What is it?
The Chicago Manual of Style is often used to document sources for papers in the humanities (history, fine arts, and political science).
The purpose of documentation is to:
- Identify (cite) other people’s ideas and information used within your essay or assignment.
- Indicate the authors or sources of these in a Bibliography at the end of your assignment.
The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.) recognises two basic styles of citation. These pages are intended as a guideline for the notes and bibliography system only.
General guidelines
These guidelines are based on the The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.). Numbers in brackets refer to pages in the manual. Remember that all sources of information and data, whether quoted directly or paraphrased, should be cited with a note in your assignment, as well as an entry in the bibliography at the end of the assignment.
Footnotes
- Note numbers in the text are set as superscript numbers (They look like this1). At the bottom of the page, the note numbers are normally full size and followed by a full stop. Notes should be numbered consecutively, beginning with 1. In most word processing programs, you can use the footnote feature to produce this formatting.
- The first note referring to a work should always be a full note. Following citations for that work can be shortened. The shortened form should include just enough information to remind readers of the full title or lead them to the bibliography, usually the last name of the author(s), the key words of the main title, and the page number. Check with your lecturer whether this shortened form is acceptable. (p. 667-669). Here is an example:
- 1. Salman Rushdie, The Ground beneath Her Feet (New York: Henry Holt, 1999), 25.
- 2. Rushdie, The Ground beneath, 25.
- When citing the same source in multiple footnotes one after the other, cite the source in full the first time, and then use "Ibid." for all subsequent citations until another source is cited. Once a second source has been cited, the first source must again be cited in the footnote in full the next time it is referenced. Here is an example:
- 1. Rushdie, The Ground beneath, 25.
- 2. Ibid., 28.
- When the note entry includes a URL that must be divided between two lines, break it after a colon or a double slash or before a tilde (~), period, single slash, comma or hyphen.
Bibliography
- List Bibliography entries with a hanging indent. Here's an example:
-
Rhodes, Daniel |
Clay and glazes for |
|
the potter. |
Rev. ed. Iola, WI: |
|
Krause Publications, 2000. |
- Bibliography entries are in one alphabetical sequence arranged by the surname of the first author or by title if there is no author. They are not classified by type of source.
- Use the author's given names and surname as listed on the title page, not the cover. If there is more than one author, list them in the order used on the title page.
- If the Bibliography includes two or more entries by the same author(s), list them alphabetically by title. A 3-em dash (---.) replaces the author's name after the first entry. Here is an example:
- Squire, Larry R. “The Hippocampus and the Neuropsychology of Memory.” In Neurobiology of the Hippocampus, edited by W. Seifert, 491-511. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983.
- ---. Memory and Brain. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.
- When the note entry includes a URL that must be divided between two lines, break it after a colon or a double slash or before a tilde (~), period, single slash, comma or hyphen.


Books
These pages only cover the Notes and Bibliography system for citing books. For each type of source, we give both the general form and a specific example. We use this format:
- Full Note - use the first time that you cite a source.
- Concise Note - use after the first time you cite a source.
- Bibliography - use when you are compiling the Bibliography that appears at the end of your paper.
Book with one author or editor
The general format below refers to a book with one author. If you are dealing with one editor instead of one author, insert the editor's name in the place where the author's name is now, followed by a comma and the word "ed." without the quotation marks. The rest of the format remains the same.
General format
- Full Note:
1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, Book Title: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page #.
- Concise note:
2. Author Surname, Book Title, page #.
- Bibliography:
Author Surname, First Name or Initial. Book Title: Subtitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example
- Full note:
1. Salman Rushdie, The Ground beneath Her Feet (New York: Henry Holt, 1999), 25.
- Concise Note:
2. Rushdie, The Ground beneath, 25.
- Bibliography:
Rushdie, Salman. The Ground beneath Her Feet. New York: Henry Holt, 1999.


Books with two or three authors or
editors
If you are dealing with two editors instead of two authors, insert the names of the editors into the place where the authors' names are now, followed by a comma and the word "eds." without the quotation marks. The rest of the format remains the same.
General format
- Full note:
1. Author First Name/Initial Surname and Author First Name/Initial Surname, Book Title: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page #.
- Concise note:
2. Author Surname and Author Surname, Book Title, page #.
- Bibliography:
Author Surname, First Name/Initial, and Author First Name/Initial Surname. Book Title: Subtitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example
- Full Note:
1. Liam P. Unwin and Joseph Galloway, Peace In Ireland (Boston: Stronghope Press, 1990), 139.
- Concise note:
2. Unwin and Galloway, Peace in Ireland, 139.
- Bibliography:
Unwin, Liam P., and Joseph Galloway. Peace in Ireland. Boston: Stronghope Press, 1990.
Books with more than three authors or
editors
If you are dealing with a book that has more than three editors instead of authors, insert the names of the editors into the place where the names of the authors are now, followed by a comma and the word "eds." without the quotation marks (as per the example). The rest of the format remains the same.
General format
- Full note:
1. Author First Name/Initial Surname et al., Book Title: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page #.
- Concise note:
2. Author Surname et al., Book Title, page #.
- Bibliography:
Author Surname, First Name/Initial, Author First Name/Initial Surname, Author First Name/Initial Surname, and Author First Name/Initial Surname. Book Title: Subtitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example
- Full note:
1. Jeri A. Sechzer et al., eds., Women and Mental Health (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996), 243.
- Concise note:
2. Sechzer et al., Women and Mental Health, 243.
- Bibliography:
Sechzer, Jeri A., S. M. Pfaffilin, F. L. Denmark, A. Griffin, and S. J. Blumenthal, eds. Women and Mental Health. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.


