chicago style citing dissertation

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Theses & Dissertations

Citing a published thesis, citing an unpublished thesis, citing a thesis in online database or repository.

• CMS 14.224: Theses and dissertations

Titles of unpublished works appear in "quotation marks"—not in italics . This treatment extends to theses and dissertations, which are otherwise cited like books.

The kind of thesis, the academic institution, and the date follow the title. Like the publication data of a book, these are enclosed in parentheses in a note but not in a bibliography.

If the document was consulted online, include a URL or, for documents retrieved from a commercial database, give the name of the database and, in parentheses, any identification number supplied or recommended by the database.

For dissertations issued on microfilm, see 14.120 . For published abstracts of dissertations, see 14.197 .

Note-Bibliography

First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," (Publisher, Year).

      Mihwa Choi, “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty,” PhD diss., (University of Chicago, 2008).

Short Note:

Last-name, "Title of Thesis."

Choi. “Contesting Imaginaires ."

Bibliography Entry:

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Year.

Choi, Mihwa. “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.” PhD diss. University      of Chicago, 2008.

Author-Date

Text Citation:

(Last-name Year)

(Mihwa 2008)

Reference Entry:

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle."

Choi, Mihwa. 2008. “Contesting  Imaginaires  in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.”  PhD diss.       University of Chicago.

Note -Bibliography

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," Unpublished thesis type, University. Year.

Barry C. Hosking, "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand," PhD diss., (Ghent University, 2010).

Note #. Last-name,"Title of Thesis."

Barry C. Hosking, "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes."

Bibliography:

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Unpublished thesis type. University. Year.

Hosking, Barry C. "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University, 2010.

(Hosking 2010)

Last-name, First-name.  Year.  "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Unpublished thesis type. University.

Hosking, Barry C.    2010.  "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University.

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," Database Name (Identifier if given), Year, Internet address.

      12. Meredith Stewart, "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus, " Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222), 2005, http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

Note #. Last-name, "Title of Thesis."

21. Stewart, "An Investigation into Aspects."

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Database Name (Identifier if given), Year. Internet address.

Stewart, Meredith. "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus ." Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222),  2005. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

(Stewart 2005)

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle."  Database Name  (Identifier if given), Internet address.

Stewart, Meredith. 2005. "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus ." Australasian Digital Theses Program  (WMU2005.1222),    http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Chicago Style / How to Cite a Thesis/Dissertation in Chicago/Turabian

How to Cite a Thesis/Dissertation in Chicago/Turabian

Academic theses and dissertations can be a good source of information when writing your own paper. They are usually accessed via a university’s database or a third party database, or found on the web. The main difference between a thesis and a dissertation is the degree type they are submitted for:

• Thesis—A document submitted to earn a degree, such as a master’s degree, at a university.
• Dissertation—A document submitted to earn an advanced degree, such as a doctorate, at a university.

This guide will show you how to create notes-bibliography style citations for theses and dissertations in a variety of formats using the 17th edition of the  Chicago Manual of Style.

Guide Overview

• Citing a thesis or dissertation from a database
• Citing a thesis or dissertation from the web
• Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation

Citing a Thesis or Dissertation from a Database

Citation structure.

1. First name Last name, “Title” (master’s thesis or PhD diss., University Name, year published), page number, Database (Identification Number).

Bibliography:

Last name, First name. “Title.” Master’s thesis or PhD diss., University Name, year published. Database (Identification Number).

Citation Example

1. Kimberly Knight,  “Media Epidemics: Viral Structures in Literature and New Media” (PhD diss., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011), 17, MLA International Bibliography (2013420395).

Knight, Kimberly.  “Media Epidemics: Viral Structures in Literature and New Media.” PhD diss., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011. MLA International Bibliography (2013420395).

Citing a Thesis or Dissertation from the Web

1. First name Last name, “Title” (master’s thesis or PhD diss., University Name, year published), page number, URL.

Last name, First name. “Title.” Master’s thesis or PhD diss., University Name, year published. URL.

1. Peggy Lynn Wilson, “Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English Language in Secondary Public Schools in Parker County” (PhD diss., University of Maryland, College Park, 2011), 25, https://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/11801/1/Wilson_umd_0117E_12354.pdf.

Wilson, Peggy Lynn. “Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English Language in Secondary Public Schools in Parker County.” PhD diss., University of Maryland, College Park, 2011. https://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/11801/1/Wilson_umd_0117E_12354.pdf.

Citing an Unpublished Thesis or Dissertation

In rare cases, you may need to cite a thesis or dissertation that has not yet been published. This is particularly the case if you want to cite your own work or the work of a colleague.

1. First name Last name, “Title” (unpublished manuscript, Month Day, Year last modified), format.

Last name, First name. “Title.” Unpublished manuscript, last modified Month Day, Year. Format.

1. John Doe, “A Study of Generic Topic” (unpublished manuscript, June 19, 2021), Microsoft Word file.

Doe, John. “A Study of Generic Topic.” Unpublished manuscript, last modified June 19, 2021. Microsoft Word file.

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Citation Help: Dissertations & Theses

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A quick note:

The following examples follow the Notes-Bibliography style. For Author-Date style, please consult The Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition.

Chicago AND Turabian Citation Examples: Dissertations & Theses

Chicago and Turabian use the exact same format for citing dissertations and theses.

Important Elements:

• Author 
• Title of Dissertation or Thesis
• Type of Document (Dissertation or Thesis)
• Name of Degree Granting Institution

Thesis or dissertation

1. Author First Last, "Title of Dissertation or Theis" (Doctoral diss. or Master's Thesis, Name of Institution, Year), pp.-pp.

1. Dana S. Levin, "Let's Talk about Sex . . . Education: Exploring Youth Perspectives, Implicit Messages, and Unexamined Implications of Sex Education in Schools" (PhD diss., University of Michigan, 2010), 101-2.

Shortened note

2. Author Last, "Shortened Title," pp.

2. Levin, "Let's Talk about Sex," 98.

Bibliography Entry

Author Last, First. "Title of Dissertation or Thesis." Doctoral diss. or Master's Thesis, Name of Institution, Year.

Levin, Dana S. "Let's Talk about Sex . . . Education: Exploring Youth Perspectives, Implicit Messages, and Unexamined Implications of Sex Education in Schools." PhD diss., University of Michigan, 2010.

Examples courtesy of  The Turabian 8th edition .

Chicago/Turabian Examples by Source

•    Articles
•    Audio & Video
•    Books
•    Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
•    Dissertations & Theses
•    Websites, Including Social Media
•    Other Source Types

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Librarians are available to help you with your questions. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have regarding citation styles, citation management, etc.

Ask a question below or contact your subject specialist librarian for more help!

Useful Resources for Chicago/Turabian

Check out the  Chicago Manual of Style's Shop Talk website  for more great information about using the Chicago Manual of Style through the links below!

• Shop Talk for Students
• Formatting a paper in Chicago Style
• What's the difference between Chicago and Turabian?!?

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Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition

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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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Thesis or Dissertation (Section 14.113 )

Titles of theses and dissertations appear in quotation marks, not italics.

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Home General Guidelines     Notes     Bibliography Books     One Author or Editor     Multiple Authors or Editors     Author and Editor     Author and Translator     Organization as Author     Anonymous Work     Chapter from an Edited Work     Multivolume Work     Edition Other than the First     Dictionary or Encyclopedia     E-Book Articles     Journal Article     Magazine Article     Newspaper Article     Book Review Websites     Basic Webpage     Blogs and Social Media     Government Website Audiovisual Media     Audio/Video Recording     Online Multimedia Other Sources     Interview or Personal Communication     Lecture or Presentation    Primary Source Published in an Edited Collection     Thesis or Dissertation     Pamphlet or Brochure     Sacred Text     Indirect Source     Government Document     Paintings, Illustrations, Tables Plagiarism

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How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in Chicago Footnote Referencing

• 2-minute read
• 6th May 2020

Have you found useful ideas or data in someone else’s dissertation or thesis to support an argument in your own work? Our guide below explains how to cite a thesis or dissertation correctly in the Chicago footnote style.

Footnote Citation for a Thesis or Dissertation

The Chicago Manual of Style ’s footnote referencing system uses superscript numbers to point to citations. For instance:

Usually at the end of a sentence, like this. 1

The footnote format for a thesis or dissertation in Chicago referencing is similar to the one used for a book . The main difference is that you should use quote marks instead of italics for the title:

n. Author name, “Title of paper” (type of paper, academic institution, year of completion), page number, URL/database name (document ID).

Of course, you only need to give a URL or database name and ID if you accessed the paper online! To cite page 42 of John Smith’s printed PhD thesis, then, your footnote would look like this:

1. John Smith, “Useful Ideas for Research” (PhD diss., University of Learning, 2006), 42.

If you’re citing only an abstract, simply add the word “abstract” after the title:

2. Tom Persson, “Great Thoughts and Stuff,” abstract, (master’s thesis, Educational Establishment of City Name Here, 2012), 81, https://CityNameUniversity.edu/1901.11/39144.

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For repeat citations, use the standard shortened footnote format .

The Bibliography Entry

The bibliography entry for a thesis or dissertation will be similar to the first footnote citation. However, there are a few differences in the format:

• You will need to use a period between each element, not a comma.
• The first author’s name should be inverted (i.e., “Surname, First Name”)
• You do not need parentheses for the additional paper information (i.e., the paper type, institution, and year of completion).
• No page number is required.

So, bibliography entries for these sources should look like this:

Author Surname, Author First Name. “Title of paper.” Type of paper, academic institution, year of completion. URL/database ID.

Thus, you would present your bibliography entries as follows:

Persson, Tom. “Great Thoughts and Stuff.” Abstract. Master’s thesis, Educational Establishment of City Name Here, 2012. https://CityNameUniversity.edu/1901.11/39144.

Smith, John. “Useful Ideas for Research.” PhD diss., University of Learning, 2006.

The points above will help you cite a dissertation or thesis in Chicago footnote referencing. Want further help checking your references and writing are error free? Our team of expert proofreaders is available 24/7.

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Author-Date: Sample Citations

Go to Notes and Bibliography: Sample Citations

The following examples illustrate the author-date system. Each example of a reference list entry is accompanied by an example of a corresponding in-text citation. For more details and many more examples, see chapters 13 and 14 of The Chicago Manual of Style . For examples of the same citations using the notes and bibliography system, follow the Notes and Bibliography link above.

