How to Cite a Journal Article in Chicago Format
This guide explains how to cite a journal article in Chicago format and when to use each Chicago system. It covers the two Chicago styles—Notes and Bibliography (commonly used in humanities) and Author-Date (commonly used in sciences and social sciences)—with clear, copy-ready examples you can paste into your paper.
What Chicago style is and who uses it
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) provides two citation systems: Notes and Bibliography (NB) and Author-Date. NB relies on footnotes or endnotes plus a bibliography and is favored by history, literature, and the arts. Author-Date uses parenthetical citations and a reference list and is common in biology, economics, and the sciences.
If you’re searching for "how to cite a journal article Chicago," decide which system your instructor or publisher requires before formatting citations.
General Rules
- Use the correct system: Notes-Bibliography vs. Author-Date — do not mix systems within one document.
- Author names: In bibliographies/list: Lastname, Firstname. In notes: Firstname Lastname.
- Titles and formatting: Article titles in quotation marks with headline-style capitalization; journal titles italicized.
- Volume and issue: Use volume number, then issue (if given). Examples: 12, no. 2 or 12 (2).
- DOI and URLs: Prefer DOI; include full URL only if DOI is unavailable. Use https://doi.org/ format for DOIs.
- Page ranges: Use full ranges (e.g., 145–162). Chicago uses an en dash (–).
How to Cite by Source Type
Below are step-by-step examples for common source types, including the journal article formats you’ll most often need. Each example uses code-style formatting you can copy.
1. Journal article (Notes-Bibliography)
Footnote (first citation):
1. John D. Smith, “The Ecology of Urban Bees,” Journal of Pollination Studies 12, no. 2 (2019): 45–68, https://doi.org/10.1234/jps.2019.012.
Shortened subsequent footnote:
3. Smith, “The Ecology of Urban Bees,” 52.
Bibliography entry:
Smith, John D. “The Ecology of Urban Bees.” Journal of Pollination Studies 12, no. 2 (2019): 45–68. https://doi.org/10.1234/jps.2019.012.
2. Journal article (Author-Date)
Parenthetical citation:
(Smith 2019, 52)
Reference list entry:
Smith, John D. 2019. “The Ecology of Urban Bees.” Journal of Pollination Studies 12 (2): 45–68. https://doi.org/10.1234/jps.2019.012.
3. Book (Bibliography and Author-Date)
Bibliography:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Edited and with an introduction by James Kinsley. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971.
Author-Date reference:
Austen, Jane. 1971. Pride and Prejudice. Edited and with an introduction by James Kinsley. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. Website
Notes-Bibliography note:
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Vaccination Schedules,” last modified March 8, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinations/schedules.
Author-Date reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020. “Vaccination Schedules.” Last modified March 8, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinations/schedules.
5. Chapter in an edited book
Bibliography:
Walker, Alice. “Narrative Voice in Contemporary Fiction.” In New Directions in Literary Criticism, edited by Mark Evans, 101–24. New York: Harper, 2015.
6. Conference paper / Thesis (short examples)
Conference paper (bibliography):
Lopez, Maria. “Machine Vision in Urban Planning.” Paper presented at the International Conference on Smart Cities, Barcelona, June 4–6, 2018.
Thesis (bibliography):
Nguyen, Lien. “Renewable Energy Adoption in Island Economies.” PhD diss., University of Hawaii, 2017.
Actionable tip: if you have many references, use a citation manager or Rephrasely’s free citation generator to produce consistent entries quickly: Rephrasely Citation Generator.
In-Text Citations
Understand the two approaches to in-text citations in Chicago.
Notes and Bibliography
Use superscript numbers in text that correspond to footnotes or endnotes. The first note gives the full citation; later notes use a shortened form or "ibid." when immediately repeated.
Example in text:
Recent studies show a decline in pollinator populations.^1
Corresponding footnote:
1. John D. Smith, “The Ecology of Urban Bees,” Journal of Pollination Studies 12, no. 2 (2019): 45–68.
Author-Date
Use parenthetical citations with author surname, year, and page number if needed.
Example:
Pollinator populations are declining (Smith 2019, 52).
Reference List / Bibliography
Format the final list based on your chosen system.
- Notes-Bibliography: Title the list "Bibliography." Arrange entries alphabetically by author’s last name. Use a hanging indent for each entry.
- Author-Date: Title the list "References." Arrange alphabetically and use a hanging indent. Include the year immediately after the author’s name.
Example bibliography entry for a journal article (NB):
Smith, John D. “The Ecology of Urban Bees.” Journal of Pollination Studies 12, no. 2 (2019): 45–68. https://doi.org/10.1234/jps.2019.012.
Example reference list entry (Author-Date):
Smith, John D. 2019. “The Ecology of Urban Bees.” Journal of Pollination Studies 12 (2): 45–68. https://doi.org/10.1234/jps.2019.012.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing systems: Combining footnotes with parenthetical Author-Date citations will confuse readers and likely fail style checks. Choose one system and stick with it.
- Improper DOI format: Always use the https://doi.org/ prefix for DOIs. Avoid older "doi:" formats or broken shortened links.
- Wrong capitalization or italics: Journal names must be italicized; article titles are in quotes and use headline-style capitalization.
- Missing publication details: Don’t omit volume, issue, or page range if available. These elements are essential for locating the article.
Quick Checklist Before Submitting
- Confirm whether your instructor/publisher requires Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date.
- Check that every in-text citation has a matching bibliography/reference entry.
- Verify DOIs and URLs; use https://doi.org links when possible.
- Run a final spelling and formatting check. You can use Rephrasely’s plagiarism checker and AI detector, or draft citations with the AI writer if you want help creating polished text.
For large reference lists, automate citations by using Rephrasely’s free citation generator. It supports Chicago NB and Author-Date and can save time while enforcing consistent punctuation and capitalization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I use footnotes or parenthetical citations for Chicago?
Choose based on your discipline or publisher requirements. Humanities typically use Notes and Bibliography (footnotes/endnotes + Bibliography). Sciences often use Author-Date (parenthetical citations + References). Do not mix the two systems.
How do I cite an online journal article with no DOI?
If there is no DOI, include the stable URL for the article. If the article is behind a paywall and no stable URL exists, cite as you would a print article but omit the DOI/URL. For consistency, check the publisher’s recommended citation and match Chicago’s punctuation and capitalization rules.
Can tools rewrite or check my citations?
Yes. Tools such as Rephrasely’s citation generator can format entries automatically. For wider editing or language help, Rephrasely’s paraphraser, AI writer (composer), translator, and plagiarism checker are useful for preparing and verifying your manuscript before submission.