are placed in quotation marks .

Publication Information

The year of publication is listed after the publisher or journal name .

Punctuation

In a bibliography, all major elements are separated by periods.

For more information and specific examples, see the sections on  Books  and  Periodicals .

Please note that this OWL resource provides basic information regarding the formatting of entries used in the bibliography. For more information about Selected Bibliographies, Annotated Bibliographies, and Bibliographic Essays, please consult Chapter 14.61 of  The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition).

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Add citations and a bibliography

You can add citations and a bibliography to your Google Doc with these styles:

• MLA (8th ed.)
• APA (7th ed.)
• Chicago Author-Date (17th ed.)

Important: The citations tool is available in all languages, but the elements the tool generates in your document only appear in English at this time.  For example:

• A book title you enter in the citations tool appears in the language you entered it.
• The “Bibliography” heading, “edited by,” and other elements generated by the citations tool appear in English regardless of your language in Google Docs.

You can translate auto-generated elements to another language after you insert them in your document.

• In the sidebar, select your formatting style from MLA , APA , or Chicago Author-Date .

Add a citation source and related details

• In the Citations sidebar, under your selected style, click + Add citation source .
• Select your source type.
• You can use a URL to search for websites or online newspapers, or use an ISBN number to search for books.
• Recommended fields include a blue asterisk.
• To add multiple contributors, click + Contributor.
• You can indicate if a contributor is an organization, such as a company.
• Click Add citation source .

Learn more about how to add and edit sources .

Insert an in-text citation

• In the Citations sidebar, hover over the source you want to cite.
• A Cite button appears on the side of the citation source.
• The source appears in your selected style within the text of your document.
• If a “#” appears in the text of your document, delete it or replace it with the page number(s) for your citation.

Edit a citation source

• At the bottom of the sidebar, click Save source .

Delete a citation source

Insert a bibliography.

• In your document, place your cursor where you want the bibliography to appear.
• In the Citations sidebar at the bottom, click Insert bibliography. A bibliography appears in your selected style.

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