Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide

<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:fb="http://ogp.me/ns/fb#" lang="en"> <head> <title>Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide</title> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> <meta name="description" content="Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide" /> <meta name="keywords" content="" />  <meta property="og:type" content="website" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="The Chicago Manual of Style Online" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@ChicagoManual" /> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org" /> <meta property="og:title" content="The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Find it. Write it. Cite it. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. 露 It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. 露 Over 1.75 million copies sold!" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/dam/cmos18/images/9780226817972.jpg" /> <script> MathJax = { chtml: { scale: 1, // global scaling factor for all expressions minScale: .5, // smallest scaling factor to use mathmlSpacing: true // true for MathML spacing rules, false for TeX rules } }; </script> <script id="MathJax-script" async src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/mathjax@3/es5/tex-mml-chtml.js"></script> <link rel="icon" href="/.resources/cmos18/images/CMOS18favico.svg" sizes="any" type="image/svg+xml" /> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Public+Sans:ital,wght@0,100..900;1,100..900&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/.resources/faq/css/faq~2024-10-23-01-02-07-783~cache.css" media="all" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/.resources/cmos18/css/styles~2024-10-23-01-01-50-846~cache.css" media="all" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/.resources/cmos18/css/table~2024-10-23-01-01-50-846~cache.css" media="all" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/.resources/cmos18/css/staticPage~2024-10-23-01-01-50-845~cache.css" media="all" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/.resources/cmos18/css/mymanual~2024-10-23-01-01-50-844~cache.css" media="all" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/.resources/cmos18/css/tooltipster~2024-10-23-01-01-50-846~cache.css" media="all" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/.resources/cmos18/css/print18~2024-10-23-01-01-50-845~cache.css" media="print" /> <script> var contextPath = ""; var device = "desktop"; </script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/libs/jquery.js"></script> <script src="/docroot/ckeditor/ckeditor.js"></script> <script src="/docroot/ckeditor/adapters/jquery.js"></script> </head> <body class="cmos18 staticPage"> <div id="alert-bar" class="alert-bar"></div> <script type="text/javascript"> $('#alert-bar').load('/siteAlert.html #alert-bar-content'); </script> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="left-sidebar"> <noindex> <div id="site-logo" class="div-link mast-head"> <a href="/home.html"><img alt="Chicago Manual of Style Online" src="/dam/cmos18/design/cmos18_online.svg" /></a> </div>  </noindex> </div> <div id="wrapper-2"> <header> <noindex> <div class="menu-bar"> <div id="mobile-logo" class="mobile-only"> <a href="/home.html" title="Homepage"> <img src="/dam/cmos18/design/cmos18_online_mobile.svg" alt="The Chicago Manual of Style Online"> </a> </div> <div id="mobile-search-suite" class="mobile-only"></div> <div class="menu menu-top"> <a href="/home.html" id="home" class="menu-option first">Home</a> <a href="/book/ed18/frontmatter/toc.html" id="contents" class="menu-option">cmos 18 contents</a> <a href="/tools_citationguide.html" id="guide" class="menu-option">Citation quick guide</a> <a href="/help-tools.html" id="help-tools" class="menu-option">Help & Tools</a> <a href="http://www.bit.ly/UCPgift" target="_blank" class="menu-option give-to-univ">Give</a> </div>  <div class="menu menu-bottom"> <a href="/qanda/latest.html" id="faq" class="menu-option first">Style Q&A</a> <a href="https://cmosshoptalk.com" id="blog" class="menu-option ">Blog</a> <a href="/goto/forum" id="userforum" class="menu-option">Forum</a> <a href="/help-tools/about.html" id="about" class="menu-option">About</a> <a href="/help-tools/CMOS-Store.html" id="bookstore" class="menu-option">CMOS Store</a> <a href="/help-tools/subscription.html" id="subscribe" class="menu-option">Subscribe</a> <a href="/book/ed17/frontmatter/toc.html" class="menu-option">CMOS 17</a> <a href="" id="login-logout" class="menu-option login-logout">Log In</a> </div>  </div>  <div class="search-suite"> <div class="index"><a href="/book/ed18/backmatter/index/a.html">Go to Index</a></div> <form id="para-search" name="para-search"> <input class="searchInput" name="goto" id="goto" type="text" placeholder="Go to 露"> <span class="arrow goto-para" id="goto-para"></span> </form> <form id="content-search" name="content-search" action="/search.html" method="get"> <div> <input class="searchInput" name="clause" id="searchClause" type="text" placeholder="Search" autocomplete="off" autocapitalize="none"> <span class="glass search-content" id="search-glass"></span> </div> <div id="autosuggest_container_header" class="autosuggest_container"></div> </form>  </div> <div class="mobile-nav-page"> <button onclick="location.href='/cmos18/mobileNavPage.html'" type="button" id="MenuToggle" class="mobile-only" title="Toggle Navigation"> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> </button> </div> <div class="mobile-nav-page-qanda"> <button onclick="location.href='/qanda/mobileNavPage.html'" type="button" id="MenuToggle" class="mobile-only" title="Toggle Navigation"> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> <span class="icon-bar"></span> </button> </div> <div id="protectedPage" style="display: none;">false</div>  </noindex> </header>  <div id="wrapper-3"> <div id="wrapper-4"> <div class="userAccount" id="userAccount"></div><div id="main"> <h1>Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide</h1> <div class="text-section"> <div class="text"> <div class="citation-guide" id="link-group"> <div class="div-link cg-bibliography"><a href="/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html">Go to Notes and Bibliography Style</a></div> <div class="div-link cg-author"><a href="/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html">Go to Author-Date Style</a></div> <div class="div-link cg-subscribe" style="margin-right: 0;"><a href="/help-tools/subscription.html">CMOS Online Subscribe or Free Trial</a></div> </div> <p>Chicago-style source citations come in two varieties: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. If you already know which system to use, follow one of the links above to see sample citations for a variety of common sources. If you are unsure about which system to use, or how the two systems are related, read on.