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Chicago Manual of Style
Summary: This section contains information on the Chicago Manual of Style method of document formatting and citation. We are still working on this section, so in the meantime, we offer you these resources. Thanks for your patience.
Chicago Manual of Style
Introduction
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage, and documentation. The material in this resource focuses primarily on the two CMS documentation styles: the Notes-Bibliography System (NB), which is used by those in literature, history, and the arts, and the Author-Date System, which is preferred in the sciences. Please note that the science citation style will be completed summer 2009.
In addition to consulting the The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, for more information, students may also find it useful to consult Kate L. Turabian's Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th edition,. This manual, which presents what is commonly known as the "Turabian" citation style, follows the two CMS patterns of documentation but offers slight modifications suited to student texts.
Notes and Bibliography in Chicago Style
The Chicago NB system is often used in the humanities and provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through footnote or endnote citation in their writing and through bibliography pages. NB system is most commonly used in the discipline of History.
The proper use of the NB system can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the intentional or accidental un-credited use of source material created by others. Most importantly, properly using the NB system builds credibility by demonstrating accountability to source material.
If you are asked to use Chicago NB format, be sure to consult The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, and/or A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th edition. Both are available in most writing centers and reference libraries and widely available in bookstores. See the Additional Resources section for a list of helpful books and sites about using Chicago Style.
Introduction to Notes
In the Chicago Notes-Bibliography (NB) system, you should include a note (endnote or footnote) each time you use a source, whether through a direct quote or through a paraphrase. Footnotes will be added at the end of the page on which the source is referenced, and endnotes will be compiled at the end of each chapter or at the end of the entire document.
In either case, a superscript number corresponding to a note with the bibliographic information for that source should be placed in the text, following the end of the sentence in which the source is referenced.
The first note for each source should include all relevant information about the source. If you cite the same source again, the note need only include the surname of the author, the title (or a shortened form of the title) and page number(s) cited.
If you cite the same source and page number(s) from a single source two or more times consecutively, the corresponding note should use the word ‘Ibid.,’ an abbreviated form of the Latin ‘ibidem,’ which means ‘in the same place.’ If you use the same source but a different page number, the corresponding note should use ‘Ibid.’ followed by a comma and the new page number(s).
In the Chicago NB system, the footnote or endnote begins with the appropriate number followed by a period and then a space. In Turabian style, the footnote or endnote begins with a superscript number.
Introduction to Bibliographies
In the Notes-Bibliography System, the bibliography provides an alphabetical list of all sources used in a given work. This page, most often titled Bibliography, is usually placed at the end of the work, preceding the index. It should include all sources cited within the work and may sometimes include other relevant sources that were not cited but provide further reading.
Although bibliographic entries for various sources may be formatted differently, all included sources (books, articles, websites, etc.) are arranged alphabetically by author’s last name. If no author or editor is listed, the title or keyword may be used instead.
Common Elements:
All entries in the bibliography will include the author (or editor, compiler, translator), title, and date of publication.
Author’s Names:
The author’s name is inverted in the bibliography, placing the last name first and separating the last name and first name with a comma, for example, John Smith becomes Smith, John. (If an author is not listed first, this applies to compilers, translators, etc.)
Titles:
Titles of books and journals are italicized. Titles of articles, chapters, poems, etc. are placed in quotation marks.
Publication Information:
The year of publication is listed after the publisher or journal name.
Punctuation:
In a bibliography, all major elements are separated by periods.
For more information and specific examples see the sections on Books and Periodicals.
Please note that this OWL resource provides information regarding the formatting of entries used in the bibliography. For more information about Selected Bibliographies, Annotated Bibliographies, and Bibliographic Essays, please consult Chapter 16 of The Chicago Manual of Style.