Reference list entries (in alphabetical order)

Note that a place of publication is no longer required in book citations (see CMOS 14.30 ).

Binder, Amy J., and Jeffrey L. Kidder. 2022. The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today . University of Chicago Press.

Yu, Charles. 2020. Interior Chinatown . Pantheon Books.

In-text citations

(Binder and Kidder 2022, 117–18)

(Yu 2020, 45)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 13.105–10 and 14.2–62 .

Chapter or other part of an edited book

The page range for a chapter in a book is no longer required in reference list entries (see CMOS 14.8 ). In the text, cite specific pages as applicable.

Reference list entry

Doyle, Kathleen. 2023. “The Queen Mary Psalter.” In The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention , edited by P. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin. University of Chicago Press.

In-text citation

(Doyle 2023, 64)

In some cases, you may want to cite the collection as a whole instead.

Marks, P. J. M., and Stephen Parkin, eds. 2023. The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention . University of Chicago Press.

(Marks and Parkin 2023)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.8–14 . 

Translated book

In the following example, note the absence of a comma after “Liu” in the author’s name, which follows Eastern order (family name first) rather than Western order (family name last). See CMOS 13.75 for more details.

Liu Xinwu. 2021. The Wedding Party . Translated by Jeremy Tiang. Amazon Crossing.

(Liu 2021, 279)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.5–7 .

Book Consulted in an Electronic Format

To cite a book consulted online, include either a URL or the name of the database in the reference list entry. For downloadable ebook formats, name the format; if no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the text (or simply omit). For citing a place rather than a publisher for books published before 1900 (as in the Moby-Dick example below), see CMOS 14.31 .

Borel, Brooke. 2023. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking . 2nd ed. University of Chicago Press. EBSCOhost.

Kurland, Philip B., and Ralph Lerner, eds. 1987. The Founders’ Constitution . University of Chicago Press. https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

Melville, Herman. 1851. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale . New York. https://melville.electroniclibrary.org/moby-dick-side-by-side.

Roy, Arundhati. 2008. The God of Small Things . Random House. Kindle.

(Borel 2023, 92)

(Kurland and Lerner 1987, chap. 10, doc. 19)

(Melville 1851, 627)

(Roy 2008, chap. 6)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.58–62 .

Journal article

Journal articles are usually cited by volume and issue number. In the reference list, include the page range for the whole article. In the text, cite specific page numbers. For articles consulted online, include a URL (preferably one based on a DOI; see CMOS 13.7 ) in the reference list entry; alternatively, list the name of the database.

Dittmar, Emily L., and Douglas W. Schemske. 2023. “Temporal Variation in Selection Influences Microgeographic Local Adaptation.” American Naturalist 202 (4): 471–85. https://doi.org/10.1086/725865.

Hebert, B. T. 1925. “The Island of Bolsö: A Study of Norwegian Life.” Sociological Review 17 (4): 307–13. EBSCOhost.

Kwon, Hyeyoung. 2022. “Inclusion Work: Children of Immigrants Claiming Membership in Everyday Life.” American Journal of Sociology 127 (6): 1818–59. https://doi.org/10.1086/720277.

Lindquist, Benjamin. 2023. “The Art of Text-to-Speech.” Critical Inquiry 50 (2): 225–51. https://doi.org/10.1086/727651.

(Dittmar and Schemske 2023, 480)

(Hebert 1925, 310)

(Kwon 2022, 1842–43)

(Lindquist 2023, 230)

Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences. For works by two authors, list both in the reference list and the text (as in the Dittmar and Schemske example above). For three or more authors, list up to six in the reference list; for more than six authors, list the first three, followed by “et al.” (“and others”). In the text, list only the first, followed by “et al.” Note that the Dror example below (which credits eighteen authors) includes an article ID in place of a page range; see CMOS 14.71 for details.

Dror, Amiel A., Nicole Morozov, Amani Daoud, et al. 2022. “Pre-Infection 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels and Association with Severity of COVID-19 Illness.” PLOS ONE 17 (2): e0263069. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263069.

(Dror et al. 2022, 10–11)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.67–86 .

News or magazine article

Articles from newspapers or news sites, magazines, blogs, and the like are cited similarly. Page numbers, if any, can be cited in the text but are omitted from a reference list entry. For articles consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database.

Blum, Dani. 2023. “Are Flax Seeds All That?” New York Times , December 13. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/well/eat/flax-seeds-benefits.html.

Klein, Elana. 2023. “Meet Flip, the Viral Video App Giving Away Free Stuff.” Wired , December 21. https://www.wired.com/story/flip-viral-video-app-shopping-free-stuff/.

Mead, Rebecca. 2023. “Terms of Aggrievement.” New Yorker , December 18.

Pegoraro, Rob. 2007. “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple.” Washington Post , July 5, 2007. LexisNexis Academic.

(Blum 2023)

(Klein 2023)

(Mead 2023, 21)

(Pegoraro 2007)

Readers’ comments are cited in the text but omitted from a reference list.

(Michelle [Reno], December 15, 2023, comment on Blum 2023)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.87–88 (magazines) and 14.89–98 (newspapers and news sites).

Book review

Jacobs, Alexandra. 2023. “The Muchness of Madonna.” Review of Madonna: A Rebel Life , by Mary Gabriel. New York Times , October 8.

(Jacobs 2023)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.100 .

Interviews are usually cited under the name of the interviewee rather than the interviewer.

Buolamwini, Joy. 2023. “ ‘If You Have a Face, You Have a Place in the Conversation About AI,’ Expert Says.” Interview by Tonya Mosley. Fresh Air , NPR, November 28. Audio, 37:58. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/28/1215529902/unmasking-ai-facial-recognition-technology-joy-buolamwini.

(Buolamwini 2023)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.108 , 14.109 , and 14.110 .

Thesis or dissertation

For dissertations consulted via ProQuest; include the identification number in parenthesis.

Blajer de la Garza, Yuna. 2019. “A House Is Not a Home: Citizenship and Belonging in Contemporary Democracies.” PhD diss., University of Chicago. ProQuest (13865986).

(Blajer de la Garza 2019, 66–67)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.113 .

It is often sufficient simply to describe web pages and other website content in the text (“As of November 15, 2023, Google’s privacy policy stated . . .”). If a more formal citation is needed, it may be styled like the examples below.

Google. 2023. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Effective November 15. https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2023. “Wikipedia: Manual of Style.” Last modified December 19, at 21:54 (UTC). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style.

(Google 2023)

(Wikimedia Foundation 2022)

If a source does not list a date of publication or revision, use n.d. (for “no date”) in place of the year and include an access date. Alternatively, if a publicly available archive of the content has been saved using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine or similar service, the link for that version may be cited.

Yale University. n.d. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Accessed March 8, 2022. https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

Yale University. n.d. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Archived March 8, 2022, at https://web.archive.org/web/20220308143337/https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.104 .

Social media content

Citations of content posted to social media can usually be limited to the text (as in the first example below). If a more formal citation is needed, a reference list entry may be appropriate. In place of a title, quote up to the first 280 characters of the post. Comments are cited in reference to the original post.

The Instagram post included a photo of the president delivering a eulogy at the National Cathedral and referred to O’Connor as “gracious and principled” (@potus, December 19, 2023).

Chicago Manual of Style. 2015. “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in 1993.” Facebook, April 17, 2015. https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151.

NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb). 2022. “👀 Sneak a peek at the deepest & sharpest infrared image of the early universe ever taken—all in a day’s work for the Webb telescope. (Literally, capturing it took less than a day!).” Twitter (now X), July 11. https://twitter.com/NASAWebb/status/1546621080298835970.

(Chicago Manual of Style 2015)

(NASA Webb Telescope 2022)

(Michele Truty, April 17, 2015, 1:09 p.m., comment on Chicago Manual of Style 2015)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.106 .

Video or podcast

Unless it is clear from context, “video” or the like may be specified in the reference list.

Cowan, Vaitea. 2022. “How Green Hydrogen Could End the Fossil Fuel Era.” TED Talk, Vancouver, BC, April. Video, 9 min., 15 sec. https://www .ted .com /talks /vaitea _cowan _how _green _hydrogen _could _end _the _fossil _fuel _era.

Ober, Lauren, host. 2022. The Loudest Girl in the World . Season 1, episode 2, “Goodbye, Routine; Hello, Meltdown!” Pushkin Industries, September 13. Podcast, 41 min., 37 sec. https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/loudest-girl-in-the-world.

Oliver, Eric. 2022. “Why So Many Americans Believe in So Many ‘Crazy’ Things.” Moderated by Andrew McCall. Virtual lecture, February 23. Posted March 21, 2022, by University of Chicago. YouTube, 1:01:45. https://youtu.be/hfq7AnCF5bg.

(Cowan 2022, at 6:09–17)

(Ober 2022)

(Oliver 2022)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.167–69 .

Personal communication

Personal communications, including email and text messages and direct messages sent through social media, are usually cited in the text only; they are rarely included in a reference list.

(Sam Gomez, Facebook direct message to author, August 1, 2024)

For more details and examples, see CMOS 14.111 .

Chicago 17th edition notes and bibliography

• Introduction
• Author, title, date
• Book chapter
• ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
• Journal article
• Subsequent citations
• Social Media
• Ancient sources
• Book review
• Dictionary or encyclopaedia

Citing theses

• Personal communication
• Newspaper or magazine articles
• Manuscripts
• Conference papers
• Legal materials

Titles of theses and dissertations appear in quotation marks otherwise they are cited like books.

The kind of thesis, the academic institution, and the date follow the title. Like the publication data of a book, these are enclosed in parentheses in a note but not in a bibliography.

If the document was consulted online, include a URL or, for documents retrieved from a commercial database, the name of the database and, in parentheses, any identification number supplied or recommended by the database.

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Dissertation (thesis): how to cite in Chicago Style – notes and bibliography (17th ed.)?

Create a spot-on reference in chicago 17 and 16, general rules.

Citing dissertations, master's theses, etc. under the requirements of The Chicago Manual of Style is specific due to the particularities of this type of source. Thus, a bibliographic reference should include the university responsible for the preparation and defense of the work and the type of work. The title of the dissertation is put between quotation marks. Use the following templates for references:

Reference in a bibliography:

Author . " Title ." Work type , University , year . URL .