</p> <h2>Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date?</h2> <p>In the <a href="/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html">notes and bibliography</a> system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography. The notes and bibliography system, Chicago’s oldest and most flexible, can accommodate a wide variety of sources, including unusual ones that don’t fit neatly into the author-date system. For this reason, it is preferred by many working in the humanities, including literature, history, and the arts.</p> <p>In the <a href="/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html">author-date</a> system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each in-text citation matches up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided. Because it credits researchers by name directly in the text while at the same time emphasizing the date of each source, the author-date system is preferred by many in the sciences and social sciences.</p> <p>Aside from the use of numbered notes versus parenthetical references in the text, the two systems share the same style for authors’ names, titles of works, and other cited components. Follow the links at the top of this page to see examples of some of the more common source types cited in both systems.</p> <p>Most authors choose the system used by others in their field or required by their publisher. Students should check with their instructor before deciding which system to use.</p> <p>For a more comprehensive overview of Chicago’s two systems of source citation, see <a href="/book/ed18/part3/ch13/toc.html">chapter 13</a> of <em>The Chicago Manual of Style</em>. For many more examples organized by type of source, consult <a href="/book/ed18/part3/ch14/toc.html">chapter 14</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div>  </div> <div id="right-sidebar"> </div> </div> <footer> <noindex> <div class="social-media-links"> <a href="https://www.threads.net/@chicagomanualofstyle"><img class="threads" src="/dam/cmos18/images/threads.svg" alt="Threads Link"/></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chicagomanualofstyle"><img class="instagram" src="/dam/cmos18/images/instagram.svg" alt="Instagram Link"/></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/"><img class="facebook" src="/dam/cmos18/images/facebook.svg" alt="Facebook Link"/></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChicagoManual"><img class="twitter" src="/dam/cmos18/images/x.svg" alt="Twitter Link"/></a> </div> <div class="footer-links"> <div class="footer-links1"> <a href="/help-tools/about">About <i>The Chicago Manual of Style</i></a> <a href="/help-tools/Terms-of-Use">Terms of Use</a> <a href="/sitemap">Site Map</a> <a href="/accountAdministration">Account Management</a> </div> <div class="footer-links2"> <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/press/about.html">About the University of Chicago Press</a> <a href="/privacy">Privacy Policy</a> <a href="/help-tools/contact">Contact Us</a> <a href="https://accessibility.uchicago.edu/" target="_blank">Accessibility</a> </div> </div> <p class="copyright"><i>The Chicago Manual of Style</i> 18th edition text 漏 2024 by The University of Chicago. <i>The Chicago Manual of Style</i> 17th edition text 漏 2017 by The University of Chicago. <i>The Chicago Manual of Style Online</i> 漏 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2024 by The University of Chicago. The Chicago Manual of Style is a registered trademark of The University of Chicago.</p> </noindex> </footer>  </div> </div> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-E46VQR8CCG"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/libs/jquery~2024-10-23-01-01-47-314~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/plugins/js-cookie~2024-10-23-01-01-47-318~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/plugins/jquery.base64~2024-10-23-01-01-47-317~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/plugins/jquery.textHighlighter~2024-10-23-01-01-47-317~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/plugins/jquery.tooltipster~2024-10-23-01-01-47-318~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/plugins/jpages~2024-10-23-01-01-47-317~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/jquery.mymanual.init~2024-10-23-01-01-47-315~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/jquery.mymanual.book.toc~2024-10-23-01-01-47-315~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/jquery.mymanual.chapter.toc~2024-10-23-01-01-47-315~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/jquery.mymanual.bookmark~2024-10-23-01-01-47-315~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/jquery.mymanual.notes~2024-10-23-01-01-47-316~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/jquery.mymanual.email~2024-10-23-01-01-47-315~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/jquery.mymanual.save~2024-10-23-01-01-47-316~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/jquery.mymanual.stylesheet~2024-10-23-01-01-47-316~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/mymanual/mymanual~2024-10-23-01-01-47-316~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/menu~2024-10-23-01-01-47-317~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/search/BaseSearch~2024-10-23-01-01-47-313~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/search/Search~2024-10-23-01-01-47-313~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/search/ManualSearch~2024-10-23-01-01-47-313~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/search/ForumSearch~2024-10-23-01-01-47-313~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/search/SearchPage~2024-10-23-01-01-47-313~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/search/SearchFunctions~2024-10-23-01-01-47-313~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/search/AutoSuggest~2024-10-23-01-01-47-312~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos/js/gtag~2024-10-23-01-01-47-316~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/faq/js/cmosqa~2024-10-23-01-02-07-783~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/faq/js/cmosqa-answer-expand~2024-10-23-01-02-07-783~cache.js"></script> <script src="/.resources/cmos18/js/goto~2024-10-23-01-01-50-898~cache.js"></script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide