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Concordia.ca   /   Library   /   Help & how-to   /   Citing   /   Chicago citation style

Chicago citation style

Introduction

The current version of the Chicago Manual of Style, the 18th edition (2024), is available online.

Copies of older versions of the full manual are available at the Vanier and Webster Libraries' Reference Desks and Reference Collections. The call number for the manual is Z 253 U69.

This guide provides some basic examples of the Chicago citation style. It is based on the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style published in 2017.

The Chicago Manual of Style has two basic systems for documentation of sources: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date.

Notes and bibliography (N & B)
This system is used primarily by those writing in the humanities (literature, history, classics etc.) Sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a superscript number within the text. Additionally, sources are listed in a separate bibliography. This system is able to accommodate a wider variety of sources than can the author-date system.

Author-date (T-R)
This system is more common in the sciences and social sciences (biology, anthropology, psychology etc.). Here, sources are cited parenthetically within the text, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each of these citations then match up with an entry in a reference list, where the full bibliographic information is included.

Both of these systems follow the same basic framework: author’s name (or editor, translator), title, publication information, year of publication. If the reference is from a passage in a book or journal article, page numbers for that passage or article are given.

For complete Chicago style citing information, please consult the full manual.

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Book with a single author or editor

Notes & Bibliography
N: 1. Ken Kesey, Sometimes a Great Notion (New York: Bantam Books, 1981), 77.
B:

Kesey, Ken. Sometimes a Great Notion. New York: Bantam Books, 1981.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Kesey 1981, 77)
R:

Kesey, Ken. 1981. Sometimes a Great Notion. New York: Bantam Books.
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Book with multiple authors

Notes & Bibliography
N: 2. Stephen J. Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter, and Roland Schatz, The Global President: International Media and the US Government. 2nd ed. (Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013), 216–19.
B:

Farnsworth, Stephen J., S. Robert Lichter, and Roland Schatz. The Global President: International Media and the US Government. 2nd ed. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Farnsworth, Lichter, and Schatz 2013, 216-19)
R:

Farnsworth, Stephen J., S. Robert Lichter, and Roland Schatz. 2013. The Global President: International Media and the US Government. 2nd ed. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield.
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Chapter in a multi-author book

Notes & Bibliography
N: 3. Roland Barthes, “From Work to Text,” in The Cultural Studies Reader, ed. Simon During (London: Routledge, 2007), 110–17.
B:

Barthes, Roland. “From Work to Text.” In The Cultural Studies Reader, edited by Simon During, 110–117. London: Routledge, 2007.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Barthes 2007, 110–17)
R:

Barthes, Roland. 2007. “From Work to Text.” In The Cultural Studies Reader, edited by Simon During, 110–17. London: Routledge.
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E-book (from the library catalogue)

Notes & Bibliography
N: 4. Christopher Gonzalez, Reading Junot Diaz (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015), 49–88, https://lib-ezproxy.concordia.ca/login?url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/44077/.
B:

Gonzalez, Christopher. Reading Junot Diaz. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015. https://lib-ezproxy.concordia.ca/login?url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/44077/.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Gonzalez 2015, 49–88)
R:

Gonzalez, Christopher. 2015. Reading Junot Diaz. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. https://lib-ezproxy.concordia.ca/login?url=https://muse.jhu.edu/book/44077/.
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Book review

Notes & Bibliography
N: 5. Ian McGillis, “Ann-Marie MacDonald Mines Her Own Life in Adult Onset,” review of Adult Onset, by Ann-Marie MacDonald, Montreal Gazette, November 14, 2014.
B:

McGillis, Ian. “Ann-Marie MacDonald Mines Her Own Life in Adult Onset.” Review of Adult Onset, by Ann-Marie MacDonald. Montreal Gazette, November 14, 2014.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (McGillis 2014)
R:

McGillis, Ian. 2014. “Ann-Marie MacDonald Mines Her Own Life in Adult Onset.” Review of Adult Onset, by Ann-Marie MacDonald. Montreal Gazette, November 14, 2014.
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Article in a print journal

Notes & Bibliography
N: 6. Lee Rothfarb, "Nineteenth-Century Fortunes of Musical Formalism," Journal of Music Theory 55, no.2 (Fall 2011): 178.
B:

Rothfarb, Lee. "Nineteenth-Century Fortunes of Musical Formalism." Journal of Music Theory 55, no. 2 (2011): 167–220.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Rothfarb 2011, 178)
R:

Rothfarb, Lee. 2011. "Nineteenth-Century Fortunes of Musical Formalism." Journal of Music Theory 55, no.2 (Fall): 167–220.
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Article in an online journal (with DOI)

Notes & Bibliography
N: 7. Malcolm Sambridge, and Rado Faletič, "Adaptive Whole Earth Tomography," Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 4, no.3 (March 2003): 225, doi:10.1029/2001GC000213.
B:

Sambridge, Malcolm, and Rado Faletič. "Adaptive Whole Earth Tomography." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems4, no. 3 (March 2003): 221–243. doi:10.1029/2001GC000213.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Sambridge and Faletič 2003, 225)
R:

Sambridge, Malcolm, and Rado Faletič. 2003. "Adaptive Whole Earth Tomography." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 4, no.3 (March): 221–243. doi:10.1029/2001GC000213.
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Article in an online journal (without DOI)

Notes & Bibliography
N: 8. Marjory S. Blumenthal, and David D. Clark, "Rethinking the design of the Internet: the end-to-end arguments vs. the brave new world," ACM Transactions on Internet Technology (TOIT)1, no. 1 (May 2001): 88, https://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/390000/383037/p70-blumenthal.pdf...
B:

Blumenthal, Marjory S., and David D. Clark. "Rethinking the design of the Internet: the end-to-end arguments vs. the brave new world." ACM Transactions on Internet Technology (TOIT)1, no. 1 (May 2001): 70–109, https://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/390000/383037/p70-blumenthal.pdf...
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Blumenthal and Clark 2001, 88)
R:

Blumenthal, Marjory S., and David D. Clark. 2001. "Rethinking the design of the Internet: the end-to-end arguments vs. the brave new world." ACM Transactions on Internet Technology (TOIT)1, no. 1 (May): 70–109, https://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/390000/383037/p70-blumenthal.pdf...
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Article from a database (without DOI)

Notes & Bibliography
N: 9. Jenn Shapland, "Mother Matter: Transcorporeality in Carole Maso and Joan Didion," Contemporary Women's Writing 9, no. 3 (November 2015): 318, MLA International Bibliography, EBSCOhost/2016700385.
B:

Shapland, Jenn. "Mother Matter: Transcorporeality in Carole Maso and Joan Didion." Contemporary Women's Writing 9, no. 3 (November 2015): 311–329, MLA International Bibliography, EBSCOhost/2016700385.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Shapland 2015, 318)
R:

Shapland, Jenn. 2015. "Mother Matter: Transcorporeality in Carole Maso and Joan Didion." Contemporary Women's Writing 9, no. 3 (November): 311–329. MLA International Bibliography, EBSCOhost/ 2016700385.
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Article from a database (4 or more authors)

Notes & Bibliography
N: 10. T. Vigil-Stenman et al., "Local hopping mobile DNA implicated in pseudogene formation and reductive evolution in an obligate cyanobacteria-plant symbiosis," BMC Genomics 16, no. 1 (December 12, 2015): 327+, DOI:10.1186/s12864-015-1386-7.
B:

Vigil-Stenman, T., B. Bergman, J. Larsson, and J.A.A. Nylander. "Local hopping mobile DNA implicated in pseudogene formation and reductive evolution in an obligate cyanobacteria-plant symbiosis." BMC Genomics 16, no. 1 (December 12, 2015): 327+, DOI:10.1186/s12864-015-1386-7.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Vigil-Stenman et al. 2015, 327)
R:

Vigil-Stenman, T., B. Bergman, J. Larsson, and J.A.A. Nylander. 2015. "Local hopping mobile DNA implicated in pseudogene formation." BMC Genomics16, no. 1 (December 12, 2015): 327+, DOI:10.1186/s12864-015-1386-7.
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Newspaper article (online)

Notes & Bibliography
N: 11. A. Mitchell, “Moving into post-impeachment political overdrive,” The Gazette, February 10, 1999, https://lib-ezproxy.concordia.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F433464081%3Faccou
B:

Mitchell, A. “Moving into post-impeachment political overdrive.”The Gazette, February 10, 1999. https://lib-ezproxy.concordia.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F433464081%3Faccou
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Mitchell 1999)
R:

Mitchell, A. 1999. “Moving into post-impeachment political overdrive.”The Gazette, February 10, 1999. https://lib-ezproxy.concordia.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F433464081%3Faccou
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Lecture

