How to Cite in Chicago Format: Step-by-Step Guide
This guide explains how to cite Chicago-style sources clearly and precisely for both humanities and sciences. If you're asking "how to cite Chicago," you'll learn the two Chicago systems, general formatting rules, step-by-step examples for common source types, in-text citation practices, and how to build a correct reference list or bibliography.
Who uses Chicago style?
Chicago is widely used in history, literature, and the arts (Notes and Bibliography system) and in some social sciences (Author-Date system). Universities, publishers, and many professional projects rely on Chicago for flexibility and detailed source tracking.
General Rules
Chicago comes in two primary systems: Notes and Bibliography (NB) and Author-Date. Choose the one required by your instructor, publisher, or discipline before formatting.
- Notes and Bibliography: Uses footnotes or endnotes for citations plus a full bibliography. Preferred in humanities.
- Author-Date: Uses parenthetical author-year citations in-text and a reference list. Preferred in sciences and social sciences.
Common formatting basics apply to both systems:
- Use 1" margins, readable serif font (e.g., Times New Roman 12 pt), and double-spacing for the main text (bibliographies are often single-spaced with a blank line between entries or a hanging indent).
- Italicize book and journal titles; use quotation marks for article, chapter, or web page titles.
- Capitalize titles in headline style for NB and sentence style for some author-date contexts — follow your style manual or publisher guidance.
How to Cite by Source Type
Below are step-by-step examples for common source types in both Chicago systems. Each example uses code-style formatting to show exact punctuation and order.
Books
Notes and Bibliography — full note (first citation):
1. Firstname Lastname, Title of Book: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page number.Example:
1. Mary Beard, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome (New York: Liveright, 2015), 42.Bibliography entry:
Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. New York: Liveright, 2015.Author-Date (in-text and reference):
(Beard 2015, 42)Beard, Mary. 2015. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. New York: Liveright.Journal Articles
Notes and Bibliography — note and bibliography:
2. Firstname Lastname, "Article Title," Journal Title volume, no. issue (Year): page range, page cited.2. John Smith, "Urban Water Systems," Journal of City History 12, no. 3 (2018): 45–68, 52.Smith, John. "Urban Water Systems." Journal of City History 12, no. 3 (2018): 45–68.Author-Date:
(Smith 2018, 52)Smith, John. 2018. "Urban Water Systems." Journal of City History 12 (3): 45–68.Websites
Include author, page title, site name (if different), publication or revision date (if available), and URL.
Notes: Firstname Lastname, "Page Title," Website Name, Month Day, Year, URL.3. Lisa Nguyen, "Climate Resilience Tools," Environmental Data Hub, June 4, 2020, https://example.org/climate-resilience.Bibliography: Nguyen, Lisa. "Climate Resilience Tools." Environmental Data Hub. June 4, 2020. https://example.org/climate-resilience.Author-Date:
(Nguyen 2020)Nguyen, Lisa. 2020. "Climate Resilience Tools." Environmental Data Hub. June 4. https://example.org/climate-resilience.Book Chapters (Edited Volumes)
Notes and Bibliography:
4. Firstname Lastname, "Chapter Title," in Title of Book, ed. Editor Name (Place: Publisher, Year), page range.4. Karen Lee, "Migration Narratives," in New Perspectives on Migration, ed. A. Torres (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 123–46.Lee, Karen. "Migration Narratives." In New Perspectives on Migration, edited by A. Torres, 123–46. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017.Newspaper Articles
Use author, article title, newspaper name, date, and page or URL.
5. Firstname Lastname, "Article Title," Newspaper Name, Month Day, Year, page or URL.5. James Carter, "City Council Votes," The City Times, March 2, 2021, A4.Government Reports or PDFs
Provide agency as author if no personal author exists, report title, report number (if any), place, publisher, year, and URL.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Guidelines for Wetland Assessment, EPA Report 2020-45 (Washington, DC: EPA, 2020), https://epa.gov/wetland-guidelines.pdf.Actionable tip: For many source types, a free tool like Rephrasely's citation generator can produce properly formatted entries in both Chicago systems. Try it at Rephrasely Citation Generator to generate and copy entries quickly.
In-Text Citations
Chicago Notes and Bibliography uses footnotes or endnotes. Place a superscript number at the end of the sentence or clause containing the source. Each number corresponds to a note with full citation the first time and a shortened note for subsequent citations.
...and thus the policy failed to address local needs.¹Footnote (first citation):
1. Firstname Lastname, Title of Work (Place: Publisher, Year), page.Shortened subsequent footnote:
3. Lastname, Short Title, page.Author-Date uses parenthetical citations with author, year, and optional page:
(Lastname Year, page)Example:
(Beard 2015, 42)Actionable tip: Decide which Chicago system to use before you begin writing. If required to use NB, insert footnotes as you write. If using Author-Date, maintain a running reference list and include all cited works there.
Reference List / Bibliography
Notes and Bibliography: call it "Bibliography" and list entries alphabetically by author's last name. Use a hanging indent for each entry and single-space entries with a blank line between them.
Bibliography
Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. New York: Liveright, 2015.
Smith, John. "Urban Water Systems." Journal of City History 12, no. 3 (2018): 45–68.
Author-Date: call it "References" or "Reference List" and arrange alphabetically. Include full publication details and DOI when available.
References
Beard, Mary. 2015. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. New York: Liveright.
Smith, John. 2018. "Urban Water Systems." Journal of City History 12 (3): 45–68.Actionable checklist for your reference list:
- Alphabetize by last name (or by title if no author).
- Use hanging indents for entries.
- Include DOIs for journal articles when available (present them as https://doi.org/...).
- Consistently apply punctuation and italics according to Chicago rules.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mixing citation systems. Never combine Notes and Bibliography formatting with Author-Date parenthetical citations in the same paper.
Incorrect punctuation and order. Chicago is strict about commas, periods, and the order of elements (author, title, place, publisher, year). Follow examples exactly.
Missing DOIs or URLs. For electronic articles, include a DOI when available. For web pages, include a full URL and access date only if no publication date or if the content is likely to change.
Inconsistent author names and initials. Use the same version of an author's name across all citations; list full first names in bibliographies where Chicago requires them.
Practical Workflow Tips
- Start by deciding between Notes & Bibliography and Author-Date.
- Collect full bibliographic information for each source immediately: author, title, publisher, date, pages, DOI/URL.
- Use a citation tool to speed formatting. Rephrasely's free citation generator can output Chicago-formatted entries you can paste into your notes or bibliography.
- Run your finished bibliography through a plagiarism checker like Rephrasely's plagiarism checker if you're reusing material, and use the AI writer for drafting context or the AI detector to check for machine-written text.
- Proofread citations for punctuation, italics, and ordering — automated tools reduce errors but always verify manually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Chicago system should I use: Notes & Bibliography or Author-Date?
Choose the system your instructor, department, or publisher requires. Use Notes & Bibliography for humanities (history, literature) and Author-Date for many sciences and social sciences. If no guidance is given, ask for clarification.
How do I cite a source with no author in Chicago?
Start the entry with the title in place of the author and alphabetize by that title. In parenthetical citations (Author-Date), use a shortened title and year: ("Short Title" Year, page).
Can Rephrasely help format citations automatically?
Yes. Rephrasely offers a free citation generator that creates Chicago-style entries. You can also use Rephrasely's suite—paraphraser, AI writer (/composer), plagiarism checker (/plagiarism-checker), and AI detector (/ai-detector)—to draft, verify, and refine your work while ensuring citations are accurate.