Note: This is an advanced guide to Chicago (CMoS) Author-Date Citations, useful for professional editors, academics, and students looking to bump up their grades with flawless referencing! If you’re new to Chicago and feel a little lost, check out our introduction to Chicago referencing. For extra help from Chicago experts, try our student proofreading services for free, or learn more about our editing services for businesses.
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) uses both a footnote and bibliography system and an author-date system to cite sources.
This guide is to the author-date approach. You can access the CMoS notes and bibliography guide here.
Variations
This guide includes all information related to CMoS 17th ed. The customer should use this (the most up-to-date) edition, but please watch out for any customer comments saying that they’re using an older one.
You should also pay attention to the requested dialect (usually US, Australian, or UK English) and note:
- Dialect will not change the spelling of words or use of punctuation in titles or direct quotations, which will depend upon the original work. If you suspect that there may have been an error, simply raise that as a query and suggest that the customer checks with the original.
- Anything that is specifically an element of the referencing system (e.g. positioning of commas and periods) should be consistent within the referencing. If it appears to be different from CMoS referencing style, then you should leave a comment to note this and suggest that the customer checks with the style preferences of their institution.
- Words that might be used to describe the format of a source within the reference list (e.g., “catalog”) will follow the rules of the preferred dialect in the same way as the main narrative.
In-Text Citations: The Basics
CMoS author-date uses in-text citations to credit a source. The most basic form is the author’s last name and year followed by a comma and page number(s).
| Type | In-text citation |
|---|---|
| One author | (Smith 2019, 13–15) |
| Two authors | (Smith and Jones 2018, 123–156) |
| Three authors | (Smith, Jones, and White 2020, 456–487) |
| Four or more authors | (Smith et al. 2022, 12–13) |
No date (n.d.)
If a source has no date, use “n.d.” in the citation and corresponding reference list entry.
| In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|
| (Smith n.d., 12–15) | Smith, John. n.d. … |
Page numbers
Include a page number in the citation if a direct quote or paraphrasing is used in the text. Do not use “p.” in front of the page numbers. If a page range is needed, use an en dash.
The citation for a direct quote or paraphrasing can go in two places: with the author name at the beginning of the citation or directly following the quote or paraphrasing.
| As Edward Tufte points out, “A graphical element may carry data information and also perform a design function usually left to non-data-ink” (2001, 139). | As Edward Tufte (2001, 139) points out, “A graphical element may carry data information and also perform a design function usually left to non-data-ink.” |
Repeating or subsequent citations
If the same source is referenced without another intervening citation and they are close to each other, the customer may use a shortened citation (only the page number) or ibid. (ibid., page number). CMoS recommends that, if you do use ibid., you should do so consistently.
Avoid overusing either form. For example, the occasional ibid. or page number without the author name is appropriate in an extended discussion in a work of fiction, but you should make sure that it is clear to the reader which source you are citing.
Organization as author (reference list and in-text citations)
Corporate (group/organizational) authors are given at the start of bibliographic entries even if the publisher is the same as the author.
If a group/organization’s name is given as an acronym in in-text citations, the acronym should be used in the reference list as well (to make it easier to find), with the full name given in parentheses afterward.
| In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|
| (NISO 2010) | NISO (National Information Standards Organization). 2010. Bibliographic References. ANSI/NISO Z39.29-2005. Bethesda, MD: NISO, approved June 9, 2005; reaffirmed May 13, 2010. |
Pseudonym authors
If the author’s real name is not known, write [pseud.] following the pseudonym in the reference list ([pseud.] is usually omitted in in-text citations, however). If the author’s real name is known, write their real name in square brackets instead.
In the case of common pseudonyms, you would usually omit the author’s real name, but it can be included if the customer wishes.
| Type | In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|---|
| Real name unknown | (Alaska Muckraker 2008) | Alaska Muckraker [pseud.]. 2008. “Palin Is Back at Work.” Mudflats: Tiptoeing through the Muck of Alaskan Politics (blog), December 5. https://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/12/05/palin-is-back-at-work/. |
| Widely known pseudonym | (Eliot 1977) | Eliot, George. 1977. Middlemarch. Norton Critical Editions. New York: Norton. |
| Widely known pseudonym with real name (if desired) | (Jay-Z 2010) | Jay-Z [Shawn Carter]. 2010. Decoded. New York: Spiegel & Grau. |
Multiple Authors
- In-citation, two authors: List both authors’ last names separated by “and.”
