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Thesis Office: Chicago Manual of Style

Why use Chicago Style?

This guide follows the style guidelines laid out by the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. This guide is meant as an aid to using the Chicago style of writing, but writers should refer to the manual itself as the definitive source.

The Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition)

Online Resources

Elements of a Reference Entry

According to the 17th Edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, each reference should include the following elements:

  • Author - the author/creator of work.
  • Date - the date a work was published on.
  • Title - the name of the work, whether it be a book, journal article, or webpage.
  • Source - Place where work can be retrieved.

It may also include:

  • Other contributors - people besides the author who contributed to the work, such as an editor or translator.
  • Edition - when the work is not the first edition.
  • Publisher - the name of the company that published a book, or the sponsor of a website.
  • Name of Periodical - the name of the journal, magazine, or newspaper an article comes from.
  • Number - the number of a volume of a book, the issue/volume number of journals, etc.
  • Page Numbers - the pages on which the specific work can be found, such as a page in a journal or magazine article, or the pages that make up a chapter in a book.
  • URL/DOI - used for online resources, include a URL to indicate where you found the article or the social media source. If both a URL and DOI are available, use the DOI instead.

What if Information is Missing?

While there are many instances where information for a citation could be missing, these are some of the most common. It is always a good idea to check the Chicago Manual of Style for more information on how to cite with missing information.

Missing Element

Solution

Works Cited Entry

In-Text Citation

Author

Title. Source, Publisher (if needed), Date, any other information (if needed)

Title. Source, Publisher (if needed), Date, any other information (if needed)

Title or “Title,” page numbers (if available)

Date

Author, Title, Publisher (if needed), n.d., any other information needed

Author. Title. Publisher (if needed), n.d., any other information needed

Title or “Title,” page numbers (if available)
Title Author, Description of Work, Publisher, Date, any other information needed Author. Description of Work. Publisher, Date, any other information needed Author, page numbers (if available)

Publisher

Author, Title, n.p. (if needed), Date, any other information needed

Author. Title. n.p. (if needed), Date, any other information needed

Title or “Title,” page numbers (if available)

Common Abbreviations in References

Below is a list of commonly used terms and their abbreviations as they are used in the reference list. Be aware that many, but not all abbreviations are capitalized!

Book or Publication Part

Abbreviation Used

Edition

ed.

Revised Edition

Rev. ed.

Second Edition

2nd ed.

Editor(s)

Ed. (Eds.)

Translator(s)

Trans.

Narrator(s)

Narr. (Narrs.)

No Date

n.d.

Page(s)

p. (pp.)

Paragraph(s)

para. (paras.)

Volume(s)

Vol. (Vols.)

Number

No.