Author , " Title " ( work type , University , year ), number of the cited page , URL .

Short note:

Author , " Title ," number of the cited page .

For a dissertation published online, it is allowed to indicate the database from which it is available and its publication number in the database instead of the URL address.

To order and indicate correctly all reference elements, we recommend using our online reference generator .

Examples of references in a bibliography

Bolton, Emma Victoria. "The Barriers and Facilitators to Stopping Inappropriate Medicines ('Deprescribing') for Older People Living in Care Homes." PhD thesis, University of Leeds, 2020. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/27649/ .

Alotaibi, Sarah. "A Biophysically-Based Skin Reflectance Model for Face Analysis." PhD thesis, University of York, 2019. White Rose eTheses Online.

Examples of notes

1. Emma Victoria Bolton, "The Barriers and Facilitators to Stopping Inappropriate Medicines ('Deprescribing') for Older People Living in Care Homes" (PhD thesis, University of Leeds, 2020), 11, http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/27649/ .

2. Sarah Alotaibi, "A Biophysically-Based Skin Reflectance Model for Face Analysis" (PhD thesis, University of York, 2019), 41, White Rose eTheses Online.

3. Bolton, "Stopping Inappropriate Medicines ('Deprescribing')," 11.

4. Alotaibi, "Skin Reflectance Model," 42.

Chicago/Turabian/SBL Style Guide (Notes-Bibliography)

• Format for Paper
• Citation Placement
• Reference (encyclopedias, dictionaries, or lexicons)
• Books / eBooks

Citing a Thesis or Dissertation

• Format for A Thesis or Dissertation
• Government Documents
• Other Resources
• Format of the Reference Page
• Grad Ministry
• Contact the Library
• Theses and dissertations are cited much like books except for the title in enclosed in quotation marks.
• After the author and tile, list the kind of paper (degree level and thesis or dissertation), the academic institution, and the date. This replaces the normal publication data (publisher name, place, and date of publication).
• Abbreviate dissertation as diss.

Bibliography:

Author's Last Name, Author's First Name. "Title of the Work: Subtitle of the Work." Degree Level Kind of Paper., University Name, Year of Degree.

1. Author's First and Last Names, "Title of Work: Subtitle of the Work" (Degree Level Kind of Paper, University Name, Year of Degree), page number.

Navarro-Garcia, Guadalupe. "Integrating Social Justice Values in Educational Leadership: A Study of African American and black University Presidents." PhD diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 2016.

1. Guadalupe Navarro-Garcia, "Integrating Social Justice Values in Educational Leadership: A Study of African American and black University Presidents" (PhD diss, University of California, Los Angeles, 2016).

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• Create Title Page
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Mindfullness & COVID-19

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Chicago Style Guide

Thesis/Dissertation – Chicago Bibliography

General tips.

• Titles of unpublished works appear in quotation marks—not in italics. This treatment is applied to theses and dissertations.

Thesis/Dissertation Print

Last , First M . " Thesis/Dissertation Title ." PhD diss., [OR] Master's thesis , Academic institution , Year .

1. Mihwa Choi, "Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty," (PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2008).

2. Choi "Contesting Imaginaires".

Choi, Mihwa. "Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty." PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2008.

Thesis/Dissertation Commercial Database

For items retrieved from a commercial database, add the name of the database and an accession number following the facts of publication. This dissertation cited below is shown as it would be cited if it were retrieved from ProQuest's database for dissertations and theses.

Last , First M . " Thesis/Dissertation Title ." PhD diss., [OR] Master's thesis , Academic institution , Year . Database name ( accession number ).

Choi, Mihwa. "Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty." PhD diss.,, University of Chicago, 2008. ProQuest (AAT 3300426).

Thesis/Dissertation Web

Last , First M . " Thesis/Dissertation Title ." PhD diss., [OR] Master's thesis , Academic institution , Year . http:// www.url.com

Johnson, Shakela Carion. "An Examination of the Social Characteristics and Beliefs of Delinquent and Non-Delinquent Youth." PhD thesis. Auburn University, 2007. http://search.proquest.com/docview/304897390?accountid=12528

1. Mihwa Choi, "Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty," (PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2008), ProQuest (AAT 3300426).

Choi, Mihwa. "Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty." PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2008. ProQuest (AAT 3300426).

Chicago Referencing Guide

• Notes - basic patterns
• Bibliography - basic patterns
• Chapters and other parts of a book
• Journal articles
• Magazine articles
• Newspaper articles
• Reference works

Thesis - general pattern

Thesis, dissertation or exegesis, type of thesis.

• Social media
• Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
• Graphic arts
• Live performances
• Exhibition catalogues
• Television and radio
• Advertisements
• Online videos
• Sound recordings
• Legal resources
• Lectures and paper presentations
• Personal communications, unpublished interviews and AI content
• Tables - Examples
• Figures - Examples

Bibliography:

Thesis and dissertation can mean different things, depending on which institution the work is from.

At Auckland University of Technology (and other NZ universities):

• Thesis is used either for a doctoral or a master's degree.
• Dissertation is used either for a master's or a bachelor's degree with honours.
• Exegesis is the written component of a practice-based thesis where the major output is a creative work;  e.g. a film, artwork, novel.

In some other parts of the world, such as the United States, a dissertation may be used for a doctoral degree and a thesis   used for a master's degree. You can use the same citation pattern, no matter what the type of thesis is called.

List the type of thesis as it appears on the title page, but abbreviate dissertation as diss .

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Chicago Citation Generator

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, the ultimate guide to citing anything in chicago style, everything you ever needed to know about citing sources from the chicago manual of style, the basics of citing in chicago style.

The Chicago Manual of Style, currently in its 16th edition, was created to help researchers properly cite their sources. There are two types of referencing styles in Chicago: 1) Notes and Bibliography and 2) Author-Date.

This guide displays the Notes and Bibliography style of referencing and is not associated with the official publishers of the style.

Need help with other styles? Our thorough MLA format and APA format guides are available for all of your writing and citing needs!

Creating a Bibliography in Chicago Style

The bibliography is a list of all the sources used in the paper. The list includes the important publication details of the sources. The bibliography must also follow this format:

• The citation list or bibliography must be single spaced.
• The last names of the authors must be arranged alphabetically.
• The second line of the source must be indented.

Examples of Citing Different Sources in Chicago Style

Generally, Chicago citations require:

• Title of book/article
• Title of newspaper/journal
• Publication year
• Publication month and date
• City of publication
• Date of access
• Page numbers
• URL or Name of Database

How to Create Footnotes and Endnotes for Chicago Style

If you’re wondering how to format Chicago in-text citations, Notes and Bibliography formatting requires writers to use footnotes and endnotes. These footnotes and endnotes acknowledge the different sources used in the work.

When a source is used in a research paper, a roman numeral is placed at the end of the borrowed information as superscript (it is smaller than the normal line of text and raised). That number correlates with a footnote or endnote.

• Footnotes are found at the bottom of the page
• Endnotes are added at the end of the chapter or project
• A footnote or endnote contains the complete citation information
• The matching number in the footnote or endnote is normal sized and not raised
• It is up to the discretion of the writer to either place the citation at the bottom of the page where the superscript is placed (a footnote) or to place all citations together at the end of the work (endnotes)

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 footnotes are placed at the bottom of the page:

• 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 .

If a source is used more than once in a research project, follow these guidelines:

• When used again, instead of writing out the complete citation for a second time in the footnote, only include: the author’s last name, the title or a phrase for the title (if it’s more than four words), and the page number(s) that were used. This will reduce the bulk of citation information in the paper.
• 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/ .
• Cohen, "Rubio Losing Support"

If a source is used consecutively, follow these guidelines for shortened citation and ibid :

If you are citing the same source continually throughout your text, use a shortened version of the full citation in your footnotes.

Previous versions of the style used the abbreviation “ibid,” short for “ibidem.” Ibidem is a Latin word that means “in the same place.” It was used when referring to a source that was just cited within a document (without other sources in between). Writers would use ibid instead of writing out the source information again. This was meant to save space since it’s fewer characters than citing the source again.

In the current version of Chicago, the 17th version, ibid is accepted but not preferred. This is because ibid requires readers to go back and search for the previous source cited, an inconvenience which outweighs the benefits of shortening the citation. Also, shortened citations are compact, so using ibid doesn’t always save line space.

Shortened citations

The first mention of a source should include all relevant information (e.g., full author name(s), full title, publisher, date published, etc.).

Subsequent mentions should be a shortened version using this formula:

Last Name, Title of the Work , page number(s).

Mentions after the shortened form can use the abbreviated formula:

Last Name, page number(s).

If there are two or three authors, list their full names in the order they appear in the source. If there are more than three authors, list the first author’s name followed by “et al.”

Examples of using shortened citations (preferred format in the 17th Edition):

• Philip R. Cateora et al., International Marketing (New York: McGraw Hill, 2020), 292-294.
• Cateora et al., International Marketing , 28-29.
• Cateora et al., 28-29.
• Cateora et al., 377.

Long titles that are more than four words are usually shortened. Focus on keeping key words from the title and omitting any beginning “a” or “the.” Examples:

• And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street = Mulberry Street
• Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe = Fried Green Tomatoes

If you are using the discontinued ibid notation, here are a few guidelines:

• When the same source is used consecutively, instead of typing in the citation information again, use the abbreviation “ibid.” Add the page numbers immediately following.
• If the same source AND same page number are used consecutively, simply write “Ibid.”

Same example above, but using ibid:

• Philip R. Cateora et al, International Marketing (New York: McGraw Hill, 2020), 292-294.

Another example with two sources that were mentioned earlier in the text:

• Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See (New York: Scribner, 2014), 82-84.
• Tatiana de Rosnay, Sarah's Key (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2007), 24-27.
• Ibid., 133-134.
• Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See , 397-401.
• Ibid., 405.
• Ibid., 411.

For further clarification on the Chicago in-text citation style of footnotes and endnotes, consult the Chicago Manual of Style's website . This site is full of helpful pages, so if you’re tempted to head to Google to type in, “in-text citations Chicago,” take a peek at the official site first.

Creating Your Citations in Chicago Style

As mentioned, when you're following The Chicago Manual of Style, you'll be required to create a list of all sources used in your paper. Even though full bibliographic information can be found in the footnotes and endnotes, it is still acceptable, and often required by instructors, to create a bibliography. The bibliography is placed at the end of an assignment.

