Used by: English (also use MLA), History, History of Art, Music
(please note Music references should use single quotation marks in place of double)
The Chicago style originates from the University of Chicago, and is used in humanities subjects.
If you prefer to format your citations according to the styles set out in earlier editions of the manual please follow the links to the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, or our previous guide which sets out citation examples as per the guidance in the 16th edition.
Chicago uses a footnote citation system.
In the text, a number in superscript1 is added after the information:
The reference is then given in the footnote at the bottom of the page. Give full details of a source the first time it is cited, and a shortened version including the author and title for subsequent citations. If the title is more than five words long, it can be shortened in subsequent citations.
The reference list at the end of the document includes the full details of each source so the reader can find them themselves. The list is organised alphabetically by author surname.
The information to include depends on the types of source - see the examples on this page.
This guidance applies to all source types.
First and subsequent footnotes:
1. David Shields, The Very Last Interview (New York Review Books, 2022), 49.
2. Shields, Very Last Interview, 100–101.
Reference list/ bibliography:
Shields, David. The Very Last Interview. New York Review Books, 2022.
Two authors (or editors) of the same work are listed in the order in which they appear with the source. In a bibliography, only the first author’s name is inverted, and a comma must appear both before and after the first author’s given name or initials. Use the conjunction and (not an ampersand).
First and subsequent footnotes:
1. Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, The Courage to Be Disliked: The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and Achieve Real Happiness (Atria Books, 2018), 257.
2. Kishimi and Koga, Courage to Be Disliked, 259.
For works by or edited by three to six persons (in previous editions it was two to ten), all names are usually given in the bibliography. Word order and punctuation are the same as for two authors. In a note, only the name of the first author is included, followed by et al. with no intervening comma.
First and subsequent footnotes:
1. Beatriz Williams et al., All the Ways We Said Goodbye: A Novel of the Ritz Paris (William Morrow, 2021), 301–2.
2. Williams et al., All the Ways, 392.
For works with more than six authors Chicago recommends listing the first three in the bibliography, followed by et al. (in the notes, only the first would be listed).
‘Ibid.’, short for Ibidem, meaning ‘in the same place’ is used in the Chicago Style in certain circumstances where a source is cited on more than one occasion, in place of a shortened version of a source’s details. ‘Ibid.’ should only be used to refer again to the source directly preceding the footnote.
The word is used in place of all material on the source that is exactly identical. For example:
Ibid. should not be overused and so attention should be paid to how source material is included in the text and footnotes to ensure it remains clear to the reader what material is being cited.
Quotations of word-for-word copies of another person’s work included in your writing must be clearly distinguished from your own words and ideas. You must also include the page number(s) in the footnote.
For short quotations, include it as part of your sentence. Give a brief phrase to introduce it and enclose it within double quotation marks “ “. Include the page number within the footnote, but not in the reference list/ bibliography entry.
In-text:
Footnote:
For long quotations, format these as an indented block quotation.
Give the line number(s) for lines of poetry or a play script, for example:
Footnote
In the Coward example, the name of the poem is given in quotation marks, as it is the title of a poem within a collected edition. The page on which the poem appears in the edited collection is also given, followed by the line numbers of the quoted poem.
For longer quotations, use block quotation, without quotation marks, but clearly indent the quote to indicate these words are not your own. The first line should not have an additional paragraph indent. If there is more than one paragraph within the extract, however, each new paragraph should begin with an additional first-line paragraph indent. Also include a full stop to close the quote before the footnote number.
For poetry, either indent the full quotation and left align, or if appropriate, retain the unusual spacing. For example:
Follow the advice above for information to include in the footnote and reference list.
It is important to give a page number in an intext citation in the following circumstances:
This might mean giving an individual page number or a small range of pages from which you have taken the information. Giving page numbers enables the reader to locate the specific item to which you refer.
Where no page or paragraph number can be given for a source, such as an online publication, ‘n.p.’ can be used to denote ‘no pagination’.