Chapter or article in a multi-author book
General format
- Full note:
1. Author First Name Surname, "Title of Chapter or Article," in Book Title: Subtitle, ed. Editor First Name/Initial Surname (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page #.
- Concise note:
2. Author Surname, "Title of Chapter or Article," page #.
- Bibliography:
Author Surname, First Name. "Title of Chapter or Article." In Book Title: Subtitle, edited by Editor First Name Surname, page range of article/chapter. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example
- Full note:
1. Noel Starblanket, "An Aboriginal Perspective on the Creation of the Star Blanket First Nation's Reserves," in Urban Indian Reserves: Forging New Relationships in Saskatchewan, ed. F. L. Barron and J. Garcia (Saskatoon, SK: Purich Publishing, 1999), 240.
- Concise note:
2. Starblanket, "Aboriginal Perspective," 240.
- Bibliography:
Starblanket, Noel. "An Aboriginal Perspective on the Creation of the Star Blanket First Nation's Reserves." In Urban Indian Reserves: Forging New Relationships in Saskatchewan, edited by F. L. Barron and J. Garcia, 231-242. Saskatoon, SK: Purich Publishing, 1999.


Chapter or article in a multi-volume work
General format
- Full note:
1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, "Title of Chapter or Article," in Book Title: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Volume #:page #.
- Concise note:
2. Author Surname, "Title of Chapter or Article," Volume #:page #.
- Bibliography:
Author Surname, First Name. "Title of Chapter or Article." In Vol. Volume #, Book Title: Subtitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example
- Full note:
1. Mario Creet, "Fleming, Sir Sandford," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography: 1911-1920 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1998), 14:359.
- Concise note:
2. Creet, "Fleming, Sir Sandford," 14:359.
- Bibliography:
Creet, Mario. "Fleming, Sir Sandford." In Vol. 14, Dictionary of Canadian Biography: 1911-1920. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1998: 359.
Book with an organisation as an author
General format
- Full note:
1. Organization Name, Book Title: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page #.
- Concise note:
2. Organization Name, Book Title, page #.
- Bibliography:
Organization Name. Book Title: Subtitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example
- Full note:
1. World Health Organization, WHO Editorial Style Manual (Geneva: World Health Organization, 1993), 34.
- Concise note:
2. World Health Organization, WHO Editorial Style, 34.
- Bibliography:
World Health Organization. WHO Editorial Style Manual. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1993.
eBooks
eBooks are generally referenced in the same way as other books. The general format provided below refers to a basic one author eBook. If you are using an eBook that has multiple authors, includes an edition number and so on, please refer to the appropriate section in this guide. Include information on the format of the resource near the end of the footnote or bibliography entry (including a doi OR URL for the online version of an eBook), as in the example below.
General format
- Full note:
1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, Book Title: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Format, page #.
- Concise note:
2. Author Surname, Book Title, page #.
- Bibliography:
Author Surname, First Name or Initial. Book Title: Subtitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Format.
Example
- Full note:
1. Hal Hellman, Great Feuds in Science: Ten of the Liveliest Disputes Ever (New York: John Wiley, 1998), Net Library e-book, 52.
- Concise note:
2. Hellman, Great Feuds in Science, 52.
- Bibliography:
Hellman, Hal. Great Feuds in Science: Ten of the Liveliest Disputes Ever. New York: John Wiley, 1998. Net Library e-book.
Example 2
- Full note:
1. Elliot Antokoletz, Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartok (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008), doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195365825.001.0001.
- Concise note:
2. Antokoletz, Musical Symbolism.
- Bibliography:
Elliot Antokoletz. Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartok. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195365825.001.0001.


Reference books
Well-known reference books are generally only cited in notes, not the bibliography. Full publication information is usually not included, but the edition must be specified. References to an alphabetically arranged work cite the item preceded by "s.v.", instead of a volume or page number. To cite less well-known reference books, or if a fuller citation is required, see the page for a Chapter or Article in a Multi-Author Book.
General format (for well known reference books)
- Full note:
1. Book Title: Subtitle, Edition, s.v. "Title of Entry."
- Concise note:
2. Book Title: Subtitle, Edition, s.v. "Title of Entry."
- Bibliography:
Often omitted.
Example
- Full note:
1. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. "Salvation."
- Concise note:
2. Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. "Salvation."
- Bibliography:
Often omitted.
Edition of a book other than the first
Second edition = 2nd ed.
Third edition = 3rd ed.
Fourth edition = 4th ed.
Revised edition = rev. ed. (Note) or Rev. ed. (Bibliography)
General format
- Full note:
1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, Book Title: Subtitle, edition (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page #.
- Concise note:
2. Author Surname, Book Title, page #.
- Bibliography:
Author Surname, First Name or Initial. Book Title: Subtitle. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example
- Full note:
1. Daniel Rhodes, Clay and Glazes for the Potter, rev. ed. (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2000), 85.
- Concise note:
2. Rhodes, Clay and Glazes, 85.
- Bibliography:
Rhodes, Daniel. Clay and Glazes for the Potter. Rev. ed. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2000.
This is the end of our section on Chicago referencing of books. Our next section covers Chicago referencing of journals.