- In-citation, three authors: List all authors’ last names separated by commas and “and” before the third author.
- In-citation, four or more authors: List only the first author’s last name followed by et al. Do not italicize et al. in the in-text citation or reference list entry.
- In the reference list, multiple authors: The first author’s name goes in last name, first name order. All following authors and contributors (e.g., editors, illustrators, translators) go in first and last name order.
- In the reference list, many authors: In the reference list entry, list up to 10 authors. For sources with more than 10 authors, list the first 7, followed by et al. Do not italicize et al. in the in-text citation or reference list entry.
| Type | In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|---|
| Two authors | (Last Name and Last Name Year, page numbers) | First Author's Last Name, First Name, and Second Author's First Name Last Name. Year. Title of Book: Subtitle if Any. Place of publication: Publisher. |
| e.g. | (Wykes and Gunter 2005) | Wykes, Maggie, and Barrie Gunter. 2005. The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. |
| Three authors | (Last Name, Last Name, and Last Name Year, page numbers) | First Author's Last Name, First Name, Second Author's First Name Last Name, and Third Author's First Name Last Name. Year. Title of Book: Subtitle if Any. Place of publication: Publisher. |
| e.g. | (Ledlow, Manrodt, and Schott 2017) | Ledlow, Gerald R., Karl Manrodt, and David Schott. 2017. Health Care Supply Chain Management: Elements, Operations, and Strategies. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning. |
| Four or more authors | (1st Author Last Name et al. Year, page numbers) | First Author's Last Name, First Name, Second Author's First Name Last Name, Third Author's First Name Last Name, and Fourth Author's First Name Last Name. Year. Title of Book: Subtitle if Any. Edition if given and is not first edition. Place of publication: Publisher. NB: If a source has 10 or more authors, list the first 7 authors, followed by et al. |
| e.g. | (Kroenke et al. 2019) | Kroenke, David M. Randall J Boyle, Andrew Gemino, and Peter Tingling. 2019. Experiencing MIS. 5th Cdn ed. North York, ON: Pearson Canada. |
Same Name, Same Year
If two authors share the same last name and have works from the same year, use their initials to differentiate them in in-text citations.
| In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|
| (J. Comaroff 1993, 123–145) | Comaroff, Jean. 1993. Modernity and Its Malcontents: Ritual and Power in Postcolonial Africa. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. |
| (B. Comaroff 1993, 167–182) | Comaroff, Bob. 1993. Of Revelation and Revolution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. |
Multiple Works, Same Author
If multiple entries are written by the same author, list them chronologically and use the 3-em dash to replace the author’s name after the first entry for that author.
If multiple entries are written by the same author and are from the same year, use YYYYa, YYYYb, etc. to differentiate the works in the reference list and the in-text citations. Entries with the same author and year should be listed alphabetically according to the first main word in the title (i.e., ignore articles).
NB: If two (or more) sources are by the same two (or more) authors, only use a, b, etc. if their names are in the same order for both sources. If the sources swap name orders, do not use a, b, etc.; treat them as normal.
| In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|
| (Fogel 2004b, 218) | Fogel, Robert William. 2004a. The Escape from Hunger and Premature Death, 1700–2100: Europe, America, and the Third World. New York: Cambridge University Press. |
| (Fogel 2004a, 45–46) | ———. 2004b. “Technophysio Evolution and the Measurement of Economic Growth.” Journal of Evolutionary Economics 14, no. 2 (June): 217–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00191-004-0188-x. |
Citing Multiple Works
If two or more sources are cited in the same in-text citation, list them alphabetically by the first author and add a semicolon to separate them.
If an in-text citation is citing multiple works by the same author, list the years following the author’s last name chronologically, separated by commas. If the citation gives multiple years and page numbers, list the page number after the year and following a comma and use a semicolon to separate that work from the next. See the examples below for clarification.
| Multiple years | (Whittaker 1967, 1975; Wiens 1989a, 1989b) |
| Multiple years with page numbers | (Wong 1999, 328; 2000, 475; Garcia 1998, 67) |
What if There Isn’t an Author?
There is no corporate or individual author provided for your source, start the reference list entry with the title of the source (ordered alphabetically. In the in-text citation, use a shortened version of the title (up to four words including articles or prepositions).
Works that have “Anonymous” listed as the author should be cited accordingly and listed in the reference list alphabetically. However, do not put “anonymous” for a source with no attributed author.