How to Cite a Print Book in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

First name Last name, Title of Book (Publication Place: Publisher, Year), page range.

In the bibliography:

Last name, First name. Title of book . Publication Place: Publisher, Year.

Example of Chicago Style for Books with One Author

Sam Staggs, Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009), 84.

Staggs, Sam. Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009.

Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for books quickly and accurately.

Example of Chicago Citation for Books with Multiple Authors

Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media (London: Routledge,1994) 24-28.

Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media . London: Routledge, 1994.

How to Cite Chapters or Articles from a Book in Chicago Style

First name, Last name of Chapter Author, “Chapter or Article Title,” in Book Title , ed. First Name Last Name of Editor (Publication Place: Publisher, Year), page range.

Last name, First name. "Chapter Title." In Book Title , edited by First Name Last Name, page range. Publication Place: Publisher, Year.

Looking for a simple and easy-to-use Chicago citation maker? Head to our homepage and start building your Chicago format references with ease!

Example of Chicago Citation for Chapters in a Book

Laura Aymerich-Franch and Maddalena Fedele, "Student's Privacy Concerns on the Use of Social Media in Higher Education," in Cutting-Edge Technologies and Social Media Use in Higher Education, ed. Vledlena Benson and Stephanie Morgan (Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2014), 35-36.

Aymerich-Franch, Laura, and Maddalena Fedele. "Student's Privacy Concerns on the Use of Social Media in Higher Education." In Cutting-Edge Technologies and Social Media Use in Higher Education, edited by Vledlena Benson and Stephanie Morgan, 35-36. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2014.

How to Cite Online E-books in Chicago Style

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.

First name Last name, Title of e-book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page range, URL, Database Name.

Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publication Place: Publisher, Year. URL, Name of Database.

Example of Chicago Citation for E-Books

Michael J. Baker, The Marketing Book (Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002), 89, https://htbiblio.yolasite.com/resources/Marketing%20Book.pdf .

Baker, Michael J. The Marketing Book. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002. https://htbiblio.yolasite.com/resources/Marketing%20Book.pdf .

If you understand how to structure your references easily, thanks to this thorough guide, and are looking for help with the written portion of your paper, look no further! There are tons of Citation Machine grammar guides to help you write with ease. Here’s just one of our many useful pages: Positive & Negative Adjectives .

How to Cite E-books in Chicago Style E-books from a Kindle or E-book Reader

If there aren’t any clearly labeled page numbers, use chapter numbers or titles, section numbers or titles, or any other established numbering system in the text. It’s also acceptable to omit page information from Chicago style citations if there aren’t clearly labeled page numbers.

First name Last name, Title of the Book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page range, Type of E-reader

Last name, First name. Title of book . Publication Place: Publisher, Year. Type of e-reader.

Example of Chicago Citation for Kindle or E-book Reader

Corina Bomann, The Moonlight Garden (Washington: AmazonCrossing, 2016), chap. 8, Kindle.

Bomann, Corina. The Moonlight Garden . Washington: AmazonCrossing, 2016. Kindle.

How to Cite Print Journals in Chicago Style

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

Chicago style citation in the bibliography:

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

Example of Chicago Citation for Print Journals

Damien O'Brien and Brian Fitzgerald, "Digital Copyright Law in a YouTube World," Internet Law Bulletin 9, no. 6 (2007): 71-74.

O'Brien, Damien, and Brian Fitzgerald, "Digital Copyright Law in a YouTube World." Internet Law Bulletin 9, no. 6 (2007): 71-74.

If you’re come this far and you’re still searching for in-text citation Chicago information, remember, this style uses footnotes and endnotes! Scroll up to find out more!

How to Cite Online or Database Journals in Chicago Style

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

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

Example of Chicago Citation for Online or Database Journals

Trine Schreiber, "Conceptualizing Students’ Written Assignments in the Context of Information Literacy and Schatzki’s Practice Theory," Journal of Documentation 70, no. 3 (2014): 346-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-01-2013-0002 .

Schreiber, Trine. "Conceptualizing Students’ Written Assignments in the Context of Information Literacy and Schatzki’s Practice Theory." Journal of Documentation 70, no. 3 (2014): 346-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-01-2013-0002 .

Our Citation Machine Chicago citation generator helps you create your references in just a few clicks. Give it a whirl and watch the magic unfold!

How to Cite Print Magazines in Chicago Style

First name Last name, "Article Title," Magazine Title, Full Date, page range.

Last name, First name. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Full Date.

Example of Chicago Citation for Print Magazines

George J. Church, "Sunny Mood at Midsummer: Americans Take a Brighter View of Reagan," _Time, July 18, 1983, 56-59.

Church, George J. "Sunny Mood at Midsummer: Americans Take a Brighter View of Reagan" Time, July 18, 1983.

How to Cite Online Magazines in Chicago Style

First name, Last name, "Article Title," Title of Magazine, Full Date, URL.

Chicago style bibliography structure:

Last name, First name. "Article Title" Magazine Title, Full Date, URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Online Magazines

Bill Donahue. “King of the Mountains,” Backpacker, September/October 2019, 76-82, http://backpacker.eoncontent.ebscohost.com/2226647#&pageSet=39

Donahue, Bill. “King of the Mountains.” Backpacker, September/October 2019. http://backpacker.eoncontent.ebscohost.com/2226647#&pageSet=39

How to Cite a Web Page in Chicago Style

Creating a footnote, endnote, or bibliographic information for web content isn’t always necessary. It’s acceptable to simply mention the source in the written portion of the paper. For example, “The Marco Polo page on History’s website, last updated on March 6, 2019, describes his travels along the Silk Road while....” Include formal Chicago citation style references if you or your professor prefers to do so.

A bit more:

• If the website page is missing a date of publication, include the date the source was last modified or accessed in the footnote and endnote.
• If the website page is missing the name of the author, begin the footnote with the “Title of the Article or Page.”

First name Last name of Author, "Title of Article or Page," Title of Website, Date published or last modified or accessed, URL.

Last name, First name or Organization Name. "Title of Article or Page." Title of Website. Date published or last modified or accessed. URL.

Figuring out how to style web references can be tricky, but thanks to our Chicago citation machine, we’ve made the whole process much easier for you. Try it out!

Example of Chicago Citation for a Web Page

Sujan Patel, "15 Must-have Marketing Tools for 2015," Entrepreneur, January 12, 2015. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241570 .

Patel, Sujan. “15 Must-have Marketing Tools for 2015.” Entrepreneur. January 12, 2015. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241570 .

Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for websites quickly and accurately.

How to Cite The Bible or Religious Texts in Chicago Style

Bible references are often displayed in the text of a paper (similar to web content) or in footnotes and endnotes. Formal bible references in bibliographies are not necessary.

Abbreviated Title of Book, Chapter:Verse (Edition).

Example of Chicago Citation for Bible

2 Cor. 11:7 (New Standard Version).

If you’re looking for other resources to help you with the written portion of your paper, we have quite a few handy grammar guides. Two of our favorites? Adjectives starting with X and List of verbs .

How to Cite Blogs in Chicago Style

*According to the 17th edition of the manual, blogs are not typically cited in bibliographies. They are generally cited in the footnotes/endnotes section. Of course, if the writer or professor prefers a full bibliographic reference, one can be created.

Style notes and bibliographic references the same way as you would an online newspaper, but include (blog) in parentheses immediately following the title of the blog.

First name Last name, "Title of Blog Post," Title of Blog (blog), Title of Larger Blog, if part of a larger one, Month Day Year of post, URL.

Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Blog." Name of Blog Site (blog). Title of Larger Blog, if part of a larger one, Month Day Year of post. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Blogs

Shannon Miller, "Valentine Ideas Using Digital Tools, Hands, Creativity, and a Little Love for Padlet," The Library Voice (blog), January 20, 2016, http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/2016/01/valentine-ideas-using-digital-tools.html .

Miller, Shannon. "Valentine Ideas Using Digital Tools, Hands, Creativity, and a Little Love for Padlet." The Library Voice, January 20, 2016. http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/2016/01/valentine-ideas-using-digital-tools.html .

Chicago style bibliographies aren’t as complicated as they seem, especially when you have a generator to do the work for you. Head to our homepage and try ours out!

How to Cite TV Broadcasts in Chicago Style

Title of Series , episode number, “Title of Episode,” directed by First Name Last Name, written by First Name Last Name, featuring First Names Last Names of actors, aired Month Day, Year, on Station Name, URL.

Last Name, First Name, dir. Title of Series . Season Number, episode number, “Title of Episode.” Aired Month Day, Year, on Station Name. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Broadcasts

Riverdale , episode 15, “American Dreams,” directed by Gabriel Correra, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, featuring KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, and Cole Sprouse, aired March 13, 2019, on CW.

Bibliography Chicago style:

Correra, Gabriel, dir. Riverdale . Season 3, episode 15, “American Dreams.” Aired March 13, 2019, on CW.

How to Cite a Case Study in Chicago Style

First name Last name. Title of Case Study. (Publication Place: Publisher, Year).

Last name, First name. Title of Case Study.

Example of Chicago Citation for Case Study

Peter Finn. Disulfiram.

Finn, Peter. Disulfiram.

How to Cite Conference Proceedings in Chicago Style

First Name Last Name, “Title of Conference Paper” (format, Title of Conference, Location, Full Date).

Last name, First name. “Title of Conference Paper.” Format presented at Title of Conference, Location, Date. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Conference Paper

Craig Myerson, “Historical Markings in New Castle, Delaware” (Power-Point presentation, The University of Delaware, Newark, DE, June 18, 2019.

Myerson, Craig. “Historical Markings in New Castle, Delaware.” Power-point presentation presented at The University of Delaware, Newark, DE, June 18, 2019.

How to Cite Court or Legal Cases in Chicago Style

The 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style recommends referring to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation , or the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation to learn how to create court or legal references. Both guides are widely used by those in legal fields and have become the standard for referencing legal cases.

The examples below reflect the format found in The Bluebook .

Legal cases are rarely documented in bibliographies, usually only in notes.

Plaintiff v. Defendant, Court Case Number (Abbreviated Name of the Court. Year).

