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The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago) citation style got its start in the publishing world, but since then, it has expanded to a variety of disciplines, such as the literary arts and the sciences. Chicago Style is currently in its 17th ed. Click here to see an overview of the differences between the current edition and previous editions.
There are two methods of citation within the Chicago Style: author-date and notes and bibliography. Author-date is most commonly used in the sciences and social sciences, and notes and bibliography is most commonly used in the humanities, such as literature, history, and the arts. The most basic difference between the two is how the sources are cited in-text.
You may also hear the term Chicago Style used interchangeably with Turabian Style. Turabian Style follows the same patterns of documentation (author-date and notes and bibliography) as the Chicago Style, but Turabian style has some slight modifications that make it appropriate for student publication styles, whereas Chicago Style provides guidelines for published works. If you're not sure which one to use for your assignment, be sure to check with your professor!
Chicago Manual of Style Guidelines by The author-date system is typically used in the sciences and social sciences. This citation system first provides an in-text citation that consists of the author's last name followed by the year of publication.
For example, if I were to cite to an article by Plott written in 2023, then my in-text citation would appear at the end of the sentence and be formatted as follows: (Plott 2023). If I were citing to a direct quote within my sentence, then I would include the page number(s) of the text where the quote appears. For a quote from page 2 of a source, an appropriate in-text citation with the accompanying page number would looks as follows: (Plott 2023, 2).
In addition to the in-text citations you should provide throughout your paper, there will also be an accompanying reference page at the end of your paper. This reference list will contain all the references you cited within your paper in alphabetical order. Each reference will provide full bibliographic information about the source where you pulled your information that you are citing to in your paper.
Learn how to use the CMOS's author-date system, by getting started with the links below.
The CMOS's Chapter 15 goes into detail about the author-date system. Much of this content is available online.
This PowerPoint provides a detailed overview of the CMOS author-date style.
Use this poster as a "cheat sheet" to help you better understand the nuances of the CMOS author-date style.
Check out the below links from CMOS and the Purdue OWL to see example citations and papers that are written using the CMOS's author-date system.
This source provides helpful information about in-text citations and citing sources in your reference list.
This resource helps contextualize what a sample paper using the author-date citation system should look like.
The notes-bibliography system in CMOS is typically used in the humanities in subject areas such as history, literature, or the arts. This system of citation uses numbered footnotes (these appear at the bottom of the page) or endnotes (these appear at the end of your paper) that correspond to a raised (superscript1) in the text. If the sources are not cited in full in the footnotes or endnotes, then there should be an accompanying bibliography that provides a full list of references in alphabetical order.
Take a look at the links below to get a better understanding of what it looks like to cite using the CMOS's notes and bibliography system.
The CMOS's Online edition has most of the content from the physical manual available online. Chapter 14 provides detailed information about how to cite using the notes and bibliography system.
This PowerPoint provides a detailed overview of the CMOS notes and bibliography citation system.
Use this poster as a "cheat sheet" to help guide you as you cite using the CMOS notes and bibliography system.
Check out these sample citations and a sample paper using the CMOS's notes and bibliography system to see examples of what you citations should look like.
These sample citations from CMOS Online show you examples of what notes, shortened notes, and bibliography entries might look like for different types of resources cited using the notes and bibliography system.
This sample paper from Purdue OWL shows you what a paper written using the notes and bibliography format might look like.
Whether you are using the author-date system or notes and bibliography system, check out the Purdue OWL's guidelines that you should follow for structuring your paper.
Take a look at these recommended resources for getting started citing with Chicago Style.
Published directly by the Chicago Manual of Style, this is the definitive resource on citing this Style. As a Greensboro College student, you have full access to the online version of this resource by clicking the above link.
You're not the only one who might have questions about how to cite in CMOS. Browse this Q&A section on the CMOS website to get answers to questions other writers have asked.
This is a great resources for those who are just learning how to use "Chicago Style." It provides helpful guidance about FAQs, formatting, and other tips to get you started.
Read this article published by the University of Chicago to learn about how CMOS got its start.
Though it focuses heavily on the Notes-Bibliography system of CMOS, this resource also provides information about how to cite in the Author-Date system.
For more specific information about citing using the Turabian Style, refer to this website.