Secondary Citations
Secondary sources are not encouraged but may be necessary if the original source is not available. In these cases, the source given in the reference list is the one that is quoted. In the in-text citation, you should mention the original work in the text itself and provide “(quoted in Author YYYY)” as the citation.
| In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|
| In Louis Zukofsky’s “Sincerity and Objectification,” from the February 1931 issue of Poetry magazine (quoted in Costello 1981) . . . | Costello, Bonnie. 1981. Marianne Moore: Imaginary Possessions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. |
The Reference List
CMoS author-date uses a reference list on a separate page at the end of a document. All works cited in the text should point to a full reference entry in the reference list. Exceptions to this include personal communications (e.g., emails and social media posts), well-known encyclopedias and dictionaries, and web pages.
Reference List Formatting
The reference list should begin at the end of a document (before the index) and on a separate page. It should be titled “References” at the top of the page.
The reference list should be single spaced and use hanging indents.
References in Detail
Reference list entries should be listed alphabetically by the first author’s last name, organization name, titles, descriptions in square brackets, or abbreviations (i.e., whatever the reference list entry begins with).
The biggest difference between CMoS author-date and notes and bibliography is the placement of the date of a source (pay close attention to this detail).
In author-date, the year of publication of a source directly follows the author’s(/s’) name(s) and is followed by a period. If a source lists a month and day/season (e.g., journal articles or online sources), this information should go later in the reference (see the example reference list entry for specific formatting guidelines).
For sources with no date (n.d.), such as web pages, use an “Accessed” or “Modified” date in the entry (see the specific reference list entry for specific formatting guidelines).
Basic Structure of a Reference Entry
- Author
- Year
- Title of Work
- Other information (contributors, publisher, accessed dates, etc.)
Author Names
The first author listed in a source is written in Last Name, First Name order. All other authors and contributors’ names are written in First and Last Name order.
“And” is used between two/the last two authors, not an ampersand
Dates
If available, the year a source was written or published, as appropriate, should appear in all reference entries.
If an accessed date or modification date is needed for a source (e.g., for an online source), it should go before the URL and should take the following form: Month Day, Year (e.g., Accessed April 24, 2023).
Titles
Titles are written in title case unless they are in a language other than English.
Titles of large works are italicized.
Short works, such as articles or chapters of a book, and unpublished works, such as working papers, use quotation marks.
When to Use Abbreviations
Noun forms such as editor, translator, volume, and edition are abbreviated in a reference entry, but verb forms (e.g., edited by, translated by) are spelled out.
| Common Abbreviations in CMoS | |
|---|---|
| Editor(s) | ed(s). |
| Translator | trans. |
| Volume(s) | vol(s). |
| Number | no. |
| No date | n.d. |
| Director | dir. |
| Edition | ed. |
| page(s) | N/A |
Punctuation
Elements are separated by periods. See the examples for more specific formatting guidelines.
Printed Media
Printed media references and in-text citations follow the basic CMoS formats outlined thus far in the guide.
| Source type | In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|---|
| Book | (Last Name Year, page number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher. |
| e.g. | (Strayed 2012, 87–88) | Strayed, Cheryl. 2012. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. |
| Chapter of an edited book | (Last Name Year, specific page number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Chapter of Book.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor First and Last Name, Page Range. Publisher Location: Publisher. |
| e.g. | (Gould 1984, 310) | Gould, Glenn. 1984. “Streisand as Schwarzkopf.” In The Glenn Gould Reader, edited by Tim Page, 308–11. New York: Vintage Books. |
| Journal article | (Last Name Year, page number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal volume no., issue no. # (Month/season): page range. |
| e.g. | (Bagley 2015, 484–85) | Bagley, Benjamin. 2015. “Loving Someone in Particular.” Ethics 125, no. 2 (January): 477–507. |
Audiovisual Media
Audiovisual media may have other contributors, such as performers, directions, composers, featured artists, etc. List other contributors’ roles using the abbreviation guidelines given earlier (i.e., nouns are abbreviated and verbs are written out).
