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Chicago Quick Citation Guide

Citing sources in Chicago Style.

Note Citation Guidelines

Purpose: identifies the work you are quoting, referencing, or paraphrasing so readers can find your sources. In the text, note numbers are included as “superscript” numbers that direct readers to the footnote/endnote with the same number. Notes can be included as footnotes or endnotes. Use footnotes unless the professor/department specifies. 

  • Footnote style: notes appear at the bottom of the page where the text number appears 

  • Endnote style: all notes appear in one list at the end of the paper (but before the bibliography) 

Notes should: 

  • Be numbered consecutively, starting with 1. 

  • Include the note numbers in text as “superscript” numbers that direct readers to the footnote with the same number. 

  • Be single-spaced with an indented first line (similar to paragraphs in the main text) and a blank line between notes. 

  • Use regular or smaller text for the notes. 

  • Separate the notes from the main text with a short line (or “rule”). 

  • Always follow the full note format when it is the first note referring to a work. 

  • Use shortened notes when citing the same source in multiple consecutive footnotes. 

  • Follow guidelines for breaking URLs at the end of a line. The break should be made: 

    • After a semicolon (;), colon (:), or double slash (//) 

    • Before a single slash (/), a tilde (~), a period (.), a comma (,), a hyphen (-), an underline (_), a question mark (?), a number sign (#), or a percent symbol (%) 

    • Before OR after an equal sign (=) or an ampersand (&) 

Full Note Formats

Books

1. First-name Last-name, Title of Book: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page(s).

2. First-name Last-name and First-name Last-name, Title of Book: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page(s).

Book Chapters

3. First-name Last-name, “Title of Part, Chapter, Essay, or Short Story,” in Title of Book: Subtitle, ed. First-name Last-name (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page(s).

Edited Books

4. First-name Last-name, ed., Title of Book: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page(s).

Translated Books

5. First-name Last-name, Title of Book: Subtitle, trans. First-name Last-name (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page(s). 

Ebooks

6. First-name Last-name, Title of Book: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page(s), URL (including https://) or Name of Database

Journal Articles

7. First-name Last-name, “Title of Article: Subtitle,” Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Date): page, https://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx or URL (including https://) or Name of Database.

8. First-name Last-name, First-name Last-name, and First-name Last-name, “Title of Article: Subtitle,” Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Date): page(s), https://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx or URL (including https://) or Name of Database.

Journal Articles (4+ authors)

9. First-name Last-name, et al., “Title of Article: Subtitle,” Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Date): page(s), https://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx or URL (including https://) or Name of Database.

News Articles

10. First-name Last-name, “Title of Article,” Newspaper Title, Month Day, Year, URL (including https://) or Name of Database

Magazine Articles

11. First-name Last-name, “Title of Article,” Magazine Title, Month Day, Year, page(s).

Websites

12. “Page Title,” Section, Website/Organization, accessed date OR last modified date, URL (including https://).

13. First-name Last-name, “Page Title,” date, location, media type, URL (including https://).

Shortened Note Formats

Books

14. Last-name, Shortened Title, page(s).

15. Last-name and Last-name, Shortened Title, page(s).

Book Chapters

16. Last-name, “Shortened Title of Part, Chapter, Essay, or Short Story,” page(s). 

Edited Books

17. Last-name, Shortened Title, page(s). 

Translated Books

18. Last-name, Shortened Title, page(s). 

Ebooks

19. Last-name, Shortened Title, page(s).

Journal Articles

20. Last-name, “Shortened Article Title,” page(s).

21. Last-name, Last-name, and Last-name, “Shortened Article Title,” page(s).

Journal Articles (4+ authors)

22. Last-name et al., “Shortened Article Title,” page(s).

News Articles

23. Last-name, “Shortened Article Title,” page(s).

Magazine Articles

24. Last-name, “Shortened Article Title,” page(s).

Websites

25. Website/Organization, “Shortened Page Title.” 

26. “Shortened Page Title.”

27. Last-name, “Shortened Page Title.” 

Direct Quotations

Run In Quotes

  • quoted words that are incorporated into a sentence “like this,” using quotation marks. 

Block Quotes

  • quote of 100+ words (at least 6-8 lines of text)
  • begin on a new line, indent (0.5”), single-spaced, and do not use quotation marks. 

Changes to Quotes

  • fix obvious typos without comment (unless it is an older work that uses alternative spelling) 
  • add [sic] when making any other changes (making it plural, adding emphasis such as italics or underlined font, etc.)