Example of Chicago Citation for Legal Cases

Michael Clum v. Jackson National Life Insurance Co., 10-000126-CL (Ingham Cty. 2011).

How to Cite Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries in Chicago Style

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition, well-known reference books, including major dictionaries and encyclopedias, are normally cited in notes rather than bibliographies. Lesser known reference books can be cited in the bibliography.

The abbreviation "s.v." means sub verbo , which is Latin for "under the word."

Chicago style formatting in the footnotes and endnotes:

Name of dictionary or encyclopedia , Numbered ed. (Year), s.v. “term.”

If found online:

Name of dictionary or encyclopedia , s.v. "term," accessed Month Day Year, url.

Last name, First name of Author. Title of Dictionary or Encyclopedia . Numbered ed. Location of Publisher: Publisher, Year.

Example of Chicago Citation for Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries

Encyclopedia Britannica , s.v. “pressure,” accessed September 15, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/science/pressure .

Gover, Emily. Encyclopedia of Birds . 4th ed. New York: Chegg, 2016.

How to Cite Dissertations in Chicago Style

First name Last name, "Title of Dissertation" (type of paper, school, year), url.

Last name, First name. "Title of Dissertation." Type of Paper, School, Year. URL or Database(Identification Number).

Example of Chicago Citation for Dissertations

Michele Kirschenbaum, "Young Students' Online Searching Capabilities" (master's thesis, Drexel University, 2009).

Kirschenbaum, Michele. "Young Students' Online Searching Capabilities." Master's thesis, Drexel University, 2009.

How to Cite DVDs, Video, and Film in Chicago Style

Title , directed by First Name Last name (Year; City, State Abbrev: Producer), Format.

Last Name, First Name, dir. Title . Year; City, State Abbrev: Producer, Year. Format.

Example of Chicago Citation for Film, DVDs, or Videos

_Home Lone , directed by Chris Columbus (1990; Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox), DVD.

Columbus, Chris, dir. Home Alone . 1990; Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox. DVD.

Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for films quickly and accurately.

How to Cite Facebook Pages in Chicago Style

Title of Facebook Page, “Text of Post,” Facebook, Month Day, Year, URL.

Title of Facebook Page. “Text of Post.” Facebook, Month Day, Year. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Facebook Post

Awakenings, “Maceo Plex gave us goosebumps during Awakenings Festival! We can't wait to hear what he has in store during Maceo Plex x Lone Romantic | Awakenings ADE Elementenstraat on October 19:awak.enin.gs/2KMxDCH,” Facebook, September 12, 2019, https://www.facebook.com/pg/awakenings/posts/?ref=page_internal .

Awakenings. “Maceo Plex gave us goosebumps during Awakenings Festival! We can't wait to hear what he has in store during Maceo Plex x Lone Romantic | Awakenings ADE Elementenstraat on October 19:awak.enin.gs/2KMxDCH.” Facebook, September 12, 2019. https://www.facebook.com/pg/awakenings/posts/?ref=page_internal .

How to Cite Government Publications in Chicago Style

Title of Publication , prepared by Organization (City, State Abbrev, Year).

Firm/Department. Title of Publication . City, State Abbrev, Year.

Example of Chicago Citation for Government Publication

Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Annual Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2014 , prepared by The Department of Justice (Washington, DC, 2014).

Department of Justice. Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Annual Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2014 . Washington, DC, 2014.

How to Cite Interviews in Chicago Style

Published Interviews are treated in Chicago format style like an article in a magazine or a newspaper. Use one of those formats to cite your interview.

How to Cite an E-mail in Chicago Style

According to The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th edition, personal communications, such as letters, e-mails, text messages, and phone calls are usually referenced in the footnotes and endnotes or explained in the text of the paper. They are rarely listed in the Chicago style bibliography. In addition, an e-mail address belonging to an individual should be omitted, unless given permission by its owner.

Individual's First name Last name, type of communication, Month Day Year of correspondence.

Example of Chicago Citation for E-mail

Michele Kirschenbaum, e-mail message to author, January 18, 2016.

How to Cite Musical Recordings in Chicago Style

"Title of Song," Year of recording date, Platform, track number on Artist’s Name, Album Title, Producer, Year.

Last name, First name of performer. Title of Album. Recorded Year. Producer.

Example of Chicago Citation for Recordings

"Sucker,” Spotify, track 1, on Jonas Brothers, Happiness Begins , Republic Records, 2019.

Jonas Brothers. Happiness Begins . 2019. Republic Records.

Still wondering how to style a Chicago in-text citation? Remember, this style uses footnotes and endnotes! Head to the top of this page to learn more!

How to Cite Online Videos in Chicago Style

First name Last name of individual who posted the video, “Title of Video,” Producer, published on Month Day, Year, Site video, Length, URL.

Last name, First name. "Title of Video." Producer. Published on Month Day, Year. Site video, Length. URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Online Videos

“Habitats Work in Texas After Hurricane Harvey,” Habitat for Habitat for Humanity, published on September 11, 2019, YouTube video, 01:35, https://youtu.be/EPPALfWYGRo .

“Habitats Works in Texas After Hurricane Harvey.” Habitat for Humanity. Published on September 11, 2019. YouTube video, 01:35. https://youtu.be/EPPALfWYGRo .

How to Cite Images in Chicago Style

First name Last name, Title of Image , Year, format, Location, State, URL.

Last Name, First Name. Title of Image . Date. Format. Location, State, URL.

Example of Chicago Citation for Photographs and Images

Jerome Liebling, May Day , New York, 1948, photograph, The Jewish Museum, New York.

Liebling, Chris. May Day , New York. 1948. Photograph. The Jewish Museum, New York.

How to Cite Live Performances in Chicago Style

Since most live performances are not retrievable by the reader, simply refer to them in the text of the paper or in the notes, and omit it from the bibliography. If it’s a recorded performance, follow the Chicago style format for musical recordings.

Title of Play , music and lyrics by First Name Last Name, dir. First Name Last name, chor. Name of Theatre, City, State Abbrev, Date of Live Performance.

Example of Chicago Citation for Live Performances

The Lion King , Julie Taymor, dir. Garth Fagan, chor. Minskoff Theatre, New York, NY, August 8, 2019.

How to Cite Podcasts in Chicago Style

When citing podcasts in Chicago Style, treat it as an article in a periodical or a chapter in a book. If found online, include the url.

How to Cite Poems in Chicago Style

When citing poems in Chicago Style, cite it as you would a chapter in a book.

How to Cite Presentations and Lectures in Chicago Style

Follow the same guidelines as in the “Conference Papers” section above.

How to Cite Sheet Music in Chicago Style

According to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, cite sheet music the same way as you cite books.

Once you’ve styled each and every reference, take a minute to run your paper through our plagiarism checker . It’s the perfect go-to resource when you’re in need of another set of eyes to scan your paper!

Updated January 8, 2020

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Wendy Ikemoto. Michele Kirschenbaum has been an awesome school librarian since 2006 and is an expert in citing sources. Wendy Ikemoto has a master’s degree in library and information science and has been working for Citation Machine since 2012.

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😕 What is a Chicago Citation Generator?

A Chicago Citation Generator is a software tool that automatically generates citations and bibliographies in the Chicago citation style.

Citations can be created by entering an identifying piece of information about a source, such as a website URL, book ISBN, or journal article DOI to the generator. The generator will then create a fully formatted citation in the Chicago style containing all the required information for the source.

Chicago style citations are used to give credit to the authors of supporting work that has been used to write an academic paper or article.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an Chicago Citation Generator?

The Chicago style is primarily used by college and university students studying business, history, social sciences, the fine arts, amongst others.

🙌 Why should I use a Chicago Citation Generator?

Citing sources is often an afterthought in paper writing because formatting citations correctly is time-consuming and confusing, and staying on top of source management manually can be hard. A citation generator makes this easier by:

• Decreasing the time you would spend formatting citations correctly
• Managing the recording and organization of every citation for you

In short, there is no reason not to use a citation generator in academic writing.

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's Chicago Citation Generator?

To get started, scroll up back up to the tool at the top of the page and follow these steps:

• Select the type of source you want to cite
• If it's a website, enter the URL in the search bar. If it's a book, enter the ISBN or title. If it's a journal article, enter the DOI or title. For all other sources, enter the details of the source into the form
• Select the search result that most closely represents the source you referred to in your paper
• Shazam! The generator will automatically format the citation in the Chicago style. Copy it into your paper, or save it to your bibliography to download later
• Repeat for every other citation you need to create for your paper

MyBib supports the following for Chicago style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite a PhD thesis in Chicago

To cite a PhD thesis in a reference entry in Chicago style 17th edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the thesis: Give first the last name, then the name as presented in the source (e. g. Watson, John). For two authors, reverse only the first name, followed by ‘and’ and the second name in normal order (e. g. Watson, John, and John Watson). For more than seven authors, list the first seven names followed by et al.
• Title of the thesis: Give the title in quotation marks.
• Degree: Type of degree.
• University: Give the name of the institution.
• Year of publication: Give the year of publication as presented in the source.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a PhD thesis in Chicago style 17th edition:

Author(s) of the thesis . " Title of the thesis ." Degree , University , Year of publication .

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the Chicago style guidelines in action:

A PhD thesis with one author

Confait, Marina Fatima . " Maximising the contributions of PHD graduates to national development: the case of the Seychelles ." PhD thesis , Edith Cowan University , 2018 .

Bowkett, David . " Investigating the ligandability of plant homeodomains ." PhD thesis , Oxford University , 2015 .

This citation style guide is based on the Chicago Manual of Style (17 th edition).

More useful guides

• Chicago Citation Quickguide
• How to Cite A Dissertation
• Citing and referencing: University theses and dissertations

More great BibGuru guides

• APA: how to cite a government report
• AMA: how to cite a 10-q report
• APA: how to cite a video game

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Indigenous and Native American Studies

Citing your sources.

• Introduction
• Research Methods & Handbooks
• Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
• Find Articles: Journals & Newspapers
• Online Primary Sources
• Online Sources
• Getting Help

Proper citation is an essential aspect of scholarship. Citing properly allows your reader or audience to locate the materials you have used. Most importantly, citations give credit to the authors of quoted or consulted information. Failure to acknowledge sources of information properly may constitute plagiarism.  For an explicit definition of plagiarism, see the  Boston University Academic Conduct Code .