| Source type | In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|---|
| Movie/film | (Last Name Year) | Director Last Name, First Name, dir. Release year. Film Title. Distributor details, year of edition cited. Format/URL |
| e.g. | (Shankman 2007) | Shankman, Adam, dir. 2007. Hairspray. New York City, NY: New Line Cinema. https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B01DDOQA44/. |
| TV episode | (Last Name Year) | Last Name, First Name, role. Year. Name of TV Show. Season and Episode number, “Episode Title.” Featured contributors. Date and channel of first airing. Medium or URL. |
| e.g. | (Morgan 2019) | Morgan, Peter, writer. 2019. The Crown. Season 3, episode 3, “Aberfan.” Directed by Benjamin Caron. Aired November 17 on Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/watch/80215733. |
| Audio CD/LP | (Last Name Year, location) | Artist Last Name, First Name, role. Date. “Title of Song.” Featured contributors. Song location, Publisher, format, additional information. |
| e.g. | (Holiday 1958, track 1) | Holiday, Billie, vocalist. 1958. “I’m a Fool to Want You.” By Joel Herron, Frank Sinatra, and Jack Wolf. Recorded February 20, 1958, with Ray Ellis. Track 1 on Lady in Satin. Columbia CL 1157, 33⅓ rpm. |
Online Sources
Online sources may require an accessed or modification date. If there is no date, use n.d. in place of the year.
Keep in mind that website pages do not have to be listed in the reference list and can just be mentioned in the text. This is up to the discretion of the customer. Keep a consistent approach and follow the customer’s lead in this situation.
| Source type | In-text citation | Reference list entry |
|---|---|---|
| Online journal article | (Last Name Year, Page Numbers) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal volume no., issue no. (Month/season): page range. DOI/URL/Database Name. NB: DOI is preferred over URL, if available. |
| e.g. | (Liu 2015, 312) | Liu, Jui-Ch’i. 2015. “Beholding the Feminine Sublime: Lee Miller’s War Photography.” Signs 40, no. 2 (Winter): 308–19. https://doi.org/10.1086/678242. |
| Website | (Last Name /Organization Year) | Organization/Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Webpage.” Accessed Date. URL. |
| e.g. | (Alliance for Linguistic Diversity, n.d.) | Alliance for Linguistic Diversity. n.d. “Balkan Romani.” Endangered Languages. Accessed April 6, 2016. http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5342. |
| Online Video | (Last Name Year) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Video.” Filmed Date at Filming Location. Video, Video Length. URL. |
| e.g. | (Lyiscot 2014) | Lyiscott, Jamila. 2014. “3 Ways to Speak English.” Filmed February 2014 in New York, NY. TED video, 4:29. https://www.ted.com/talks/jamila_lyiscott_3_ways_to_speak_english. |
| eBook (online) | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) NB: If no page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the text, if any (or simply omit). | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher. URL/Database Name. |
| e.g. | (Borel 2016) | Borel, Brooke. 2016. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ProQuest Ebrary. |
What to Do When the Customer’s Approach Differs
Keep in mind that a customer may have specific guidelines from their institution that deviate from the guidance listed here. Here are some things to consider if you have a document that requires CMoS 17th ed. but differs from advice given in this guide:
- If a customer has done something different but is consistent, leave a comment noting that their work differs from standard CMoS 17th guidelines and enforce their consistent usages.
- If a customer has deviated from standard CMoS 17th guidelines but is not consistent, use this guide to make their citations/entries consistent and leave a comment outlining why you made these changes. Suggest that they check with their institutional guidelines if they are not sure about which MLA edition to use.
- If a customer has requested a different/older edition of CMoS, please consult relevant and credible online resources if you are not sure whether you need to make certain changes.
- Contact Editor Support if you are still unsure.
But What About…?
Tables?
Tables should be numbered separately from any figures (table 1, table 2, etc.). Tables should be cited in the text by number, not location (e.g., don’t write “see the above table”), and should be labeled consecutively. In in-text mentions, “table” is lowercase, for example, “see table 1 for more information.”
If more than one table is referenced in the text at one time, write out each table number rather than using a number range. For example, “tables 14, 15, and 16 [not 14–16] illustrate this idea.”
Figures?
Figures (or illustrations) may be labeled as “figure #” or “(fig. #).” When referring to a figure in the text, write out “figure.” If referring to a figure in parentheses, use the abbreviation (fig.). All figures in a text should be numbered consecutively.
Block quotes?
CMoS states that quotations of five or more lines, or more than 100 words, should be blocked. CMoS recommends blocking two or more lines of poetry. Block quotations should be indented and single spaced. The citation for the block quotation follows the final period in the quote and uses the standard in-text citation format.
What Does the Proofreading Service Cover for Referencing?
