Citing Sources: Chicago

The Chicago style of citation is commonly used in the humanities and social sciences, and features a bibliography as well as either footnote, endnote, or in-text citation.

There are two systems for citing in Chicago style: Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date. Different disciplines use different systems. General departmental standards at Dickinson are listed to the right, but check with your professor to ensure you use the appropriate style for your assignment.

Click on the following links, to access sample citations for each system, provided by the Chicago Manual of Style's Citation Quick Guide. You can also find a subtab for citing nontraditional sources such as images, videos, social media, etc.:

Notes and Bibliography System

Author-Date System

Citing Nontraditional Sources in Chicago

Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections Primary Source Citation Guide

Citing Books

• A book citation must always include author(s), title (and subtitle), publisher, and date of publication. Other necessary elements, if applicable, include editor, translator, edition, revision, and volume number. **As of the 18th edition, the place of publication is no longer needed unless there is a specific reason for including it (a special edition, etc.)
• Capitalize the first letter of all main words in the title of a source.
• Titles of books are always italicized.

Citing Articles

• An article citation must always include author, title (and subtitle) of article, title of journal/magazine, date of publication, and page numbers. Include volume and issue number for scholarly articles.
• Capitalize the first letter of all main words in the title of a source.
• Titles of articles and essays are always put in quotation marks.
• Titles of journals are always italicized.

Creating a Bibliography

• The bibliography is arranged in alphabetical order by authors’ last names.
• The first author of a source is listed last name, followed by a comma and the first name. Subsequent authors' names are written naturally (first name followed immediately by last name). For four or more authors, the abbreviation “et al.” (“and others”) is used after the name of the first author.
• Second and all subsequent lines are always indented. This is also known as "hanging" indentation, and can be automatically applied in Word processors.

Esoteric and nontraditional sources are cited in very specific formats in the Chicago style. These sources are most often cited in the notes and bibliography style, as it can be difficult to create a concise in-text citation for nontraditional source information.

The links below will take you to the 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style Online sections on these source types, with descriptions and examples. 

Websites, Blogs, and Social Media

Interviews and Personal Communications

Papers, Contracts, and Reports (includes theses)

Manuscript Collections (includes archival/Special Collections materials)

Artwork and Illustrations

Special Types of References 

• Reference Works
• Indigenous Sources
• Scriptural References
• Classical Greek and Latin References
• Classic English Poems and Plays
• Musical Scores
• Databases/Datasets
• Patents and Standards

Multimedia

• Recordings and Live Performances
• Videos, Podcasts, and Apps

Legal and Public Documents (the library has the 2015 edition of The Bluebook: Uniform System of Citation)

• Cases and Court Decisions
• Constitutions

Legislative and Executive Documents

• Canada
• United Kingdom
• International Entities

Title for Citation List: Bibliography

Location for References: Depends on Format

Manual: Chicago Manual of Style Online

The following disciplines typically use the Chicago style, with the system preference in parentheses.

• Art & Art History (Notes & Bib.)
• History (Notes & Bib.)
• Music (Ask your instructor)
• Political Science (Ask your instructor)
• Religion (Notes & Bib.)

If you are trying to cite a source not listed on this page or anywhere else on this guide, consult the Chicago Manual of Style Online or a librarian for help.

Use this list to jump to specific sample types:

• Illustrations and Tables (includes maps, plates, graphs, and other illustration forms)
• Paintings, Photographs, and Sculpture
• Multimedia (including musical recordings, recorded readings, video and film recordings, and live performances -- see individual entries; see note about online versions, which should include a URL)
• Videos, Podcasts, and Apps

If you are trying to cite a source not listed on this page or anywhere else on this guide, consult the Chicago Manual of Style Online or a librarian for help.