For detailed instructions on how to cite within the text of your paper, please consult a style manual listed in this guide. Please also note: some of the resources listed do not cover every possibility you might encounter when trying to cite your sources. For this reason, it is suggested that you consult a style manual to create your bibliography.

Finally, please also see our separate citation guides  for Business students  or  for Science students .

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

• APA Formatting and Style Guide at Purdue OWL

Chicago Style

• Chicago Style guide at Purdue OWL

Harvard Style

There is no official guide to Harvard Style. If you Google “Harvard Style Guide” you will find many websites that list examples. One of the best guides is from  Monash University . 

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style

• MLA Formatting and Style Guide at Purdue OWL

NLM (National Library of Medicine Style)

The official style manual for the National Library of Medicine (NLM), and suggested when citing documents from the associated databases MedLine and PubMed. The online edition supercedes the print edition as the most up to date.

General Citation Guides

• Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)

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• URL: https://library.bu.edu/NativeAmerican

Subject Guide: Business: Citing Sources

• Background Information & Reference Books
• Developing a Research Question
• Defining Scholarly Sources
• Using OneSearch
• Research Strategies: How to "Speak" Database
• Finding Websites
• Government Sources
• Entrepreneurship
• Evaluating Sources
• Citing Sources

Avoiding Plagiarism

Chicago/Turabian Style Citation

This page will help you with Chicago Style or Turabian citations for your sources. If you need further help, please use the links below or ask a reference librarian.

Turabian Style  - a variation of the Chicago style based on the book written by Kate Turabian

• Purdue OWL Chicago Style Citation
• BC Library Chicago Style Citation Guide
• Cite It Right! by Sondra Keckley Last Updated Aug 27, 2024 2364 views this year

Citing Articles in Chicago/Turabian Style

Citing Books in Chicago/Turabian Style

Footnotes/Endnotes in Chicago/Turabian Style

When citing sources in Chicago/Turabian style, the in-text citations look a little different than for styles such as MLA or APA styles. Instead of using a parenthetical in-text citation, you will use what is called a footnote or endnote to reference the sources you are using in your paper.

To cite a source within the text of your paper, you will put a superscript number after a quote or paraphrase. Citation numbers should appear in sequential order (i.e., you should begin with 1 and continue numerically throughout the paper). Do not start the order over on each page. 

If using endnotes, numbered notes will appear on a separate endnotes page at the end of your document and before the bibliography page. The page should be titled Notes (centered at top).

Footnotes must appear at the bottom of the page that they are referred to.  

Example Cole found that "The bones were very fragile". 1

Each superscript then refers to a numbered citation in the footnotes or endnotes.

The first time the in-text reference is cited you must include, author's first name, author's last name, title, place of publication, publisher name, year and referenced pages. e.g.

1. James Smith,  The first and last war , (New York, Hamilton, 2003), 2.

If the citation has already been cited it may be shortened to author's last name, shortened title, and page referenced number. e.g.

2. Smith,  The first , 220-221.

If the citation has been referenced immediately prior, the note may be shortened even further to ibid with the page number. e.g.

3. Ibid., 786.

APA Citation, 7th edition

This page will help you with APA citation for your sources. If you need further help, please use the links below or ask a reference librarian.

• APA Style and Grammar Guidelines from American Psychological Association
• Purdue OWL APA Citation Style Guide
• BC Library APA Citation Guide
• APA 7th edition LibGuide from CSU, Dominguez Hills

Introduction to APA, 7th edition

Citing Your Sources in APA Style, 7th edition

Format guidelines for reference list:.

• Double-space the References page.
• One space follows a period.
• Use a hanging indent format (first line is flush left, all other lines are indented .5 inch. In MS Word, use  Format → Paragraph → Hanging Indent ).
• Arrange the list of references alphabetically by authors' last names (or by title if no author).
• Authors' names are inverted, followed by the initials of their first and middle names (Last name, A.A.).
• The date of publication follows the author's name in parentheses.
• If no author is listed, list the source by title, followed by date of publication in parentheses.
• Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle of a book or article.
• Capitalize the titles of journals, magazines, and newspapers normally.
• Italicize  titles of books, journals, magazines, etc., and the volume numbers of journals as well.
• Do not include "retrieved from" information, such as the name of the database, nor a URL for the source unless it is an active URL to a website.
• Do not include place of publication for books ( no city and state).

Things to Notice About APA Citations, 7th edition

Cite journal articles, magazine articles, and newspaper articles the same whether in print or digital.  Do not include the name of the database or a URL.  Only include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if provided.  The standard format for DOIs is https://doi.org/ ...(the DOI number given).

Cite books, eBooks, and parts of books found in a subscription database the same whether in print or digital.   Do not include the name of the database or a URL.  Do not include the place of publication (city and state).

For webpages or articles found on websites, do not use a period at the end of the URL.  Provide a URL that links directly to the section, not the home page of the website, and is a live hyperlink.  Do not include a "retrieved from" statement.  Only include a retrieval date if the work is designed to change over time.  

Examples of APA Citations, 7th edition

Further Breakdown of Source Part of Journal Article Citation:

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Center for Digital Scholarship

University-Wide Requirements for the Ph.D. Dissertation

Dissertations must comply with the specifications set by the Library, by the author's department, and by the University. Departments, divisions, and schools may have requirements in addition to those described in this booklet. Students are responsible for informing themselves of these additional requirements.

The Dissertation Office provides information on the University’s dissertation policies. We help doctoral students understand dissertation formatting and submission requirements, and we assist with the submission process. Students are welcome to contact us with questions.

Contact the Dissertation Office

Web: phd.lib.uchicago.edu Email: [email protected] Phone: 773-702-7404 Visit: Suite 104D, Center for Digital Scholarship, Regenstein Library

Routine Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Actual hours vary to accommodate meetings, workshops, and training. The office is often closed during the interim between quarters.

Dissertation Requirements

Doctoral dissertations are original contributions to scholarship. As a condition for receipt of the doctorate, all students are required to submit their dissertations to Knowledge@UChicago, the University’s open access repository. If a dissertation includes copyrighted material beyond fair use, the author must obtain permission from the holder of the copyright.

The public sharing of original dissertation research is a principle to which the University is deeply committed, and dissertations should be made available to the scholarly community at the University of Chicago and elsewhere in a timely manner. If dissertation authors are concerned that making their research publicly available might endanger research subjects or themselves, jeopardize a pending patent, complicate publication of a revised dissertation, or otherwise be unadvisable, they may, in consultation with faculty in their field (and as appropriate, research collaborators), restrict access to their dissertation for a limited period of time according to the guidelines outlined by the Dissertation Office. If a dissertation author needs to renew an embargo at the end of its term or initiate an embargo after graduation, the author must contact the Dissertation Office with the embargo request. Embargo renewals may be approved only in rare instances, and in general no more than one renewal will be allowed.

All dissertations must follow the formatting and submission requirements stated in the University-Wide Requirements for the Ph.D. Dissertation , available from the Dissertation Office on the first floor of the Joseph Regenstein Library in the Center for Digital Scholarship.

University-Wide Requirements

Academic Policies

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• Chicago Style Footnotes | Citation Format & Examples

Chicago Style Footnotes | Citation Format & Examples

Published on September 18, 2019 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on April 9, 2024.

The notes and bibliography style is one of two citation options provided by the Chicago Manual of Style . Each time a source is quoted or paraphrased , a superscript number is placed in the text, which corresponds to a footnote or endnote containing details of the source .

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page, while endnotes appear on a separate page at the end of the text.

Pay attention to the punctuation (e.g., commas , quotation marks ) in your footnotes.

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Table of contents

Full notes and short notes, placement of footnotes, content of chicago footnotes, footnote examples for different source types, footnotes vs endnotes, frequently asked questions about chicago style footnotes.

There are two types of footnote in Chicago style: full notes and short notes.

Full notes contain the full publication details of the source. The first citation of each source should be a full note.

Full note example

1. Virginia Woolf, “Modern Fiction,” in Selected Essays , ed. David Bradshaw (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 11.

Short notes contain only the author’s last name, the title (shortened if longer than four words), and the page number (if relevant). They are used for all subsequent citations of the same source. It’s also acceptable to use “ ibid. ” instead to refer to the immediately preceding source.

Short note example

2. Woolf, “Modern Fiction,” 11.

The guidelines for use of short and full notes can vary across different fields and institutions. Sometimes you might be required to use a full note for every citation, or to use a short note every time as long as all sources appear in the Chicago style bibliography . Check with your instructor if you’re unsure.

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Footnotes should be used whenever a source is quoted or paraphrased in the text. They appear at the bottom of the relevant page, corresponding to reference numbers in the text. You can easily insert footnotes in Microsoft Word .

The reference number appears in superscript at the end of the clause or sentence it refers to. It is placed after any punctuation except a dash :

Johnson argues that “the data is unconvincing.” 1

Johnson argues that “the data is unconvincing” 1 —but Smith contends that …

Notes should be numbered consecutively, starting from 1, across the whole text. Your first citation is marked with a 1, your second with a 2, and so on. The numbering does not restart with a new page or section (although in a book-length text it may restart with each new chapter).

The footnote contains the number of the citation followed by a period and then the citation itself. The citation always includes the author’s name and the title of the text, and it always ends with a period. Full notes also include all the relevant publication information in parentheses (which varies by source type ).

If you quote a source or refer to a specific passage, include a page number or range. However, if the source doesn’t have page numbers, or if you’re referring to the text as a whole, you can omit the page number.

In short notes, titles of more than four words are shortened. Shorten them in a way that retains the keyword(s) so that the text is still easily recognizable for the reader:

1. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus , ed. M.K. Joseph (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 91. 2. Shelley, Frankenstein , 91.

Combining multiple citations

Do not place multiple footnotes at the same point in your text (e.g. 1, 2, 3 ). If you need to cite multiple sources in one sentence, you can combine the citations into one footnote, separated by semicolons :

1. Hulme, “Romanticism and Classicism”; Eliot, The Waste Land ; Woolf, “Modern Fiction,” 11.

Sources with multiple authors

Footnotes for sources with two or three authors should include all the authors’ names. When there are four or more authors, add “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”) after the first author’s name.

Missing information

You sometimes won’t have all the information required for your citation. You might be missing page numbers, the author’s name, or the publication date.

