We use citations and reference lists to guide the reader/viewer/audience to the sources used to create our paper, video, presentation, etc. It is common for individuals who want to learn more about a topic to use the sources in a reference list. Citing is a recognition of other people's work.
Chicago Style has two different formats Notes & Bibliography and Author/Date for in-text citing and the bibliography. Each use a slightly different format.
Notes & Bibliography
This style uses notes (footnotes or endnotes) together with a bibliography. Notes provide an author the option to add additional information or comments about a cited source.
- Footnotes / Endnotes
- Are listed numerically (1, 2, 3, etc.) at the bottom of a page (footnote) or the end of a document (endnote)
- Endnotes appear before the bibliography
- Lists elements in order of the author, title, and publication information
- Elements are separated by commas with the publication information enclosed in parentheses
- Titles use title case (main words are capitalized) and italics are used for the larger work (e.g. book, journal)
- Include specific page numbers only in the notes and only when using a direct quote or referencing a specific section of the work
- Use a first line indent of .5"
- A bibliography entry (Reference)
- Appears at the end of the document (after endnotes if those are used)
- Lists elements in order of the author, title, and facts of publication
- Elements are separated by periods instead of commas
- Does not use parentheses for publication information
- The author’s name is inverted (last name first).
- Titles are formatted differently depending on the source
- For article and chapter titles use title case (main words are capitalized)
- For book, journal, etc. titles use italics
- Use a hanging indent of .5"
- Chicago style requires abbreviations of specific words such as editor, edition, etc. Consult Chapter 10 of the style manual for the full list.
- Paper format
- Margins: 1" on all four edges of the page
- Double-spacing throughout the paper
- Single spacing for block quotations, table titles, and figure captions
- Single spacing internally but double space before and after for table of contents, lists of figures, tables, and abbreviations, footnotes or endnotes, and bibliography (reference list)
- Paragraphs use first line indent of .5"
- Page numbers appear on every page except the first page and are either centered in the header or footer or flush right in the header
Author/Date
The author-date system is similar to APA or MLA in that in-text citations are used instead of footnotes or endnotes.
- Used primarily in the physical, natural, and social sciences
- In-text citations are parenthetical using the author’s last name and publication date
- The list of references
- Appears at the end of the document
- Labeled either as References or Works Cited
- Is formatted with hanging indents
- A reference entry lists elements in order by the author, title, and facts of publication and are separated by periods;
- The first author’s name is inverted (last name first)
- Use page numbers when using a direct quote or referencing a specific section of the work.
- Chicago style requires abbreviations of specific words such as editor, edition, etc. Consult Chapter 10 of the style manual for the full list.
- Paper format
- Margins: 1" on all four edges of the page
- Double-spacing throughout the paper
- Single spacing for block quotations, table titles, and figure captions
- Single spacing internally but double space before and after for table of contents, lists of figures, tables, and abbreviations, and bibliography (reference list)
- Paragraphs use first line indent of .5"
- Page numbers appear on every page except the first page and are either centered in the header or footer or flush right in the header