Chicago style citation uses either numbered footnotes with a bibliography or an author-date system with a reference list. History and most humanities subjects use the footnote system; some sciences and social sciences use author-date.
This guide explains both systems, with correct examples for the sources you are most likely to cite. The patterns follow the 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style, which is still widely taught; the 18th edition (2024) keeps the same core forms.
How a Chicago Citation Works
In notes-bibliography style, you place a superscript number after the sentence that uses a source. The matching footnote gives the author, title, publication details and page. Later notes for the same source use a short form.
At the end of the paper, the bibliography lists every source alphabetically by author surname, with the author's name inverted and the entry punctuated with full stops rather than commas.
Two Systems: Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date
| Notes-bibliography | Author-date | |
|---|---|---|
| Used in | History, art history, literature, theology, philosophy | Physical, natural and some social sciences |
| In the text | Superscript number linked to a footnote or endnote | (Surname Year, page) in brackets |
| Source list | Bibliography | References |
| Date position in list | Near the end of the entry | Straight after the author |
| Room for comment | Notes can include short explanations | Explanations go in the main text |
Use whichever system your instructor names. If the brief just says "Chicago" in a humanities course, it almost always means notes-bibliography.
Footnotes: Full and Short Forms
Notes are numbered in order through the paper, starting at 1. The superscript number usually goes at the end of the sentence or clause, after any punctuation except a dash.
The Full Note
The first time you cite a source, give a full note. Author names appear in normal order, and elements are separated by commas, with publication details in brackets for books.
1. Daniel Mbeki, Rivers of Trade: Commerce on the East African Coast (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018), 112.
The Short Note
For later citations of the same source, use the author's surname, a shortened title of up to four words, and the page.
4. Mbeki, Rivers of Trade, 130.
What About Ibid.?
Ibid. means "in the same place" and refers to the source in the note directly above. Chicago discourages it and prefers short notes, which are just as concise and clearer. Some instructors still accept ibid., so follow your brief if it asks for it.
Footnotes, Endnotes and Notes with Comments
Footnotes sit at the bottom of the page where the citation appears. Endnotes collect all notes at the end of the paper, under the heading "Notes", before the bibliography. Chicago accepts both; footnotes are more common in student papers because readers can check a source without turning pages.
Several Sources in One Note
If one sentence draws on more than one source, put a single note number at the end of the sentence and list the sources in that note, separated by semicolons. Avoid stacking two note numbers in one place.
3. Mbeki, Rivers of Trade, 112; Reyes, "Famine and Policy," 215.
Notes That Add a Comment
One strength of notes is room for a brief comment, such as pointing out a disagreement between historians or explaining a translation choice. Keep these short. If a comment runs longer than a few lines, it probably belongs in the main text.
Quoting a Source Quoted in Another
Chicago prefers that you consult the original. If you cannot, cite both: the original as "quoted in" the work where you found it, so your reader knows which one you actually read.
Bibliography Formatting
The bibliography starts on a new page titled "Bibliography". It lists every source cited in your notes, and sometimes other works you consulted if your instructor wants them.
- Order entries alphabetically by the first author's surname.
- Invert only the first author's name: Mbeki, Daniel, and Sarah Cole.
- Separate main elements with full stops.
- Use a hanging indent of about 0.5 inch.
Here is the same book as a full note, a short note and a bibliography entry, so you can see what changes.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Full note | 1. Daniel Mbeki, Rivers of Trade (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018), 112. |
| Short note | 2. Mbeki, Rivers of Trade, 130. |
| Bibliography | Mbeki, Daniel. Rivers of Trade. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. |
Citing Books
Two or Three Authors
Note: 1. Laura Finch and Omar Haddad, Empire and Memory (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2020), 54.
Bibliography: Finch, Laura, and Omar Haddad. Empire and Memory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2020.
For four or more authors, the note gives the first author followed by "et al." The bibliography lists more names; the 17th and 18th editions set different cut-off points for very long author lists, so check which edition your course uses.