- Check that references and citations are given in accordance with the standard or customer’s version of CMoS. When in doubt, go for consistency and leave a note to explain your approach.
- It is the customer’s responsibility to make sure that all the citations appear in the reference list and vice versa, but if you spot that something is missing, point it out with a comment.
- There is no need to check that the dates and spellings of author names match for each in-text citation and corresponding full reference; however, if you do see an issue along these lines, point it out in a comment and ask the customer to check the original source.
- Check whether all the expected elements of a full reference are present (this will depend upon the type of source), including the correct use of punctuation, capitalization, and italics and that the references are given in alphabetical order. Note any missing information in a comment for the customer.
- Ensure that the reference list is on a new page, that there are no additional spaces between references, and apply hanging indents as appropriate.
- You should read through direct quotes to check that the surrounding text leads to the quote appropriately and to correct any typos or obvious errors, such as additional spaces. If there looks to be an error or inconsistency, leave a comment for the customer to check the original source; it would be risky to try to fix it without access to the source itself.
What Falls Outside the Scope of Proofreading
- The main purpose of referencing is for writers to avoid plagiarism. For that same reason, there is a limit on what can be done for a customer. Additionally, some actions might come under our formatting service.
- When proofreading, you do not need to worry about the spacing or font used in the references (or anywhere in the text, for that matter). This comes under the formatting service.
- When proofreading, you do not need to worry about how the tables/figures are presented, although you should comment if the customer has neglected to number or provide a caption for these.
- Do not add or change information within an in-text citation or reference unless there is an obvious typo. (You can comment to advise that they check the original source if it seems to be grammatically incorrect, for example.)
- Do not add citations or references, even if they seem to be missing; leave a comment instead.
- Don’t fill in missing information; leave a comment about what appears to be missing and provide information about how the reference could be written to accommodate it (e.g., “n.d.” if the date is unknown).
- There is no need to check URLs; if they appear incomplete, leave a comment for the customer to check them.
- Don’t guess at which of two inconsistent names or dates may be correct; point the anomaly out to the customer (using a comment at the first instance of the issue) and ask them to check the source.
- Any text that does not form part of the word count (i.e., if the table/figure is an image) can be ignored; just leave a single comment to explain this to the customer (it can go in the comments box when you submit the document through the Proofed dashboard).
List of Sample References/Citations
| Source Type | In-text Citation | Reference Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Annual report (print or online) | (Author Last Name/Organization) | Author/Organization Name. Title of Report. URL. |
| Audio CD/vinyl (classical) | (Artist Last Name Year) | Artist Last Name, First Name (role). Date. Title of Musical Piece. Other contributors. Date, Song location, Publisher, format, additional information. |
| e.g. | (Britten 1963) | Britten, Benjamin, composer and conductor. 1963. War Requiem. With Galina Vishnevskaya and the London Symphony Orchestra. Decca Records B00E3TEGJK, 33⅓ rpm. |
| Audio CD/vinyl (non-classical) | (Artist Last Name Year) | Artist Last Name, First Name, role. Date. “Title of Song.” Other contributors. Recording date. Song location, Publisher, format, additional information. |
| e.g. | (Lee 2004) | Lee, Peggy, vocalist. 2004. “Fever.” Additional lyrics by Eddie Cooley and John Davenport. Recorded May 19, 1958. Track 14 on Things Are Swingin’. Capitol Records, Spotify. |
| Blog | (Author Last Name Year) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Blog Post.” Name of Blog. Month and Day of Publication. URL. NB: If there is no publication date, add “Accessed Month, Day YYYY.” before the URL. |
| Book | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher. |
| Book review (in journal, in print or online) | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | In Print: Reviewer Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Review.” Review of Title of Book, by Book Author First and Last Name. Journal Name vol #, issue no. (Month/Season): Page Range. Online: Reviewer Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Review.” Review of Title of Book, by Book Author First and Last Name. Journal Name issue no., no. (Date of Publication): Page Range. DOI/URL/Database Name. |
| Book review (in newspaper, in print or online) | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | In Print: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Book Review.” Review of Title of Book, by Author First and Last Name. Title of Newspaper, Month and Day. Online: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Book Review.” Review of Title of Book, by Author First and Last Name. Title of Newspaper, Date of Publication. URL. |