If you're synthesising a number of sources to support your argument, you can cite them in one footnote. For example:
Bedford and Holbeche, Kingsley, and Riley-Smith trace the origins of the Hospitallers to Jerusalem and 1099 if not earlier, though hospitals had been founded in the city before then.13
Footnote
Sources should appear in the footnote in the order mentioned in the text or the order in which details from them were presented, with care not to cause confusion. Sources should then be listed alphabetically in the reference list/ bibliography.
Authors of multiple works should have their names given in full for each reference. Chicago no longer recommend using the 3-em dash approach when referring to a number of works by the same author.
For example:
Order the sources alphabetically by title when the author’s name is the same.
It is important to use quality sources to support your arguments and so you should consider carefully the value of using any source when you cannot identify its author. For online sources, look carefully for named contributors, such as in the ‘about us’ sections. For printed material, try to locate authors in the publication/ copyright information which is often on the inside cover of a book or back page of a report.
If you can't find the author information, don't use ‘Anon.’ or ‘Anonymous’. Instead you could use:
In the reference list/ bibliography, the work would then be listed alphabetically by the first major word of its title, that is, the above would be listed under G. For example:
Knowing when a source was created, published, or last updated is important as this helps you to determine the relevance and reliability of the source. Sacred and classical works where dates are not given (precisely) are, however, also commonly used. For online sources, look carefully for created and/ or last updated dates on the page(s).
If the source doesn't give the date, but you can reasonably estimate it, put the date in [ ] to indicate this, adding a ? to emphasise any uncertainty, for example:
Alternatively, use ‘n.d., ca. 1919’ for no date, circa 1919.
If you can't find or estimate a publication date, use ‘n.d.’ for no date in place of the year.
A secondary reference is given when you are referring to a source which you have not read yourself, but have read about in another source. For example, referring to Jones’ work that you have read about in Smith. Avoid using secondary references wherever possible and locate the original source and reference that. Only give a secondary reference where this is not possible and you deem it essential to use the material. It is important to think carefully about using secondary references as the explanation or interpretation of that source by the author you have read may not be accurate.
If you must use them, use the following format: In author-date format, mention the original author and date in the text but cite the secondary source in the reference list.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
NB: The Department of English ask that both the secondary source and the source in which you read about it are included in the footnote and reference list.
The Department of History ask that the footnote includes details of both sources, but that only the source read is included in the reference list.
How footnotes are included in your word count varies depending on departmental practice.
If footnotes are included, this doesn't mean you should leave out citations where they are appropriate, as references to source material are an integral part of academic writing.
Include the full details of the source, concluding the footnote with the URL. Include a publication date or the date of the most recent update or revision if no such date can be determined, include an access date
The society was founded in 1924 dedicated to promoting interest in the notorious king.11
Footnote
Reference
Footnote
Reference
The reference includes the sponsor or owner of the site, which is presented first. In the example above, The Richard III Society are both the owners of the website and the name of the site, though these could be different in other cases. Individual webpages are presented in quotation marks, but titles of whole websites are not.
You should capitalise the first word, the last word and any major word of a book, journal article, etc. Also, capitalise the first word following a colon in the title. For example:
Pride and Prejudice
Troy and Homer: Towards a Solution of an Old Mystery
Contact your Faculty Librarians if you have any questions about referencing.
Examples of footnote and reference list entries for key source types.
Use these examples alongside the information given in the 'Guidance for all source types' box.
Footnotes
Reference list
Surname, First name. Title of book. Publisher, year.
For a translated book or a book published in another language, see the examples below.
Footnotes
Reference list
Author Surname, First name. "Chapter title." In Book title, edited by Editor First name Surname, chapter page numbers. Publisher, year.
Footnotes
Reference list
Editor Surname, First name, ed. Book title OR shortened title. Publisher, year.
