The Chicago Manual of Style presents two basic documentation
systems, the humanities style (notes and bibliography) and the author-date
system. Choosing between the two often depends on subject matter and
nature of sources cited, as each system is favored by different groups
of scholars.
The humanities style is preferred by many in literature, history, and
the arts. This style presents bibliographic information in notes and,
often, a bibliography. It accommodates a variety of sources, including
esoteric ones less appropriate to the author-date system.
The more concise author-date system has long been used by those in the
physical, natural, and social sciences. In this system, sources are briefly
cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name
and date of publication. The short citations are amplified in a list
of references, where full bibliographic information is provided.
Below are some common examples of materials cited in both styles. Each
example is given first in humanities style (a note [N], followed by a
bibliographic entry [B]) and then in author-date style (an in-text citation
[T], followed by a reference-list entry [R]). For numerous specific examples,
see chapters 16 and 17 of The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition.
Online sources that are analogous to print sources (such as articles
published in online journals, magazines, or newspapers) should be cited
similarly to their print counterparts but with the addition of a URL.
Some publishers or disciplines may also require an access date. For online
or other electronic sources that do not have a direct print counterpart
(such as an institutional Web site or a Weblog), give as much information
as you can in addition to the URL. The following examples include some
of the most common types of electronic sources.
Book
One author
- N:
- 1. Wendy Doniger, Splitting the Difference (Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1999), 65.
- B:
- Doniger, Wendy. Splitting the Difference.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999.
- T:
- (Doniger 1999, 65)
- R:
- Doniger, Wendy. 1999. Splitting the difference.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Two authors
- N:
- 6. Guy Cowlishaw and Robin Dunbar, Primate Conservation
Biology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 104–7.
- B:
- Cowlishaw, Guy, and Robin Dunbar. Primate Conservation
Biology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
- T:
- (Cowlishaw and Dunbar 2000, 104–7)
- R:
- Cowlishaw, Guy, and Robin Dunbar. 2000. Primate
conservation biology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Four or more authors
- N:
- 13. Edward O. Laumann et al., The Social Organization
of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States (Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1994), 262.
- B:
- Laumann, Edward O., John H. Gagnon, Robert T. Michael,
and Stuart Michaels. The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual
Practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1994.
- T:
- (Laumann et al. 1994, 262)
- R:
- Laumann, Edward O., John H. Gagnon, Robert T. Michael,
and Stuart Michaels. 1994. The social organization of sexuality:
Sexual practices in the United States. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press.
Editor, translator, or compiler instead of author
- N:
- 4. Richmond Lattimore, trans., The Iliad of Homer (Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1951), 91–92.
- B:
- Lattimore, Richmond, trans. The Iliad of Homer. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1951.
- T:
- (Lattimore 1951, 91–92)
- R:
- Lattimore, Richmond, trans. 1951. The Iliad of
Homer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Editor, translator, or compiler in addition to author
- N:
- 16. Yves Bonnefoy, New and Selected Poems, ed.
John Naughton and Anthony Rudolf (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1995), 22.
- B:
- Bonnefoy, Yves. New and Selected Poems. Edited
by John Naughton and Anthony Rudolf. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1995.
- T:
- (Bonnefoy 1995, 22)
- R:
- Bonnefoy, Yves. 1995. New and selected poems. Ed.
John Naughton and Anthony Rudolf. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.
Chapter or other part of a book
- N:
- 5. Andrew Wiese, “‘The House I Live
In’: Race, Class, and African American Suburban Dreams in the
Postwar United States,” in The New Suburban History, ed.
Kevin M. Kruse and Thomas J. Sugrue (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 2006), 101–2.
- B:
- Wiese, Andrew. “‘The House I Live In’:
Race, Class, and African American Suburban Dreams in the Postwar
United States.” In The New Suburban History, edited
by Kevin M. Kruse and Thomas J. Sugrue, 99–119. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 2006.
- T:
- (Wiese 2006, 101–2)
- R:
- Wiese, Andrew. 2006. “The house I live in”:
Race, class, and African American suburban dreams in the postwar
United States. In The new suburban history, ed. Kevin M. Kruse
and Thomas J. Sugrue, 99–119. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.
Chapter of an edited volume originally published elsewhere (as in primary
sources)
- N:
- 8. Quintus Tullius Cicero. “Handbook on Canvassing
for the Consulship,” in Rome: Late Republic and Principate, ed.
Walter Emil Kaegi Jr. and Peter White, vol. 2 of University of
Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, ed. John Boyer and
Julius Kirshner (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986), 35.
