Everything you ever needed to know about citing sources

from the Chicago Manual of Style

The Basics of Citing in Chicago Style

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!

Creating a Bibliography in Chicago Style

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:
 The citation list or bibliography must be single spaced.
 The last names of the authors must be arranged alphabetically.
 The second line of the source must be indented.

Examples of Citing Different Sources in Chicago Style

Generally, Chicago citations require:
 Author
 Title of book/article
 Title of newspaper/journal
 Publication year
 Publication month and date
 Publisher
 City of publication
 Date of access
 Page numbers
 URL or Name of Database

How to Create Footnotes and Endnotes for

Chicago Style
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.
 Footnotes are found at the bottom of the page
 Endnotes are added at the end of the chapter or project
 A footnote or endnote contains the complete citation information
 The matching number in the footnote or endnote is normal sized and not raised
 It is up to the discretion of the writer to either place the citation at the bottom of the page
where the superscript is placed (a footnote) or to place all citations together at the end of the
work (endnotes)
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:
1. Silver, Nate. "Beautiful Minds." The New York Times. July 13, 2013. Accessed August 04,
2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/books/review/the-boy-who-loved-math-and-on-a-
beam-of-light.html?ref=books&_r=0.
If a source is used more than once in a research project, follow these guidelines:
 When used again, instead of writing out the complete citation for a second time in the
footnote, only include: the author’s last name, the title or a phrase for the title (if it’s more
than four words), and the page number(s) that were used. This will reduce the bulk of citation
information in the paper.
Example:
1. Cohen, Micah, "Rubio is Losing Support Among Republican Voters." FiveThirtyEight. July
09, 2013. Accessed August 04, 2015. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/rubio-is-losing-
support-among-republican-voters/
2. Wolf, Leon H. "Marco Rubio's Campaign Must Adapt or Die." RedState. August 04, 2015.
Accessed August 04, 2015. http://www.redstate.com/2015/08/04/marco-rubios-campaign-
must-adapt-die/.
3. Cohen, "Rubio Losing Support"
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.

Shortened citations
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):
1. Philip R. Cateora et al., International Marketing (New York: McGraw Hill, 2020), 292-294.
2. Cateora et al., International Marketing, 28-29.
3. Cateora et al., 28-29.
4. Cateora et al., 377.
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:
 And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street = Mulberry Street
 Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe = Fried Green Tomatoes

Ibid
If you are using the discontinued ibid notation, here are a few guidelines:
 When the same source is used consecutively, instead of typing in the citation information
again, use the abbreviation “ibid.” Add the page numbers immediately following.
 If the same source AND same page number are used consecutively, simply write “Ibid.”
Same example above, but using ibid:
1. Philip R. Cateora et al, International Marketing (New York: McGraw Hill, 2020), 292-294.
2. Cateora et al., International Marketing, 28-29.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid., 45.
Another example with two sources that were mentioned earlier in the text:
1. Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See (New York: Scribner, 2014), 82-84.
2. Tatiana de Rosnay, Sarah's Key (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2007), 24-27.
3. Ibid., 44.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid., 133-134.
6. Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See, 397-401.
7. Ibid., 405.
8. Ibid., 411.
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.

Creating Your Citations in Chicago Style

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.
How to Cite a Print Book in Chicago Style
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.

Example of Chicago Style for Books with One

Author
In the footnotes and endnotes:

1. 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.
Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for books quickly and
accurately.

Example of Chicago Citation for Books with

Multiple Authors
2. 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.

How to Cite Chapters or Articles from a Book in Chicago

Style
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!

Example of Chicago Citation for Chapters in a

Book
In the footnotes and endnotes:

3. 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.

How to Cite Online E-books in Chicago Style

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:

4. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for E-Books

In the footnotes and endnotes:

5. 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. Here’s just one of our many useful
pages: Positive & Negative Adjectives.

