Last Name, Title of the Work, page number(s).
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!
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:
Generally, Chicago citations require:
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.
Example:
One would wonder, "Would young Einstein be characterized as belonging somewhere on the autism spectrum? Would Erdos have been given a diagnosis of A.D.H.D.?" ¹
Chicago style footnotes are placed at the bottom of the page:
If a source is used more than once in a research project, follow these guidelines:
Example:
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.
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):
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:
If you are using the discontinued ibid notation, here are a few guidelines:
Same example above, but using ibid:
Another example with two sources that were mentioned earlier in the text:
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.
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.
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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Sam Staggs, Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009), 84.
In the bibliography:
Staggs, Sam. Born to Be Hurt: The Untold Story of Imitation of Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
- Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media (London: Routledge,1994) 24-28.
In the bibliography:
Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media. London: Routledge, 1994.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
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.
In the bibliography:
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!
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
In the bibliography:
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.
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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- First name Last name, Title of e-book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page range, URL, Database Name.
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publication Place: Publisher, Year. URL, Name of Database.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Michael J. Baker, The Marketing Book (Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002), 89, https://htbiblio.yolasite.com/resources/Marketing%20Book.pdf.
In the bibliography:
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.
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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- First name Last name, Title of the Book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page range, Type of E-reader
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name. Title of book. Publication Place: Publisher, Year. Type of e-reader.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Corina Bomann, The Moonlight Garden (Washington: AmazonCrossing, 2016), chap. 8, Kindle.
In the bibliography:
Bomann, Corina. The Moonlight Garden. Washington: AmazonCrossing, 2016. Kindle.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Damien O'Brien and Brian Fitzgerald, "Digital Copyright Law in a YouTube World," Internet Law Bulletin 9, no. 6 (2007): 71-74.
In the bibliography:
O'Brien, Damien, and Brian Fitzgerald, "Digital Copyright Law in a YouTube World." Internet Law Bulletin 9, no. 6 (2007): 71-74.
Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for books quickly and accurately.
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!
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- First name Last name, "Article Title," Journal Title Volume Number, Issue No.(Year): Page range. URL or Name of Database.
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name. "Article Title." Journal Title Volume Number, Issue No. (Year): Page range. URL or Name of Database.
- 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.
In the bibliography:
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.
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In the footnotes and endnotes:
- First name Last name, "Article Title," Magazine Title, Full Date, page range.
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Full Date.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- George J. Church, "Sunny Mood at Midsummer: Americans Take a Brighter View of Reagan," _Time, July 18, 1983, 56-59.
In the bibliography:
Church, George J. "Sunny Mood at Midsummer: Americans Take a Brighter View of Reagan" Time, July 18, 1983.
Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for books quickly and accurately.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Bill Donahue. “King of the Mountains,” Backpacker, September/October 2019, 76-82, http://backpacker.eoncontent.ebscohost.com/2226647#&pageSet=39
In the bibliography:
Donahue, Bill. “King of the Mountains.” Backpacker, September/October 2019. http://backpacker.eoncontent.ebscohost.com/2226647#&pageSet=39
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:
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- First name Last name of Author, "Title of Article or Page," Title of Website, Date published or last modified or accessed, URL.
In the bibliography:
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!
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Sujan Patel, "15 Must-have Marketing Tools for 2015," Entrepreneur, January 12, 2015. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241570.
In the bibliography:
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.
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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Abbreviated Title of Book, Chapter:Verse (Edition).
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
*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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
In the bibliography:
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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
In the bibliography:
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!
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
In the bibliography:
Last Name, First Name, dir. Title of Series. Season Number, episode number, “Title of Episode.” Aired Month Day, Year, on Station Name. URL.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
First name Last name. Title of Case Study. (Publication Place: Publisher, Year).
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name. Title of Case Study.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Peter Finn. Disulfiram.