Edited Book
Note: 1. Grace Wanjiru, ed., Voices of Independence (Nairobi: East African Publishers, 2015), 9.
Bibliography: Wanjiru, Grace, ed. Voices of Independence. Nairobi: East African Publishers, 2015.
Translated Book
Note: 1. Marc Bloch, Feudal Society, trans. L. A. Manyon (London: Routledge, 1961), 45.
Bibliography: Bloch, Marc. Feudal Society. Translated by L. A. Manyon. London: Routledge, 1961.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Note: 1. Peter Osei, "Coastal Markets," in Voices of Independence, ed. Grace Wanjiru (Nairobi: East African Publishers, 2015), 77.
Bibliography: Osei, Peter. "Coastal Markets." In Voices of Independence, edited by Grace Wanjiru, 70–92. Nairobi: East African Publishers, 2015.
Citing Journal Articles
Journal citations give the volume, issue and year, followed by a colon and the page. Add a DOI if the article has one; otherwise a stable URL or database name for online articles.
Note: 1. Hannah Reyes, "Famine and Policy in Colonial India," Journal of Asian History 54, no. 2 (2020): 211, https://doi.org/10.1234/jah.2020.054.
Short note: 2. Reyes, "Famine and Policy," 215.
Bibliography: Reyes, Hannah. "Famine and Policy in Colonial India." Journal of Asian History 54, no. 2 (2020): 201–30. https://doi.org/10.1234/jah.2020.054.
The note gives the specific page you used; the bibliography gives the article's full page range.
Citing Websites and Newspapers
Webpage note: 1. Sofia Alvarez, "The History of the Printing Press," History Today, March 4, 2022, https://www.example.com/printing.
Webpage bibliography: Alvarez, Sofia. "The History of the Printing Press." History Today. March 4, 2022. https://www.example.com/printing.
Newspaper note: 1. James Okello, "Port Expansion Approved," Daily Nation, May 9, 2023.
If a webpage shows no publication or revision date, add an access date instead: accessed June 1, 2024. Chicago allows newspaper articles to be cited in notes only, without a bibliography entry, though many instructors want them listed.
Chicago Author-Date Style
In author-date style, the in-text citation gives the surname, year and page with no comma between author and year. The reference list moves the year to straight after the author.
In text: (Mbeki 2018, 112)
Reference list: Mbeki, Daniel. 2018. Rivers of Trade. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Article: Reyes, Hannah. 2020. "Famine and Policy in Colonial India." Journal of Asian History 54 (2): 201–30. https://doi.org/10.1234/jah.2020.054.
Common Chicago Mistakes
| Mistake | Correct practice |
|---|---|
| Inverting the author's name in a footnote | Normal order in notes; invert only in the bibliography |
| Full note repeated for every citation | Full note once, short notes after that |
| Commas between bibliography elements | Full stops between main elements in the bibliography |
| Note number placed before the full stop | Place it after the punctuation |
| Mixing notes and author-date in one paper | Choose one system and use it throughout |
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Frequently Asked Questions
A footnote uses normal name order, commas between elements and the specific page. A bibliography entry inverts the first author's name, uses full stops between elements and gives the full page range for articles and chapters.
Usually yes. Chicago allows full notes to stand alone, but most instructors require a bibliography at the end of the paper.
Chicago discourages ibid. and recommends short notes instead. Use ibid. only if your instructor asks for it.
After the sentence or clause it refers to, following punctuation such as a full stop or comma, but before a dash.
A system with in-text citations such as (Mbeki 2018, 112) and a reference list where the year follows the author. It is used mainly in the sciences and social sciences.
Body text is usually double-spaced. In student papers, footnotes and bibliography entries are typically single-spaced with a blank line between them. Follow your instructor's layout rules.
Turabian follows Chicago's citation rules but adds guidance for student papers, theses and dissertations, such as page layout and title pages.
Begin the note and bibliography entry with the title. Alphabetize the bibliography entry by the first significant word of the title, ignoring "A", "An" and "The".