How to Cite E-books in Chicago Style E-books from a

Kindle or E-book Reader
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:

6. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Kindle or E-

book Reader
In the footnotes and endnotes:

7. Corina Bomann, The Moonlight Garden (Washington: AmazonCrossing,

2016), chap. 8, Kindle.
In the bibliography:
Bomann, Corina. The Moonlight Garden. Washington: AmazonCrossing, 2016. Kindle.

How to Cite Print Journals in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

8. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Print Journals

In the footnotes and endnotes:

9. 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!

How to Cite Online or Database Journals in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

10. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Online or

Database Journals
11. 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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How to Cite Print Magazines in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

12. 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.
Example of Chicago Citation for Print
Magazines
In the footnotes and endnotes:

3. 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.

How to Cite Online Magazines in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

4. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Online

Magazines
In the footnotes and endnotes:

5. 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

How to Cite a Web Page in Chicago Style

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:
  If the website page is missing a date of publication, include the date the source was last
modified or accessed in the footnote and endnote.
 If the website page is missing the name of the author, begin the footnote with the “Title of the
Article or Page.”
In the footnotes and endnotes:

5. 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!

Example of Chicago Citation for a Web Page

In the footnotes and endnotes:

7. 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.

How to Cite The Bible or Religious Texts in Chicago Style

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:

2. Abbreviated Title of Book, Chapter:Verse (Edition).

Example of Chicago Citation for Bible

In the footnotes and endnotes:

6. 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.

How to Cite Blogs in Chicago Style

*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:

1. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Blogs

In the footnotes and endnotes:

1. 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
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How to Cite TV Broadcasts in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

2. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Broadcasts

In the footnotes and endnotes:
 3. 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.

How to Cite a Case Study in Chicago Style

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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Case Study

In the footnotes and endnotes:

4. Peter Finn. Disulfiram.
In the bibliography:
Finn, Peter. Disulfiram.

How to Cite Conference Proceedings in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

1. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Conference Paper

In the footnotes and endnotes:

1. 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.

How to Cite Court or Legal Cases in Chicago Style

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.

5. Plaintiff v. Defendant, Court Case Number (Abbreviated Name of the

Court. Year).

Example of Chicago Citation for Legal Cases

Michael Clum v. Jackson National Life Insurance Co., 10-000126-CL (Ingham Cty. 2011).

How to Cite Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries in

Chicago Style
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:

1. Name of dictionary or encyclopedia, Numbered ed. (Year), s.v. “term.”

If found online:

1. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Dictionary and

Encyclopedia Entries
In the footnotes and endnotes:

1. 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.

How to Cite Dissertations in Chicago Style

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).

Example of Chicago Citation for Dissertations

In the footnotes and endnotes:

2. 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.

How to Cite DVDs, Video, and Film in Chicago Style

In the footnotes and endnotes:

3. 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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Film, DVDs, or Videos

In the footnotes and endnotes:

3. _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.
Don’t forget, Citation Machine allows you to generate Chicago citations for films quickly and
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How to Cite Facebook Pages in Chicago Style
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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Facebook Post

In the footnotes and endnotes:

4. 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.

How to Cite Government Publications in Chicago Style

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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Government Publication

In the footnotes and endnotes:

6. 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.
How to Cite Interviews in Chicago Style
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.

How to Cite an E-mail in Chicago Style

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.
5. Individual's First name Last name, type of communication, Month Day Year
of correspondence.

Example of Chicago Citation for E-mail

5. Michele Kirschenbaum, e-mail message to author, January 18, 2016.

How to Cite Musical Recordings in Chicago Style

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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Recordings

In the footnotes and endnotes:

4. "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!

How to Cite Online Videos in Chicago Style

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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Online Videos

In the footnotes and endnotes:

6. “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.

How to Cite Images in Chicago Style

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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Photographs and Images

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.

How to Cite Live Performances in Chicago Style

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.

Example of Chicago Citation for Live Performances

In the footnotes and endnotes:
The Lion King, Julie Taymor, dir. Garth Fagan, chor. Minskoff Theatre, New York, NY, August 8,
2019.

How to Cite Podcasts in Chicago Style

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.