In the bibliography:
Finn, Peter. Disulfiram.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- First Name Last Name, “Title of Conference Paper” (format, Title of Conference, Location, Full Date).
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name. “Title of Conference Paper.” Format presented at Title of Conference, Location, Date. URL.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Craig Myerson, “Historical Markings in New Castle, Delaware” (Power-Point presentation, The University of Delaware, Newark, DE, June 18, 2019.
In the bibliography:
Myerson, Craig. “Historical Markings in New Castle, Delaware.” Power-point presentation presented at The University of Delaware, Newark, DE, June 18, 2019.
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).
Michael Clum v. Jackson National Life Insurance Co., 10-000126-CL (Ingham Cty. 2011).
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.
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name of Author. Title of Dictionary or Encyclopedia. Numbered ed. Location of Publisher: Publisher, Year.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Encyclopedia Britannica, s.v. “pressure,” accessed September 15, 2019, https://www.britannica.com/science/pressure.
In the bibliography:
Gover, Emily. Encyclopedia of Birds. 4th ed. New York: Chegg, 2016.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
First name Last name, "Title of Dissertation" (type of paper, school, year), url.
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name. "Title of Dissertation." Type of Paper, School, Year. URL or Database(Identification Number).
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Michele Kirschenbaum, "Young Students' Online Searching Capabilities" (master's thesis, Drexel University, 2009).
In the bibliography:
Kirschenbaum, Michele. "Young Students' Online Searching Capabilities." Master's thesis, Drexel University, 2009.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Title, directed by First Name Last name (Year; City, State Abbrev: Producer), Format.
In the bibliography:
Last Name, First Name, dir. Title. Year; City, State Abbrev: Producer, Year. Format.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- _Home Lone , directed by Chris Columbus (1990; Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox), DVD.
In the bibliography:
Columbus, Chris, dir. Home Alone. 1990; Los Angeles, CA: 20th Century Fox. DVD.
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In the footnotes and endnotes:
Title of Facebook Page, “Text of Post,” Facebook, Month Day, Year, URL.
In the bibliography:
Title of Facebook Page. “Text of Post.” Facebook, Month Day, Year. URL.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- 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.
In the bibliography:
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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
Title of Publication, prepared by Organization (City, State Abbrev, Year).
In the bibliography:
Firm/Department. Title of Publication. City, State Abbrev, Year.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Annual Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2014, prepared by The Department of Justice (Washington, DC, 2014).
In the bibliography:
Department of Justice. Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Annual Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2014. Washington, DC, 2014.
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.
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.
- Michele Kirschenbaum, e-mail message to author, January 18, 2016.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
"Title of Song," Year of recording date, Platform, track number on Artist’s Name, Album Title, Producer, Year.
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name of performer. Title of Album. Recorded Year. Producer.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- "Sucker,” Spotify, track 1, on Jonas Brothers, Happiness Begins, Republic Records, 2019.
In the bibliography:
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!
In the footnotes and endnotes:
First name Last name of individual who posted the video, “Title of Video,” Producer, published on Month Day, Year, Site video, Length, URL.
In the bibliography:
Last name, First name. "Title of Video." Producer. Published on Month Day, Year. Site video, Length. URL.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
- “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.
In the bibliography:
“Habitats Works in Texas After Hurricane Harvey.” Habitat for Humanity. Published on September 11, 2019. YouTube video, 01:35. https://youtu.be/EPPALfWYGRo.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
First name Last name, Title of Image, Year, format, Location, State, URL.
In the bibliography:
Last Name, First Name. Title of Image. Date. Format. Location, State, URL.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
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.
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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
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.
In the footnotes and endnotes:
The Lion King, Julie Taymor, dir. Garth Fagan, chor. Minskoff Theatre, New York, NY, August 8, 2019.
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.
When citing poems in Chicago Style, cite it as you would a chapter in a book.
Follow the same guidelines as in the “Conference Papers” section above.
According to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, cite sheet music the same way as you cite books.
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