| Chapter of an edited book | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Chapter of Book.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor First and Last Name, Page Range. Publisher Location: Publisher. NB: In the reference list, include the page range for the chapter or part. In the text, cite specific pages if quoting or paraphrasing. |
| Code of ethics (in print or online) | (Organization Name Year, Page Number) | In Print: Organization Name. Year. Title of Code of Ethics. Publisher. Online: Organization Name. Year. Title of Code of Ethics. Publisher. URL. |
| Conference paper (published in book or journal form) | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Surname, First Name. Year of Publication. “Title of Paper.” In Title of Published Proceedings, edited by Editor Name(s), page numbers. City of Publication: Publisher. |
| Conference presentation (unpublished) | (Last Name Year) | Surname, First Name. Year of Presentation. “Title of Paper.” Presented at Name, Location, Month and Day. |
| Course material | (Last Name) | Author Last Name, First Name. “Material Title.” Course Code at University Name. Accessed Date. URL. |
| Data set | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name/Organization Name. Year. Title of Data Set, Month and Day of Publication. Distributed by Name of Distributor. DOI/URL/Database Name. Any other important information to identify the data set. |
| Dictionary (hardcopy and online) | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Hardcopy: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Entry Title.” In Dictionary Name. Publisher. Online: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Entry Title.” In Dictionary Name. Publisher. Accessed Date. URL/DOI. |
| Dissertation or thesis (published) | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Thesis.” PhD diss., Publisher. |
| Dissertation or thesis (unpublished) | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Thesis.” Unpublished PhD diss., Publisher. |
| eBook (online) | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) NB: If no page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the text, if any (or simply omit). | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher. URL/Database Name. |
| eBook (on reader) | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) NB: If no page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the text, if any (or simply omit). | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher. Type of eReader. |
| Edited book | (Last Name and Last Name Year, Page Number) | 1st Editor Last Name, First Name and 2nd Editor First and Last Name, eds. Year. Title of Book. Location of Publication: Publisher. |
| eJournal article | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal issue no., no. # (Month): page range. DOI/URL/Database Name. |
| Encyclopedia entry (hardcopy or online, authored) | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Hardcopy: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Entry Title.” In Encyclopedia Name. Publisher. Online: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Entry Title.” In Encyclopedia Name. Publisher. Accessed Date. URL/DOI. |
| Encyclopedia entry (hardcopy or online, unauthored) | (Encyclopedia Name Year, Page Number) | In Print: Encyclopedia Name. Year. s.v. “Entry Title.” # ed. # vols. Place of Publication: Publisher. Online: Name of Encyclopedia. Year. s.v. "Title of Article". Publisher. Month Day OR Accessed date. DOI/URL. NB: Well-known encyclopedias are often omitted in the reference list and only included in in-text citations. For well-known references such as Encyclopaedia Britannica, you can omit publisher and location, but the edition must be included. For lesser-known publications, this information should be included. In-text citations for an alphabetically arranged work cite the item (not the volume or page number) preceded by s.v. (sub verbo) “under the word”; pl. s.vv. |
| Exhibition (catalog) | (Last Name Year) | Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Exhibition. Place of Publication: Publisher. Additional information about the exhibition as needed. |
| Foreign language title (book) | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book [Translation of Title if Available]. Location of Publication: Publisher. |
| Government publication | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Online: Name of Government Department, Agency or Committee. Year. Title of Government Publication. Accessed/Modified Date (if any). URL. NB: Only add a modification/accessed date if no other date is available, such as a copyright date. In Print: Name of Government Department, Agency or Committee. Date. Title of Government Publication. Edition if given and is not first edition. |
| Gray literature (brochures, pamphlets, fact sheets etc.) | (Last Name Year) | Corporate Author. Year. Title of Grey Literature. Place of publication: Publisher. |
| Illustrated book (In print or online) | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | In Print: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Illustrated by Illustrator First and Last Name. Location of Publication: Publisher. Online: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Illustrated by Illustrator First and Last Name. Location of Publication: Publisher. URL/Database Name. |