If one of your sources (e.g., a website ) has no page numbers, but you still think it’s important to cite a specific part of the text, other locators like headings , chapters or paragraphs can be used. Abbreviate words like “paragraph” to “par.” and “chapter” to “chap.”, and put headings in quotation marks :

1. Johnson, “Literature Review,” chap. 2.1 . 2. Smith, “Thematic Analysis,” under “Methodology.”

If the source lacks a stated publication date, the abbreviation “n.d.” (no date) should replace the year in a full note:

1. Smith, Data Analysis (New York: Norton, n.d. ), 293.

If a text doesn’t list its author’s name, the organization that published it can be treated as the author in your citation:

1. Scribbr , “Chicago Style Citation.”

If you use a website name as an author, you may end up repeating the same information twice in one citation. Omit the website name from its usual place if you’ve already listed it in place of the author.

Short notes usually look similar regardless of source type—author, title, page number. However, the information included in full notes varies according to the source you’re citing. Below are examples for several common source types, showing how the footnote should look in Chicago format .

Chicago book citation

Italicize the book title. If the book states an edition (other than the first), include this and abbreviate it (e.g., 2nd ed., rev. ed.). Add the URL if you consulted the book online instead of in a physical copy.

Chicago book chapter citation

Sometimes you’ll cite from one chapter in a book containing texts by multiple authors—for example, a compilation of essays. In this case, you’ll want to cite the relevant chapter rather than the whole book.

The chapter title should be enclosed in quotation marks , while the book title should be italicized. The short note only contains the chapter title.

The author is the one who wrote the specific chapter you’re citing. The editor of the whole book is listed toward the end of the footnote (with the abbreviation “ed.”), and left out of the short note.

Chicago journal article citation

The article title should be enclosed in quotation marks, while the journal name should be italicized. Volume and issue numbers identify which edition of the journal the source appears in.

A DOI is a digital object identifier. This is generally more reliable than the URL when linking to online journal content.

Chicago website citation

The page title should be enclosed in quotation marks. Italicization is not used for website names.

If the publication date is unknown, you can instead list the date when you accessed the page at the end of the citation (e.g., accessed on September 10, 2019).

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All of the above information also applies to endnotes. Endnotes are less commonly used than footnotes, but they’re a perfectly valid option.

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page they refer to.

• Footnotes allow the reader to immediately check your citations as they read …
• … but if you have a lot of footnotes, they can be distracting and take up space on the page.

Endnotes appear in their own section at the end of the text, before the bibliography.

• Endnotes take up less space in the body of your text and reduce distraction …
• … but they are less accessible, as the reader has to flip to the end to check each note.

Endnote citations look exactly the same as those in footnotes. Unless you’ve been told which one to use, choose whichever you prefer. Just use one or the other consistently.

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the relevant page.  Endnotes appear in a list at the end of the text, just before the reference list or bibliography. Don’t mix footnotes and endnotes in the same document: choose one or the other and use them consistently.

In Chicago notes and bibliography style , you can use either footnotes or endnotes, and citations follow the same format in either case.

In APA and MLA style , footnotes or endnotes are not used for citations, but they can be used to provide additional information.

In Chicago notes and bibliography style , the usual standard is to use a full note for the first citation of each source, and short notes for any subsequent citations of the same source.

However, your institution’s guidelines may differ from the standard rule. In some fields, you’re required to use a full note every time, whereas in some other fields you can use short notes every time, as long as all sources are listed in your bibliography . If you’re not sure, check with your instructor.

In Chicago author-date style , your text must include a reference list . It appears at the end of your paper and gives full details of every source you cited.

In notes and bibliography style, you use Chicago style footnotes to cite sources; a bibliography is optional but recommended. If you don’t include one, be sure to use a full note for the first citation of each source.

Page numbers should be included in your Chicago in-text citations when:

• You’re quoting from the text.
• You’re paraphrasing a particular passage.
• You’re referring to information from a specific section.

When you’re referring to the overall argument or general content of a source, it’s unnecessary to include page numbers.

In a Chicago style footnote , list up to three authors. If there are more than three, name only the first author, followed by “ et al. “

In the bibliography , list up to 10 authors. If there are more than 10, list the first seven followed by “et al.”

The same rules apply in Chicago author-date style .

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. (2024, April 09). Chicago Style Footnotes | Citation Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/chicago-style/footnotes/

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CWP: Craft of Prose: Chicago Manual of Style: Citing Images

• Getting started
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Chicago Manual of Style

The Chicago Manual of Style citation style provides guidelines for "Author-Date" or in text citation as well as for using footnotes or endnotes along with the bibliography. Images can be cited using captions or in a bibliography. Check with your instructor for the correct format.

For information on specific guidelines for images visit the online site , and use the table of contents to find: 

Chapter 14: Notes and Bibliography Section: 14.235: Citing paintings, photographs, and sculpture Chapter Contents / Special Types of References / Artwork and Illustrations

The Manual states, "Information about paintings, photographs, sculptures, or other works of art can usually be presented in the text rather than in a note or bibliography. If a note or bibliography entry is needed, list the artist, a title (in italics), and a date of creation or completion, followed by information about the medium and the location of the work. For works consulted online, add a URL." 

https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed17/part3/ch14/psec235.html

Examples of Citing Images

Footnote/endnote (general) 18 Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night , 1889, oil on canvas, 29 in. x 36 ¼ in., Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Caption (general)*note: captions can be done as figure, fig., illustration, or ill. Fig. 1: Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889, oil on canvas, 29 in. x 36 ¼ in., Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Bibliographic entry, online (websites or databases) Duveneck, Frank.Whistling Boy, 1872. Oil on canvas, 28 in. x 21 ½ in. Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati. <http://cincinnatiartmuseum.stores.yahoo.net/frduwhboy.html>, accessed 12 Aug. 2007.

Footnote/endnote, online (websites or databases) 4 Henri Matisse, The Woman with the Hat , 1905, oil on canvas, 81.3 cm x 60.3 cm, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco.

Caption, online (websites or databases) Ill. 1: Frank Duveneck, Whistling Boy , 1872, oil on canvas, 28 in. x 21 ½ in. Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati,<http://cincinnatiartmuseum.stores.yahoo.net/frduwhboy.html>

Credit lines Images with copyright restrictions: Reproduced with permission from Jan Newstrom Thompson, Duveneck: Last Paintings Found (Santa Clara, CA: Triton Museum of Art, 1987), 55, © 1987 by Triton Museum of Art.

Images without copyright restrictions: Man and boy fishing in Ohio River, September 14, 1929. Courtesy of Rosemary Bart

Photograph courtesy of Cincinnati Art Museum

Unknown Artist, Title, or Date

When all or part of an image source is unknown or unknowable, use these points to guide your MLA image caption:

Unknown Artist, Author or Creator List that source by title in your works cited list. The title should be followed by the name of the source in the citation, and the remainder of the citation composed as appropriate for the source type. Alphabetize reference list entries beginning with a title using the primary word of the title (excluding a, an, or the).

An image without a title if an image is not titled, create a brief, descriptive title for it. do not italicize this title or place it in quotes, and capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns., undated sources use "n.d." (for "no date") in the appropriate place in your citation. when this is used after a period in a citation, capitalize the "n" ("n.d.")., for more information ....

Boxes on this page were copied from the " Cite Images " page on the Penn Libraries guide for Finding images , developed by Patty Guardiola, Director of the Fisher Fine Arts Library. Please visit the full page for more information on working with images. 

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• Literature Review Guidelines

Making sense of what has been written on your topic.

Goals of a literature review:.

Before doing work in primary sources, historians must know what has been written on their topic.  They must be familiar with theories and arguments–as well as facts–that appear in secondary sources.

Before you proceed with your research project, you too must be familiar with the literature: you do not want to waste time on theories that others have disproved and you want to take full advantage of what others have argued.  You want to be able to discuss and analyze your topic.

Your literature review will demonstrate your familiarity with your topic’s secondary literature.

GUIDELINES FOR A LITERATURE REVIEW:

1) LENGTH:  8-10 pages of text for Senior Theses (485) (consult with your professor for other classes), with either footnotes or endnotes and with a works-consulted bibliography. [See also the  citation guide  on this site.]

2) NUMBER OF WORKS REVIEWED: Depends on the assignment, but for Senior Theses (485), at least ten is typical.

3) CHOOSING WORKS:

Your literature review must include enough works to provide evidence of both the breadth and the depth of the research on your topic or, at least, one important angle of it.  The number of works necessary to do this will depend on your topic. For most topics, AT LEAST TEN works (mostly books but also significant scholarly articles) are necessary, although you will not necessarily give all of them equal treatment in your paper (e.g., some might appear in notes rather than the essay). 4) ORGANIZING/ARRANGING THE LITERATURE:

As you uncover the literature (i.e., secondary writing) on your topic, you should determine how the various pieces relate to each other.  Your ability to do so will demonstrate your understanding of the evolution of literature.

You might determine that the literature makes sense when divided by time period, by methodology, by sources, by discipline, by thematic focus, by race, ethnicity, and/or gender of author, or by political ideology.  This list is not exhaustive.  You might also decide to subdivide categories based on other criteria.  There is no “rule” on divisions—historians wrote the literature without consulting each other and without regard to the goal of fitting into a neat, obvious organization useful to students.

The key step is to FIGURE OUT the most logical, clarifying angle.  Do not arbitrarily choose a categorization; use the one that the literature seems to fall into.  How do you do that?  For every source, you should note its thesis, date, author background, methodology, and sources.  Does a pattern appear when you consider such information from each of your sources?  If so, you have a possible thesis about the literature.  If not, you might still have a thesis.

Consider: Are there missing elements in the literature?  For example, no works published during a particular (usually fairly lengthy) time period?  Or do studies appear after long neglect of a topic?  Do interpretations change at some point?  Does the major methodology being used change?  Do interpretations vary based on sources used?

Follow these links for more help on analyzing  historiography  and  historical perspective .

5) CONTENTS OF LITERATURE REVIEW:

The literature review is a research paper with three ingredients:

a) A brief discussion of the issue (the person, event, idea). [While this section should be brief, it needs to set up the thesis and literature that follow.] b) Your thesis about the literature c) A clear argument, using the works on topic as evidence, i.e., you discuss the sources in relation to your thesis, not as a separate topic.

These ingredients must be presented in an essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion.