Notes & Bibliography
N: 12. Anton Zyderveld, and Concordia University, “Rickert's Notion of Cultural Science: Lecture Notes,” (Interdisciplinary Colloquia, Montreal: Concordia University, 1978).
B:

Zyderveld, Anton and Concordia University. “Rickert's Notion of Cultural Science: Lecture Notes.” Interdisciplinary Colloquia, Montreal: Concordia University, 1978.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Zyderveld 1978)
R:

Zyderveld, Anton and Concordia University. 1978.“Rickert's Notion of Cultural Science: Lecture Notes.” Interdisciplinary Colloquia, Montreal: Concordia University.
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Video

Notes & Bibliography
N: 13. Jonathan Demme, Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia, (Montréal: Séville Pictures distributor, 2002), DVD.
B:

Demme, Jonathan. Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia. Montréal: Séville Pictures distributor, 2002, DVD.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Demme 2002)
R:

Demme, Jonathan. 2002. Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia. Montréal: Séville Pictures distributor. DVD.
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Website

Notes & Bibliography
N: 14. Guylaine Beaudry, “'My goal is to develop a next-generation digital culture at Concordia,'” Concordia University, last modified August 30, 2017, https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/main/stories/2017/08/30/
B:

Beaudry, Guylaine. “'My goal is to develop a next-generation digital culture at Concordia.'” Concordia University. Last modified August 30, 2017. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/main/stories/2017/08/30/
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Beaudry 2017)
R:

Beaudry, Guylaine. 2017. “'My goal is to develop a next-generation digital culture at Concordia.'” Concordia University. Last modified August 30, 2017. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/main/stories/2017/08/30/
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Thesis or dissertation

Notes & Bibliography
N: 15. Sorel Cohen, “Feminist Art in the ‘70s,” (Masters thesis, Concordia University, 1979), 99-100.
B:

Cohen, Sorel. “Feminist Art in the ‘70s.” Masters thesis, Concordia University, 1979.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Cohen 1979, 99-100)
R:

Cohen, Sorel. 1979. “Feminist Art in the ‘70s.” Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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Interview

Notes & Bibliography
N: 1. Leonard Cohen, “Triumph in the Third Act,” interview by Tom Power, Q, CBC, April 12, 2015, audio, 17:27, https://www.cbc.ca/2015/04/12/524618639/triumph-in-the-third-act.
B:

Cohen, Leonard. “Triumph in the Third Act.” Interview by Tom Power. Q, CBC, April 12, 2015, audio, 17:27, https://www.cbc.ca/2015/04/12/524618639/triumph-in-the-third-act.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Cohen 2015)
R:

Cohen, Leonard. 2015. “Triumph in the Third Act.” Interview by Tom Power. Q, CBC, April 12, 2015, audio, 17:27, https://www.cbc.ca/2015/04/12/524618639/triumph-in-the-third-act.
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Social media content

Notes & Bibliography
N: 16. Concordia University, “Looking for something fun to do around the city this November? Check out this top 5 list of happening events in Montreal,” Facebook, November 3, 2017, https://www.facebook.com/ConcordiaUniversity/
B:

Concordia University. “Looking for something fun to do around the city this November? Check out this top 5 list of happening events in Montreal.” Facebook, November 3, 2017. https://www.facebook.com/ConcordiaUniversity/
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (Concordia University 2017)
R:

Concordia University. 2017. “Looking for something fun to do around the city this November? Check out this top 5 list of happening events in Montreal.” Facebook, November 3, 2017. https://www.facebook.com/ConcordiaUniversity/
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Generative AI (eg., ChatGPT)

If you use text or other media generated by an AI tool, you should include a footnote or parenthetical note explaining this in your text. However, you do not need to include the citation in your bibliography or reference list, unless your instructor or publisher has told you to.

Notes & Bibliography
N: Text generated by ChatGPT-3.5, OpenAI, December 9, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/share/90b8137d-ff1c-4c0c-b123-2868623c4ae2.
Author-date (Text and Reference)
T: (ChatGPT-3.5, December 9, 2023)

Add a link publicly accessible link to the chatbot conversation if available; otherwise, this can be omitted.

The Chicago Manual of Style Online 14.112 has more information (Concordia use only).

Note: Methods of citing materials generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT are rapidly changing. Check with your course instructor or thesis supervisor before using or citing material generated by AI tools. You should also check whether the tool you’re using has terms of use or guidelines on how to credit use of the tool (for example, from OpenAI).

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