| Image (digital stock image or clip art) | (Last Name/ Organization Year or [n.d.]) | Source Name. Year or [n.d.]. [Add Description of Image Here if No Title]. Material or Medium. Location. URL. NB: Add as much information as possible so that another person can find/access the image. Do not list Google images as the source of an image. |
| e.g. | (Bowdoin College [n.d.]) | Bowdoin College. Year or [n.d.].[Graphic of Bowdoin Polar Bear]. B&W image. Bowdoin College Polar Bears. http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/landing/index. |
| Image or painting (real life) | (Last Name Year) | Artists’ Last Name, Artist’s First Name. Year. Title of Artwork.’ Medium, dimension. Location, Institution Name. |
| Interview (by author or between two other people) | (Interviewee Last Name Year) | By Author: Interviewee Last Name, First Name. Year. Interview by author, Month Day. Between Two Other People: Interviewee First Name, Last Name. Year. “Title of Interview.” Interview by Interviewer First and Last Name. Title of Interview Source, Date of Publication. Audio, Interview time length. URL. NB: Interview time length should be formatted as ##:##. |
| Journal article (submitted and accepted for publication) | (Last Name n.d., Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. n.d. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal, forthcoming. |
| Journal article (submitted but not yet accepted for publication) | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Unpublished Journal Article.” Name of Journal, submitted Month Day. URL/Location. |
| Journal article (printed) | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal volume no., issue no. # (Month): page range. NB: Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences. If there are four or more authors, list up to ten in the reference list; in the text, list only the first, followed by et al. (“and others”). For more than ten authors (not shown here), list the first seven in the reference list, followed by et al. |
| Online journal article (as opposed to ejournal articles; ejournals are only available online) | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal volume no., issue no. (Month): page range. DOI/URL/Database Name. NB: DOI is preferred over the URL if available. |
| Pre-print journal article (e.g., PubMed Central or PsyArXiv) | (Last Name Year) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Pre-print Journal Article.” Preprint, submitted Month Day. URL/Location. |
| e.g. | (Huang 2015) | Huang, Zhiqi. 2015. “Revisiting the Cosmological Bias Due to Local Gravitational Redshifts.” Preprint, submitted April 24. http://arxiv.org/abs/1504.06600v1. |
| Lecture content (online course) | (Last Name) | Author Last Name, First Name. “Lecture Title.” Course Code at University Name. Accessed Date. URL. |
| Lecture slides NB: For unrecorded classroom lectures, or if the public has no access to the URL, then see Personal comms | See Online Lecture Content or Course Materials as needed. For in-person lecture notes/slides, reference in the text only. | |
| Magazine article (hardcopy and online) | Author Last Name Year, Page Number) NB: Only add a page number if available. | Hardcopy: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Magazine, Date of Publication. Online: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Magazine, Date of Publication. Accessed Date. URL/Database name. NB: Date of publication formation is Month Day, Year. Write out the month in full. If no date, provide an accessed date. Do not use both. |
| Movie/film | (Last Name Year) | Director Surname, First Name, dir. Release year. Film Title. Distributor details, year of edition cited. Format/URL. |
| Movie/film (foreign language) | (Last Name Year) | Director Surname, First Name, dir. Release year. Film Title [Add Translation of Film Title if Available]. Distributor details, year of edition cited. Format/URL. |
| Multi-volume work | (Last Name Years, Vol #:Page Numbers) | If Citing All Volumes: Author Last Name, First Name. Years. Title of Multivolume Work. Edited by Editor First and Last Name. # of vols. Place of Publication: Publisher. If Citing Only One Volume: Author's Last Name, Author's First Name. Year of Publication for Specific Volume. Title of Volume. Vol. volume number of Title of Multivolume Work. Place of Publication: Name of Publisher, Year(s) of Publication. |
| e.g. | (Cook 1992–99, 1:52) (Churchill 1956, 88) | If Citing All Volumes: Cook, Blanche Weisen. 1992–99. Eleanor Roosevelt. 2 vols. New York: Viking. If Citing Only One Volume: Churchill, Winston S. 1956. The Birth of Britain. Vol. 1 of A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1956–58. |
| Musical score | (Last Name Year) | Composer Last Name, First Name. Year. Score Title. Edited or Arranged by First and Last Name. Place of Publication: Publisher. |
| Newsletter | See gray literature entry. | |
| Newspaper (hardcopy, or online) | Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Hardcopy: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication. Online: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication. Accessed Date. URL/Database name. NB: Date of publication formation is Month Day, Year. Write out the month in full. If there is no publication date, provide the accessed date. Do not use both. |