How to Cite Poems in Chicago Style

When citing poems in Chicago Style, cite it as you would a chapter in a book.

How to Cite Presentations and Lectures in Chicago Style

Follow the same guidelines as in the “Conference Papers” section above.

How to Cite Sheet Music in Chicago Style

According to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, cite sheet music the same way as you cite
books.
Once you’ve styled each and every reference, take a minute to run your paper through
our plagiarism checker. It’s the perfect go-to resource when you’re in need of another set of eyes to
scan your paper!

Updated January 8, 2020

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Wendy Ikemoto. Michele Kirschenbaum has
been an awesome school librarian since 2006 and is an expert in citing sources. Wendy Ikemoto
has a master’s degree in library and information science and has been working for Citation Machine
since 2012.
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Chicago Citation Generator
Chicago style citation examples
Published on July 25, 2018 by Courtney Gahan. Revised on April 19, 2021.

The Chicago Manual of Style provides guidelines for two styles of citation: author-date

and notes and bibliography:

 In notes and bibliography style (mostly used in the humanities), you use footnotes or
endnotes to cite sources.
 In author-date style (mostly used in the sciences), you use brief parenthetical references
to cite sources in the text.

In both styles, full source citations are listed in an alphabetized bibliography or

reference list.

The Chicago Manual of Style is regularly updated. Our examples are all based on the
17th edition, which is the most recent (published in 2017).

Table of contents

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5.

Chicago book citation

Chicago Notes and Bibliography

Author first name last name, Title of Book  (Place of

Footnote or endnote format
publication: publisher, year), page number(s).

Albert Einstein, The Meaning of Relativity (Princeton: Princeton University

Full note (first mention)
Press, 1923), 44–45.

Short note (subsequent Einstein, The Meaning of Relativity, 89.

mentions)

Author last name, first name. Title of Book. Place of

Bibliography format
publication: publisher, year.

Bibliography example Einstein, Albert. The Meaning of Relativity. Princeton: Princeton University

 Press, 1923.

Chicago Author-Date

In-text citation format (Author last name year, page number(s))

In-text citation example (Einstein 1923, 44–45)

Author last name, first name. Year. Title of Book. Place of

Reference list format
publication: publisher.

Einstein, Albert. 1923. The Meaning of Relativity. Princeton: Princeton

Reference list example
University Press.

Chicago journal article citation

Chicago Notes and Bibliography

Author first name last name, “Title of Article,” Name of Journal volume,

Footnote or endnote format
no. issue (month and year): page number(s). DOI if applicable.

Morris Dickstein, “A Literature of One’s Own: The Question of Jewish Book

Full note (first mention) Awards.” Princeton University Library Chronicle 63, no. 1–2 (Winter 2002):
71. https://doi.org/10.25290/prinunivlibrchro.63.1-2.0070.

Short note (subsequent Dickstein, “A Literature of One’s Own,” 73.

mentions)

Author last name, first name. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal volume,

Bibliography format
no. issue (month/season year): page range of article. DOI if applicable.

Dickstein, Morris. “A Literature of One’s Own: The Question of Jewish Book

Bibliography example Awards.” Princeton University Library Chronicle 63, no. 1–2 (Winter 2002):
70–74. https://doi.org/10.25290/prinunivlibrchro.63.1-2.0070.

Chicago Author-Date
In-text citation format (Author last name year, page number(s))

In-text citation example (Dickstein 2002, 71)

Author last name, first name. Year. “Title of article.” Name of

Reference list format journal volume, no. issue (month/season): page range of article. DOI if
applicable.

Dickstein, Morris. 2002. “A Literature of One’s Own: The Question of Jewish

Reference list example Book Awards.” Princeton University Library Chronicle 63, no. 1–2 (Winter):
70–74. https://doi.org/10.25290/prinunivlibrchro.63.1-2.0070.

Linking to online journal articles

When citing online journal articles, use the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or a stable
URL, not the URL that appears in the address bar.

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Chicago website citation (no author or date)
Chicago Notes and Bibliography

Footnote or endnote format “Title of Page,” Website, accessed month date, year, URL.