Footnotes
Reference list
Surname, First name, "Title of article / paper." Name of Journal volume, issue number (year): page numbers.
Authors should generally record a URL for sources consulted online. A URL based on a DOI (appended to https://doi-org.libproxy.york.ac.uk/), if it is available, is preferable to the URL that appears in a browser’s address bar when viewing the article (or the abstract). In the absence of a DOI, choose the form of the URL offered along with the article, if any. (If an article was consulted in print, there is no need to include a URL.)
Footnotes
Reference list
Surname, First name, "Title of article / paper." Name of Journal volume, issue number (year): page numbers OR paragraph numbers. URL OR DOI
Articles such as ‘the’ are removed from the footnote and reference for newspaper titles. Where a newspaper’s location might be important to include, this can be given in ( ) after the name, for example Morning Herald (London).
Footnote:
Reference list:
Surname, First name. "Title of article." Name of newspaper/magazine. Month day, year, page number.
Footnote:
For a source without an author it is acceptable to use the title, or a shortened version of it, in the in-text citation.
Reference list:
Name of newspaper/magazine. "Title of article." Editorial. Month day, year, page number.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Surname, First name. "Title of specific webpage." Name of website. Month day, year. Updated/accessed Month day, year. URL
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Name of organisation. "Title of specific webpage." Accessed/updated Month day, year, URL
The following examples give footnote and reference list entries for other common source types.
If you cannot find the specific source type that you are looking for please consult the official Chicago Manual of Style Online - 18th edition. You will find multiple examples of all source types detailed in Chapter 14.
Footnote
Enacted pre-1963 – include the regnal-year (year of the monarch’s reign)
Enacted post-1963
Reference list/ bibliography:
When included in full in a footnote the first time the legislation is cited, no additional reference entry is required.
The ‘c. 2’/ ‘c. 14’ refers to the chapter, the number of the Act according to those passed during the year of the monarch’s reign/ parliamentary session. If it might be unclear as to which jurisdiction the legislation applies, this can be given in ( ).
Archival material can include a broad range of different types of sources, such as photographs, letters, manuscripts, maps. The following advice is intended as a guide and should be adapted where necessary to include key information about your source. Consult examples given elsewhere in this guide for other format types which constitute archival materials to help you construct your reference.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
The style of the first three examples below is appropriate if more than one item from a collection is cited in the text or notes. Entries are usually listed under the name of the collection or under the author(s) of the items contained therein.
If only one item from a collection has been mentioned in text or in a note and is considered important enough to include in a bibliography, the entry will begin with the item.
Note: Date is the year or date range of the creation of the material. If the archival material is undated use n.d. in your reference to indicate no date.
If an older manuscript is numbered by signatures or by folios (fol. or fols.), these should be used in place of page numbers, after the item title. If you use page numbers, the abbreviations p. and pp. should be used to avoid ambiguity. If a manuscript collection has identifying series or file numbers, these may be included in a citation.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Use this format if including illustrations, for example in writing about children’s literature
Illustration caption (below image):
Reference list/ bibliography:
If citing named or numbered illustrations or tables from within a book please use the following:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
If you are reading an English language version of a book originally published in another language follow this example
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
‘Trans.’ is used in the footnote, but ‘translated by’ is used in the reference.
Follow this example if you want to refer to a book you read in another language
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
If shortening the title of a non-English work, care must be taken not to omit words that govern the case ending of a word in the shortened title.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Live performances, unlike recordings, cannot be consulted as such by readers. For that reason, it is generally sufficient to mention details in the text or in the notes rather than in a bibliography. In addition to specifying the name and location of the venue and the date of the performance, include as much information as needed to identify the performance. If you are citing a recording of a performance then follow the guidance for citing the recording type.
