How do I cite a source with no page numbers in Chicago style?
In Chicago style, when a source does not include page numbers but you still want to point the reader to a specific point within it, an alternative locator should be used in your Chicago footnote or Chicago in-text citation. With audiovisual sources (e.g., films, videos, podcasts, songs), this is a timestamp, e.g. 1:15:28.
Webpages are usually short enough that no specific locator is needed. However, for a particularly long web page, you can use a subheading from the page, in quotation marks, e.g., “Citing Sources with Notes.”
Note that page numbers should be left out of newspaper citations, even when they are available. This is because page numbers can vary between different editions of a newspaper.
To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator. We also recommend the QuillBot Notepad to take notes online and keep track of relevant source information.
Frequently asked questions:
Chicago Style
-
Which contributors should I mention in a Chicago film citation?
-
The director should always be listed in the author position in a Chicago film citation, followed by the label “director.” Other contributors to the film (actors, cinematographers, writers, composers, producers, etc.) may be listed after the film title, e.g., “Featuring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. Cinematography by Jarin Blaschke.”
Only the contributors relevant to your discussion of the film should be added. You might mention actors whose performances are discussed in detail, or the composer if the use of music in the film is examined. It’s also fine to mention no contributors other than the director, if none are relevant to your discussion.
-
How do I include an image in my paper in Chicago style?
-
In Chicago style, when you don’t just refer to an image but actually include it in your (research) paper, the image should be formatted as a figure. Place the figure before or after the first paragraph where it is mentioned. Refer to figures by their numbers in the text (e.g., “see fig. 1”).
Below the figure, place a caption providing the figure number followed by a period (e.g., “Figure 1.”), a reference to the source (if you didn’t create the image yourself), and any relevant information to help the reader understand the image (if needed).
The caption is single-spaced and left-aligned, and followed by a blank line before the continuation of the main text.
To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator.
-
How do I cite a source with multiple authors in Chicago style?
-
In a Chicago style footnote, list 2 authors. If there are more than 2, name only the first author, followed by “et al.”
In the bibliography, list up to 6 authors. If there are more than 6, list the first 3 followed by “et al.”
|
Full note |
Short note |
Bibliography |
2 authors |
Anna Burns and Robert Smith |
Burns and Smith |
Burns, Anna, and Robert Smith. |
3–6 authors |
Anna Burns et al. |
Burns et al. |
Burns, Anna, Robert Smith, Judith Green, and Nisha Patel. |
7+ authors |
Anna Burns et al. |
Burns et al. |
Burns, Anna, Robert Smith, Judith Green, et al. |
The same rules apply in Chicago author-date style.
To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator.
-
How do I cite a source with no author in Chicago style?
-
In a Chicago footnote citation, when the author of a source is unknown (as is often the case with websites), start the citation with the title in a full note. In short notes and bibliography entries, list the organization that published it as the author.
Type |
Example |
Full note |
1. “An Introduction to Research Methods,” Scribbr, accessed June 11, 2020, https://www.scribbr.com/category/methodology/. |
Short note |
2. Scribbr, “Research Methods.” |
Bibliography |
Scribbr. “An Introduction to Research Methods.” Accessed June 11, 2020. https://www.scribbr.com/category/methodology/. |
In Chicago author-date style, treat the organization as author in your in-text citations and reference list.
To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator.
-
Footnotes appear at the bottom of the relevant page. Endnotes appear in a list at the end of the text, just before the reference list or bibliography. Don’t mix footnotes and endnotes in the same document: choose one or the other and use them consistently.
In Chicago notes and bibliography style, you can use either footnotes or endnotes, and citations follow the same format in either case.
In APA and MLA style, footnotes or endnotes are not used for citations, but they can be used to provide additional information.