“About the UvA,” University of Amsterdam, accessed July 24, 2018,

Full note (first mention)
http://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva.

Short note (subsequent “About the UvA.”

mentions)

Bibliography format Website. “Title of Page.” Accessed month date, year. URL.

University of Amsterdam. “About the UvA.” Accessed July 24, 2018.

Bibliography example
http://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva.

Chicago Author-Date

In-text citation format (Website, n.d.)

In-text citation example (University of Amsterdam, n.d.)

Reference list format Website. n.d. “Title of work.” Accessed month date, year. URL.

University of Amsterdam. 2018. “About the UvA.” Accessed July 24, 2018.
Reference list example
http://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva.

Authors and dates in website citations

If the web page has a named author, use this at the start of the citation as you would for
any other source. If there is a date of publication or last revision, include this instead of
the access date.

Chicago newspaper citation

Chicago Notes and Bibliography

Author first name last name, “Title of Article,” Name of Publication, month

Footnote or endnote format
date, year, page number or URL.

Alex Marshall, “Graphic Novel in Running for Man Booker Prize for First
Time,” New York Times, July 23, 2018,
Full note (first mention)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/books/booker-prize-graphic-novel-
ondaatje.html.

Short note (subsequent Marshall, “Graphic Novel in Running for Man Booker Prize.”
mentions)

Author last name, first name. “Title of Article.” Name of Publication, month

Bibliography format
date, year. URL if applicable.

Marshall, Alex. “Graphic Novel in Running for Man Booker Prize for First
Time.” New York Times, July 23, 2018.
Bibliography example
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/books/booker-prize-graphic-novel-
ondaatje.html.

Chicago Author-Date
In-text citation format (Author last name year, page number if applicable)

In-text citation example (Marshall 2018)

Author last name, first name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of

Reference list format
Publication, month date, year. URL if applicable.

Marshall, Alex. 2018. “Graphic Novel in Running for Man Booker Prize for
First Time.” New York Times, July 23, 2018.
Reference list example
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/books/booker-prize-graphic-novel-
ondaatje.html.

Chicago YouTube citation

Chicago Notes and Bibliography

Footnote or endnote format Channel name, “Video Title,” month date, year, video, length, URL.

MSNBC, “The Rachel Maddow Show: ‘Never Stop Asking,’” July 23, 2018,
Full note (first mention)
video, 0:30, https://youtu.be/_biV0Pa5I1E.

Short note (subsequent MSNBC, “Never Stop Asking.”

mentions)

Bibliography format Channel name. “Video Title.” Month date, year. Video, length. URL.

MSNBC. “The Rachel Maddow Show: ‘Never Stop Asking.’” July 23, 2018.
Bibliography example
Video, 0:30. https://youtu.be/_biV0Pa5I1E.

Chicago Author-Date

In-text citation format (Channel name year)

In-text citation example (MSNBC 2018)

Reference list format Channel name. Year. “Video Title.” Month date, year. Video, length. URL.

MSNBC. 2018. “The Rachel Maddow Show: Never Stop Asking.” Video, July
Reference list example
23, 2018. https://youtu.be/_biV0Pa5I1E.

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Courtney Gahan
Courtney has a Bachelor in Communication and a Master in Editing and Publishing. She has
worked as a freelance writer and editor since 2013, and joined the Scribbr team as an editor in
June 2017. She loves helping students and academics all over the world improve their writing
(and learning about their research while doing so!).

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2 comments

James B White
 November 21, 2020 at 11:33 PM

This is a very helpful article. How do I cite a page number for a Kindle page when it only
lists "location"?

Reply

Shona McCombes (Scribbr Team)

 December 8, 2020 at 7:45 PM

Hi James,

Like most style guides, Chicago doesn't recommend adding Kindle locations, as these
vary across devices. You may use a different locator, such as a chapter number,
instead. You can see some examples of Chicago e-book citations here.

Hope that helps!

Reply
Still have questions?