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Chicago Citation Rules at a Glance

Chicago Notes-Bibliography uses numbered footnotes or endnotes instead of in-text parentheses.
The first note for a source is full; later notes for the same source can be shortened to author surname, short title, page.
A separate Bibliography page lists every source alphabetically, with the author's name inverted (Last, First).
Book and journal titles are italicized; article and chapter titles go in quotation marks.
Chicago also has an Author-Date variant used mainly in the sciences, closer in structure to APA.

Chicago Citation Examples

Footnote

1. John Smith, "Sleep Deprivation and Executive Function," Journal of Cognitive Science 12, no. 3 (2020): 47.

Bibliography

Smith, John. "Sleep Deprivation and Executive Function." Journal of Cognitive Science 12, no. 3 (2020): 45–67.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a full note and a short note?

The first time you cite a source, the footnote includes full author name, title, and publication details. Every later citation of that same source can shorten to just the surname, a short title, and the page number.

Do I need both footnotes and a bibliography?

Most instructors expect both in Notes-Bibliography style: footnotes for every citation as it occurs, plus a complete alphabetical bibliography at the end.

Want the complete rules with more examples and edge cases? Read the full Chicago citation guide.

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