Footnote:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
The first footnote records the page cited after the ( ). In this example, it would also be appropriate to make reference in the text to specific details cited, for example, the date of the diary entry or paragraph number as presented in the online version.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
If page markers are not available on the e-book version you are using cite the chapter for specific references to the source.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
If viewing an e-book using an e-book reader it is important to reference the specific version of the publication for this reader. If page markers are not available on the e-book version you are using cite the chapter for specific references to the source.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Personal communications do not need to be included in the reference list/ bibliography, but should be clearly cited in the text, either in the sentence or by including a footnote. Change 'email' to the relevant communication type.
In-text:
OR
Footnote:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Video and film recordings are cited according to the nature of the material (television show, movie, etc.). Any facts relevant to identifying the item should be included. Indexed scenes are treated as chapters and cited by title or by number (as in example note 2 below). Ancillary material, such as critical commentary and interviews, is usually cited in terms of the related content.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
If referring to an interview conducted by someone else that has been published in such as a newspaper or journal you can reference in the following way.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
You should cite a publication viewed in microform as per the type of source (book, newspaper, etc.) or you can refer to the actual microfiche record number and where it is stored. This is an example of a historical periodical.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Live performances, unlike recordings, cannot be consulted as such by readers. For that reason, it is generally sufficient to mention details in the text or in the notes rather than in a bibliography. In addition to specifying the name and location of the venue and the date of the performance, include as much information as needed to identify the performance. If you are citing a recording of a performance then follow the guidance for citing the recording type.
Footnote:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Information about paintings, photographs, sculpture, and other works of art is usually presented in the text. If a more formal citation is needed (as in a footnote or a bibliography—or a separate section of a bibliography devoted to images), list the name of the artist, a title (in italics) or a description, and a date of creation or completion, followed by information about the medium and the location of the work. To help readers locate the item, a museum accession number may be included; for works consulted online, add a URL.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Pamphlets, corporate reports, brochures, and other freestanding publications are treated similarly to books. Data on author and publisher may not fit the normal pattern, but sufficient information should be given to identify the document.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
When included in full in a footnote the first time the legislation is cited, no additional reference entry is required.
The (H.L.) stands for House of Lords, for a Bill originating there. House of Commons Bills are denoted by (H.C.). The date represents the parliamentary session and the number is the number of the Bill.
Titles of Bills are not italicised in text or in the footnote.
To cite and reference the programme for a performance such as a play, dance or concert, use the following example:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Live performances, unlike recordings, cannot be consulted as such by readers. For that reason, it is generally sufficient to mention details in the text or in the notes rather than in a bibliography. In addition to specifying the name and location of the venue and the date of the performance, include as much information as needed to identify the performance. If you are citing a recording of a performance then follow the guidance for citing the recording type.
Footnote:
If you are citing from a prose play, give the page number(s) for the quotation.
If you are citing from a verse play, give the act, scene and line(s) quoted and separated by a full stop.
Prose play footnote:
Verse play footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
These include the Bible, Talmud, Koran, Upanishads, and major classical works, such as the ancient Greek and Roman works. If you are quoting a verse or extract, you should include the detail in the text of the edition of the work you are using the first time you cite from it, with the book, and specific details. It is acceptable to use standard abbreviations for works, such as books of the Bible. It is not necessary to include a reference in your reference list/ bibliography for sacred works.
Footnote:
The first footnote is for the book 1 Corinthians, chapter 5, verses 2-3.
This format is for when you read a more recent version of an older work, or a paperback version of a previously published hardback. In the reference list/ bibliography you give the information for the edition you are citing followed by the original publication details.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
When an edition other than the first is used or cited, the number or description of the edition follows the title in the listing. Wording such as ‘Second Edition’, ‘Revised Edition’ is abbreviated as ‘2nd ed.’, ‘rev. ed.’
Footnotes
Reference list/ bibliography:
The programme title is given in italics and the title of the episode in quotation marks.
Any facts relevant to identifying the item, such as episode number and director, should be included.
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
Footnote:
Reference list/ bibliography:
‘n.d.’ denotes that the particular page is undated