- B:
- Cicero, Quintus Tullius. “Handbook on Canvassing
for the Consulship.” In Rome: Late Republic and Principate, edited
by Walter Emil Kaegi Jr. and Peter White. Vol. 2 of University
of Chicago Readings in Western Civilization, edited by John Boyer
and Julius Kirshner, 33–46. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1986. Originally published in Evelyn S. Shuckburgh, trans., The
Letters of Cicero, vol. 1 (London: George Bell & Sons, 1908).
- T:
- (Cicero 1986, 35)
- R:
- Cicero, Quintus Tullius. 1986. Handbook on canvassing
for the consulship. In Rome: Late republic and principate, edited
by Walter Emil Kaegi Jr. and Peter White. Vol. 2 of University
of Chicago readings in western civilization, ed. John Boyer and
Julius Kirshner, 33–46. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Originally published in Evelyn S. Shuckburgh, trans., The letters
of Cicero, vol. 1 (London: George Bell & Sons, 1908).
Preface, foreword, introduction, or similar part of a book
- N:
- 17. James Rieger, introduction to Frankenstein;
or, The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1982), xx–xxi.
- B:
- Rieger, James. Introduction to Frankenstein;
or, The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley,
xi–xxxvii. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.
- T:
- (Rieger 1982, xx–xxi)
- R:
- Rieger, James. 1982. Introduction to Frankenstein;
or, The modern Prometheus, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley,
xi–xxxvii. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Book published electronically
If a book is available in more than one format, you should cite the
version you consulted, but you may also list the other formats, as in
the second example below. If an access date is required by your publisher
or discipline, include it parenthetically at the end of the citation,
as in the first example below.
- N:
- 2. Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, eds., The
Founders’ Constitution (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1987), http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/ (accessed
June 27, 2006).
- B:
- Kurland, Philip B., and Ralph Lerner, eds. The
Founders’ Constitution. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1987. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/. Also
available in print form and as a CD-ROM.
- T:
- (Kurland and Lerner 1987)
- R:
- Kurland, Philip B., and Ralph Lerner, eds. 1987. The
founders’ Constitution. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.
Journal article
Article in a print journal
- N:
- 8. John Maynard Smith, “The Origin of Altruism,” Nature 393
(1998): 639.
- B:
- Smith, John Maynard. “The Origin of Altruism.” Nature 393
(1998): 639–40.
- T:
- (Smith 1998, 639)
- R:
- Smith, John Maynard. 1998. The origin of altruism. Nature 393:
639–40.
Article in an online journal
If an access date is required by your publisher or discipline, include
it parenthetically at the end of the citation, as in the fourth example
below.
- N:
- 33. Mark A. Hlatky et al., "Quality-of-Life
and Depressive Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women after Receiving Hormone
Therapy: Results from the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement
Study (HERS) Trial," Journal of the American Medical Association 287,
no. 5 (2002), http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v287n5/rfull/joc10108.html#aainfo.
- B:
- Hlatky, Mark A., Derek Boothroyd, Eric Vittinghoff,
Penny Sharp, and Mary A. Whooley. "Quality-of-Life and Depressive
Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women after Receiving Hormone Therapy:
Results from the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS)
Trial." Journal of the American Medical Association 287,
no. 5 (February 6, 2002), http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v287n5/rfull/joc10108.html#aainfo.
- T:
- (Hlatky et al. 2002)
- R:
- Hlatky, Mark A., Derek Boothroyd, Eric Vittinghoff,
Penny Sharp, and Mary A. Whooley. 2002. Quality-of-life and depressive
symptoms in postmenopausal women after receiving hormone therapy:
Results from the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS)
trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 287, no.
5 (February 6), http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v287n5/rfull/joc10108.html#aainfo (accessed
January 7, 2004).
Popular magazine article
- N:
- 29. Steve Martin, “Sports-Interview Shocker,” New
Yorker, May 6, 2002, 84.
- B:
- Martin, Steve. “Sports-Interview Shocker.” New
Yorker, May 6, 2002.
- T:
- (Martin 2002, 84)
- R:
- Martin, Steve. 2002. Sports-interview shocker. New
Yorker, May 6.
Newspaper article
Newspaper articles may be cited in running text (“As William Niederkorn
noted in a New York Times article on June 20, 2002, . . . ”)
instead of in a note or an in-text citation, and they are commonly omitted
from a bibliography or reference list as well. The following examples
show the more formal versions of the citations.
- N:
- 10. William S. Niederkorn, “A Scholar Recants
on His ‘Shakespeare’ Discovery,” New York Times, June
20, 2002, Arts section, Midwest edition.
- B:
- Niederkorn, William S. “A Scholar Recants
on His ‘Shakespeare’ Discovery.” New York Times, June
20, 2002, Arts section, Midwest edition.
- T:
- (Niederkorn 2002)
- R:
- Niederkorn, William S. 2002. A scholar recants on
his “Shakespeare” discovery. New York Times, June
20, Arts section, Midwest edition.
