Chicago style citation examples
To do Chicago Manual of Style citations correctly, the first step is to know whether you should be using Chicago A or Chicago B. This is determined by your university or field of study.
Chicago A is the notes and bibliography system, using footnotes, usually favoured by humanities subjects, while Chicago B is an author-date in-text citation system mostly used in the sciences. Both systems include an alphabetized bibliography or reference list along with the specified form of in-text/footnote citations.
Be aware that the Chicago Manual of Style is regularly updated. Our examples are all based on the 17th edition, which is the latest (published in 2017).
Chicago website citation
| Footnote or endnote format | Author first name surname, “Title of work,” publisher, accessed month date, year, URL. |
| First-mention | “About the UvA,” University of Amsterdam, accessed July 24, 2018, http://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva. |
| Subsequent-mentions | “About the UvA.”* |
| Bibliography format | Author or publisher (author is preferred if available). “Title of Work.” Accessed month date, year. URL. |
| Bibliography example | University of Amsterdam. “About the UvA.” Accessed July 24, 2018. http://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva. |
*include the author name before the title of work if it is available.
| In-text citation format | (Author surname or publisher, year of publication or last update) |
| In-text citation example | (University of Amsterdam, 2018) |
| Bibliography format | Author surname first name or publisher. Year of publication or last update. “Title of work.” Accessed month date, year. URL. |
| Bibliography example | University of Amsterdam. 2018. “About the UvA.” Accessed July 24, 2018. http://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva. |
Latest update vs. date of publication
If it is available, the date of the latest update is preferred over the date of publication, as the date of latest update provides an indication as to how current the information is.
Chicago book citation
| Footnote or endnote format | Author first name author surname, Title of work (Place of publication: publisher, year of publication), page number(s). |
| First-mention | Albert Einstein, The Meaning of Relativity (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1923), 44–68. |
| Subsequent-mentions | Einstein, The Meaning of Relativity, 89–105. |
| Bibliography format | Author surname, author first name. Title of work. Place of publication: publisher, year of publication. |
| Bibliography example | Einstein, Albert. The Meaning of Relativity. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1923. |
| In-text citation format | (Author surname year of publication, page number(s)) |
| In-text citation example | (Einstein 1923, 44–68) |
| Bibliography format | Author surname, author first name. Year of publication. Title of work. Place of publication: publisher. |
| Bibliography example | Einstein, Albert. 1923. The Meaning of Relativity. Princeton: Princeton University Press. |
Chicago news article citation
| Footnote or endnote format | Author first name author surname, “Title of article,” Name of publication, month date, year published, page number or URL. |
| First-mention | Alex Marshall, “Graphic Novel in Running for Man Booker Prize for First Time,” The New York Times, July 23, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/books/booker-prize-graphic-novel-ondaatje.html |
| Subsequent-mentions | Marshall, “Graphic Novel in Running for Man Booker Prize.”* |
| Bibliography format | Author surname, author first name. “Title of article.” Name of publication, month date, year of publication. URL if applicable. |
| Bibliography example | Marshall, Alex. “Graphic Novel in Running for Man Booker Prize for First Time.” The New York Times, July 23, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/books/booker-prize-graphic-novel-ondaatje.html |
*For printed articles, include the page number after the title.
| In-text citation format | (Author surname year of publication, page number if applicable) |
| In-text citation example | (Marshall 2018) |
| Bibliography format | Author surname author first name. Year of publication. “Title of article.” Name of publication, month date, year of publication. URL if applicable. |
| Bibliography example | Marshall, Alex. 2018. “Graphic Novel in Running for Man Booker Prize for First Time.” The New York Times, July 23, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/23/books/booker-prize-graphic-novel-ondaatje.html |
Chicago journal article citation
| Footnote or endnote format | Author first name author surname or name of organization, “Title of article,” Name of journal volume, number (month year of publication): page number(s) of cited information. |
| First-mention | Global Campaign for Education, “Girls Can’t Wait: Why Girls’ Education Matters and How to Make it Happen Now: Briefing Paper for the UN Beijing 10 Review and Appraisal.” Reproductive Health Matters 13, no. 25 (May 2005): 19. |
| Subsequent-mentions | Global Campaign for Education, “Girls Can’t Wait,” 20–21. |
| Bibliography format | Author surname, author first name or name of organization. “Title of article.” Name of journal volume, number (month year of publication): page range of article. URL if applicable. |
| Bibliography example | Global Campaign for Education. “Girls Can’t Wait: Why Girls’ Education Matters and How to Make It Happen Now: Briefing Paper for the UN Beijing 10 Review and Appraisal.” Reproductive Health Matters 13, no. 25 (May 2005): 19–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3776224. |
| In-text citation format | (Author surname or name of organization year of publication, page number(s)) |
| In-text citation example | (Global Campaign for Education 2005, 19–21) |
| Bibliography format | Author surname, author first name or name of organization. Year of publication. “Title of article.” Name of journal volume, number (month of publication): page range of article. URL if applicable. |
| Bibliography example | Global Campaign for Education. 2005. “Girls Can’t Wait: Why Girls’ Education Matters and How to Make It Happen Now: Briefing Paper for the UN Beijing 10 Review and Appraisal.” Reproductive Health Matters 13, no. 25 (May): 19–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3776224. |
URLs for journal articles
When citing journal articles, it is preferred to use the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or a stable URL rather than the URL that appears in the address bar. The DOI or stable URL is a permanent URL listed with many journal articles found online, providing a link that will always work.
Chicago social media citation (YouTube example)
| Footnote or endnote format | Name of social media account, “Post title,” type of social media post, month date, year published, URL. |
| First-mention | “MSNBC, “The Rachel Maddow Show: ‘Never Stop Asking,’” YouTube video, July 23, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_biV0Pa5I1E. |
| Subsequent-mentions | MSNBC, “Never Stop Asking.” |
| Bibliography format | Name of social media account. “Post title.” type of social media post, month date, year of publication. URL. |
| Bibliography example | MSNBC. “The Rachel Maddow Show: ‘Never Stop Asking.’” YouTube video, July 23, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_biV0Pa5I1E. |
| In-text citation format | (Name of social media account year published) |
| In-text citation example | (MSNBC 2018) |
| Bibliography format | Name of social media account. Year published. “Post title.” Type of social media post, month date, year of publication. URL. |
| Bibliography example | MSNBC. 2018. “The Rachel Maddow Show: Never Stop Asking.” YouTube video, July 23, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_biV0Pa5I1E. |
Note that these examples are all for sources either with one author or published by a collective group or organization. We have also written an article about citing a source with multiple authors.
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