6) ARGUING YOUR THESIS:

The thesis of a literature review should not only describe how the literature has evolved, but also provide a clear evaluation of that literature.  You should assess the literature in terms of the quality of either individual works or categories of works.  For instance, you might argue that a certain approach (e.g. social history, cultural history, or another) is better because it deals with a more complex view of the issue or because they use a wider array of source materials more effectively. You should also ensure that you integrate that evaluation throughout your argument.  Doing so might include negative assessments of some works in order to reinforce your argument regarding the positive qualities of other works and approaches to the topic.

Within each group, you should provide essential information about each work: the author’s thesis, the work’s title and date, the author’s supporting arguments and major evidence.

In most cases, arranging the sources chronologically by publication date within each section makes the most sense because earlier works influenced later ones in one way or another.  Reference to publication date also indicates that you are aware of this significant historiographical element.

As you discuss each work, DO NOT FORGET WHY YOU ARE DISCUSSING IT.  YOU ARE PRESENTING AND SUPPORTING A THESIS ABOUT THE LITERATURE.

When discussing a particular work for the first time, you should refer to it by the author’s full name, the work’s title, and year of publication (either in parentheses after the title or worked into the sentence).

For example, “The field of slavery studies has recently been transformed by Ben Johnson’s The New Slave (2001)” and “Joe Doe argues in his 1997 study, Slavery in America, that . . . .”

Your paper should always note secondary sources’ relationship to each other, particularly in terms of your thesis about the literature (e.g., “Unlike Smith’s work, Mary Brown’s analysis reaches the conclusion that . . . .” and “Because of Anderson’s reliance on the president’s personal papers, his interpretation differs from Barry’s”). The various pieces of the literature are “related” to each other, so you need to indicate to the reader some of that relationship.  (It helps the reader follow your thesis, and it convinces the reader that you know what you are talking about.)

7) DOCUMENTATION:

Each source you discuss in your paper must be documented using footnotes/endnotes and a bibliography.  Providing author and title and date in the paper is not sufficient.  Use correct Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style form.  [See  Bibliography  and  Footnotes/Endnotes  pages.]

In addition, further supporting, but less significant, sources should be included in  content foot or endnotes .  (e.g., “For a similar argument to Ben Johnson’s, see John Terry, The Slave Who Was New (New York: W. W. Norton, 1985), 3-45.”)

8 ) CONCLUSION OF LITERATURE REVIEW:

Your conclusion should not only reiterate your argument (thesis), but also discuss questions that remain unanswered by the literature.  What has the literature accomplished?  What has not been studied?  What debates need to be settled?

Additional writing guidelines

History and American Studies

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How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition): Citation Style Guide

Table of Contents

What is APA 7th Edition ?    

The American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the latest edition of the APA Style Manual (i.e., APA 7 th edition ) in 2019. APA Style has its origins in 1929 , when a group of academics and professionals decided to develop a set of guidelines that would standardize scientific writing. The earliest form was a seven-page guide published in the Psychological Bulletin . The first formal edition of the APA Publication Manual was published in 1952, with subsequent editions appearing in 1974, 1983, 1994, 2001, 2009, and most recently, in 2019.  

Over the years, the APA style guide has evolved considerably to meet the changing needs of a wide range of disciplines, from social and behavioral sciences to health care, natural sciences, and humanities. APA Style is widely used by academic journals and books.  

As APA 7 th edition is the current and most updated version, students and researchers should familiarize themselves with the style guidelines, including the reference and citation styles.  

Who Should Use APA 7th Edition ?    

The aim of style guides such as the APA Style Guide is to simplify the work of editors and make it easier for readers to understand a text by ensuring a uniform format for a given publication. For example, the APA Style Guide will contain guidelines that lay down the APA reference format and APA style citation for authors to follow.  

The APA Style Guide can be a valuable reference when writing and formatting academic papers, irrespective of discipline. However, this style is primarily used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, psychology, anthropology), behavioral sciences, education, business, and nursing.  

If you are a student, you may consult with an instructor to check what style your discipline uses before using APA Style in your work. Most importantly, be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you plan to publish in to ensure APA 7 th edition is the correct style to use.   

APA In-text Citations    

Researchers rely on citations and references to give credit to original sources, support their arguments, and guide readers to additional information for further study. Let us now look at how to cite sources in APA format. The formatting requirements of APA 7th edition citation for referring to secondary sources in your text are as follows.  

The APA citation format includes the author’s last name and the year of publication. When referring to a particular part of a source, the page number may be included, e.g., “(Rawat et al., 2018, p. 115).”  

APA style citation in the text may be parenthetical or narrative.  

In parenthetical citation, the author’s name and the year of publication are placed in parentheses within the text. This style is used at the end of a sentence. See below for an example:  

• Gender, age, education, and income determine a person’s risk and adaptive capacities (Birkmann et al., 2022).  

In narrative citation, the author’s name appears as a part of the sentence, followed by the publication year in parentheses. See below for an example:  

• Birkman et al. (2022) note that gender, age, education, and income determine a person’s risk and adaptive capacities.

Table 1: How to cite sources in APA format when there are multiple authors and organizations as authors  

*First time with an abbreviation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016); all subsequent citations: (WHO, 2016)  

Table 2: How to cite sources in APA format when some information is missing  

  APA Reference Format    

After APA citations , let us now look at the APA reference format. As an academic, you might use a wide array of source types. According to the APA style guide , each type is formatted in a certain manner. The most commonly used sources are journal articles, books, and dissertations. However, you occasionally might need to cite webpages, podcasts, and news article. How would all these appear in an APA 7 reference page ? You will find your answers in Table 3!  

Table 3: How to format various sources in the APA reference list  

Formatting the APA Paper    

Papers formatted according to APA 7th edition typically contain the following elements:  

Title page with the title (bold, centered), running head and page number in the header, author names and affiliations, and author notes (ORCID ID, conflicts of interest, etc.); see below:  

Next comes the abstract . It should be double spaced and use consistent font. The keywords appear below the abstract, with an indent.  

For the main text, margins are 1 inch on all four side s. T he text is double spaced . T he font used should be consistent . H eadings are used to separate sections , and d etails on heading levels are as follows:  

Source: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings

Finally, the APA 7 reference page contains the references to all sources used in the paper. References are double-spaced and use hanging indents :  

Style guides in academic writing serve to standardize formatting, citations, and language use across scholarly works. They provide readers with cues they can use to follow the text more efficiently and to locate information of interest to them. In other words, it avoids distraction of unfamiliar or non-uniform formatting.  

In this piece about APA 7th edition , we have explained in detail the nuances of APA citations , including how to cite in APA format and how to format the APA 7 reference page . A brief primer on formatting a manuscript in line with APA 7th edition is also provided.  

Frequently Asked Questions    

• What are the major changes from APA 6th to APA 7th Edition ?  

The updates from APA 6th to APA 7th Edition reflect a commitment to improving clarity, inclusivity, and usability in scholarly writing. The salient differences from APA 6 th edition are as follows:  

• Title page format: The title page has been updated for professionals. The author note includes information such as ORCID IDs and conflict of interest disclosures.
• Running head: The running head format has been simplified for professional authors.
• Font flexibility : There is greater flexibility in font specifications to enhance accessibility.
• Bias-free language guidelines: The guidelines for bias-free language have been updated to promote inclusivity and respect when writing about various identities.  
• Reference formatting: In APA 7th edition , the number of authors included in a reference entry has changed to allow up to 20 authors before using an ellipsis. The presentation of DOIs and URLs has been standardized.  
• In-text citations: In-text citations for works with three or more authors have been simplified to include only the first author’s name followed by “et al.”
• Accessibility: APA 7th edition emphasizes accessibility for users with disabilities, ensuring that guidelines support various modalities, including screen readers.  
• How do I cite a journal article in APA 7th Edition ?  

According to APA 7 th edition , a reference would appear as below:  

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, volume number (issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy .  

The in-text citation would include the author name(s) and year of publication, e.g., (Andriolatou, 2007).   

• How should multiple authors be cited in APA 7th Edition?  

APA 7 citation style would vary depending on the number of authors and whether you are citing the source parenthetically or narratively:  

Single author, parenthetical: (Bik, 2020)  

Single author, narrative: Bik (2020) reported that…  

Two authors, parenthetical: (Bik & Urs, 2019)  

Two authors, narrative: As demonstrated by Bik and Urs (2019), …  

Three or more authors, parenthetical: (Bik et al., 2023)  

Three or more authors, narrative: Bik et al. (2023) have published…  

• How do I format in-text citations for a direct quote?  

When someone else’s words are copied verbatim in your paper, it refers to a direct quote.   

For APA 7 citation of short direct quotes (<40 words), use quotation marks around the quote and cite the author, year, and page number:  

Another way to look at it is how people “get a broader range of experience than they would on a feature” (Catmull, 2014, p. 209).  

For APA 7 citation of longer quotes, or block quotes, the sentence preceding the quote ends in a colon and is followed by the quoted text. No quotation marks are used. The quote is indented and cited without a period at the end (see the figure below).   

Figure: How to cite block quotes in APA citations

To conclude  

Over the years, the APA style guide has evolved significantly. The current version, APA 7th edition , has expanded in both scope and size to accommodate the needs of wide-ranging fields and to address changing times. Despite these changes, the core intention—to provide clear, consistent guidelines for effective communication—remains at the heart of APA Style .   

For busy researchers, not only is it difficult to remember the different elements of citations and references and the subtle differences in formatting, but it also a tedious task to manually format in-text citations and reference lists and ensure consistency between them. In addition, you might need to format (and even re-format) your manuscript according to different journals, which might follow styles different from APA 7th edition (MLA, Chicago, AMA, etc.)! But there is no need to worry…help is at hand!

Citation generators are online tools that format references in different styles. There are a number of citation generators available, and Paperpal has launched its new citation generator , which stands out from the others in many ways. As a part of Paperpal’s writing workflow, you can easily find and cite sources accurately in a matter of seconds.

This free citation generator supports the updated recent versions of 10,000+ styles, including APA 7th edition . Therefore, it can serve as an APA 7th edition citation generator if you need one! What’s more, you don’t need to switch between multiple tools to search, save, or format your citations. You can rely Paperpal’s citation generation feature for help with citing sources accurately and consistently in your writing. Explore Paperpal for free now!  

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