Book review
- N:
- 1. James Gorman, “Endangered Species,” review
of The Last American Man, by Elizabeth Gilbert, New York
Times Book Review, June 2, 2002, 16.
- B:
- Gorman, James. “Endangered Species.” Review
of The Last American Man, by Elizabeth Gilbert. New York
Times Book Review, June 2, 2002.
- T:
- (Gorman 2002, 16)
- R:
- Gorman, James. 2002. Endangered species. Review
of The last American man, by Elizabeth Gilbert. New York
Times Book Review, June 2.
Thesis or dissertation
- N:
- 22. M. Amundin, “Click Repetition Rate Patterns
in Communicative Sounds from the Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena” (PhD
diss., Stockholm University, 1991), 22–29, 35.
- B:
- Amundin, M. “Click Repetition Rate Patterns
in Communicative Sounds from the Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena.” PhD
diss., Stockholm University, 1991.
- T:
- (Amundin 1991, 22–29, 35)
- R:
- Amundin, M. 1991. Click repetition rate patterns
in communicative sounds from the harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena.
PhD diss., Stockholm University.
Paper presented at a meeting or conference
- N:
- 13. Brian Doyle, “Howling Like Dogs: Metaphorical
Language in Psalm 59” (paper presented at the annual international
meeting for the Society of Biblical Literature, Berlin, Germany,
June 19–22, 2002).
- B:
- Doyle, Brian. “Howling Like Dogs: Metaphorical
Language in Psalm 59.” Paper presented at the annual international
meeting for the Society of Biblical Literature, Berlin, Germany,
June 19–22, 2002.
- T:
- (Doyle 2002)
- R:
- Doyle, Brian. 2002. Howling like dogs: Metaphorical
language in Psalm 59. Paper presented at the annual international
meeting for the Society of Biblical Literature, June 19–22,
in Berlin, Germany.
Web site
Web sites may be cited in running text (“On its Web site, the
Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees states . . .”) instead
of in an in-text citation, and they are commonly omitted from a bibliography
or reference list as well. The following examples show the more formal
versions of the citations. If an access date is required by your publisher
or discipline, include it parenthetically at the end of the citation,
as in the second example below.
- N:
- 11. Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees, “Evanston
Public Library Strategic Plan, 2000–2010: A Decade of Outreach,” Evanston
Public Library, http://www.epl.org/library/strategic-plan-00.html.
- B:
- Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees. “Evanston
Public Library Strategic Plan, 2000–2010: A Decade of Outreach.” Evanston
Public Library. http://www.epl.org/library/strategic-plan-00.html (accessed
June 1, 2005).
- T:
- (Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees)
- R:
- Evanston Public Library Board of Trustees. Evanston
Public Library strategic plan, 2000–2010: A decade of outreach.
Evanston Public Library. http://www.epl.org/library/strategic-plan-00.html.
Weblog entry or comment
Weblog entries or comments may be cited in running text (“In a
comment posted to the Becker-Posner Blog on March 6, 2006, Peter Pearson
noted . . .”) instead of in a note or an in-text
citation, and they are commonly omitted from a bibliography or reference
list as well. The following examples show the more formal versions of
the citations. If an access date is required by your publisher or discipline,
include it parenthetically at the end of the citation, as in the first
example below.
- N:
- 8. Peter Pearson, comment on “The New American
Dilemma: Illegal Immigration,” The Becker-Posner Blog, comment
posted March 6, 2006, http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/archives/2006/03/the_new_america.html#c080052 (accessed
March 28, 2006).
- B:
- Becker-Posner Blog, The. http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/.
- T:
- (Peter Pearson, The Becker-Posner Blog, comment
posted March 6, 2006)
- R:
- Becker-Posner blog, The. http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/.
E-mail message
E-mail messages may be cited in running text (“In an e-mail message
to the author on October 31, 2005, John Doe revealed . . .”)
instead of in a note or an in-text citation, and they are rarely listed
in a bibliography or reference list. The following example shows the
more formal version of a note.
- N:
- 2. John Doe, e-mail message to author, October 31,
2005.
Item in online database
Journal articles published in online databases should be cited as shown
above, under “Article in an online journal.” If an access
date is required by your publisher or discipline, include it parenthetically
at the end of the citation, as in the first example below.
- N:
- 7. Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, ed.
John Bostock and H. T. Riley, in the Perseus Digital Library, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Plin.+Nat.+1.dedication (accessed
November 17, 2005).
- B:
- Perseus Digital Library. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/.
- T:
- (Pliny the Elder, Perseus Digital Library)
- R:
- Perseus Digital Library. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/.
Source: The Chicago Manual of Style Online