| Older work (e.g., Aristotle, Plato) | Author Last Name Year, Page/Section/Line Number) | Author Name. Title of Work. Year. Edited and Translated by First and Last name. Location of Publication: Publisher. |
| Personal comms (emails, letters) | (Name of Sender, XXX message to author, Date) E.g.: (John Smith, Facebook message to author, April 19, 2023) | NB: Personal communications, including email and text messages and direct messages sent through social media, are usually cited in the text only; they are rarely included in a reference list. |
| Photographs (online, or in real life) | (Artist Last Name Year) | Artists’ Last Name, Artist’s First Name. Year. Title of Artwork. Medium, dimension. Location, Institution Name. Accessed date. URL if available. NB: Only add accessed date for online photos without a publication date. |
| Play (live production) | ||
| Play (script) | (Last Name Year, Line Number) | Playwright Last Name, First Name. Year. Play Title. Place of Publication: Publisher. |
| Podcast | (Last Name Year) | Host Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title” or Interviewee Name. Date of publication. Podcast Title. Additional contributors (e.g., producers or guests). Podcast, format (e.g., MP3 audio), total run time of episode. URL. |
| e.g. | (Johnson 2020) | Johnson, Lloyd. 2020. Interview with Mark Carter. April 23, 2020. Excellent Podcasts. Produced by Lizzie Rutter. Podcast, MP3 audio, 1:23:01. http://www.excellentpodcasts.com/lji. |
| Podcast episode | (Last Name Year) | Host Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Podcast Episode.” Produced by Producer Name. Name of Podcast. Month and Day. Podcast, File Format, Running Time. Time. URL. |
| Poetry (single author, hardcopy or online) | (Last Name Year, Page Number/Line Number) | Hardcopy: Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Poem.” In Book, edited by Editor(s) name, page number(s). City: Publisher. Online: Author Surname, First Name. Year of publication or revision. “Title of Page.” Publishing Organisation or Name of Website. Last modified/accessed date. URL. |
| Poetry anthology | NB: See chapter in a book or book entry. | |
| Press release | (Author Last Name Year) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Press Release Title.” Medium, Publication Date. URL. |
| Radio program | (Last Name Year) | Surname, First Name, role. Year. “Title of Broadcast.” Name of Series. Date and station of first airing. URL (if accessible online). |
| Religious text (e.g., the Qur’an, the Bible) | Bible: (Abbr. Book Name chapter:verse Version) Qur’an: Qur’an chapter: verse) | Religious Text Title. Year. Edited by First and Last Name, translated by First and Last Name. Place of Publication: Publisher. |
| Report | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Report. Place of Publication: Publisher. | |
| Shakespeare (anthology) NB: The same goes for other anthologies or collected works. | (Author Last Name Year, Page Numbers) | Author's Last Name, Author's First Name. Year. "Title of Play." In Title of Book, edited by Name of Editor(s), inclusive page numbers. Place of Publication: Name of Publisher. NB: For frequently cited works such as Shakespeare where variation can take place in wording, line numbering, etc., the edition is normally specified in the first note or in the bibliography. The edition must be mentioned if page numbers are cited. |
| e.g. | (Lear (Gree NBlatt) 2008, 3.2.1-9) | Shakespeare, William. 2008. "King Lear." In The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Gree NBlatt, pp. 2325-2567. New York: W. W. Norton. |
| Shakespeare (play script, sonnet) NB: The same goes for plays, other classical literature, or poetry—the key will be where the work was read. | (Last Name Year, Page/Line/Act/Scene Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Classic Play Title. Edited by First Name Last Name. Edition Details. City: Publisher. |
| e.g. | (Hamlet (Thompson and Taylor) 2006, (add specific line/section info) | Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Edited by Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor. Arden Shakespeare, 3rd ser. London: Thomson Learning, 2006. |
| Social media post | Last Name of Person/Organization Year) | Name of Person/Organization (@handle if needed). Year. “Quote up to the first 160 characters of the post.” Social Media Platform Name, Date of Post. URL. |
| e.g. | (Chicago Manual of Style 2015) (Souza 2016) | Chicago Manual of Style. 2015. “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in 1993.” Facebook, April 17, 2015. https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151. Souza, Pete (@petesouza). 2016. “President Obama bids farewell to President Xi of China at the conclusion of the Nuclear Security Summit.” Instagram photo, April 1, 2016. https://www.instagram.com/p/BDrmfXTtNCt/. |
| Social media profile page | NB: CMoS has no guidance on citing a social media page. Refer to Social Media Post entry for guidance. | |
| Speech (transcript) | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Online: Speaker Last Name, First Name. Year “Title of Speech.” Speech, Location of Speech, Month and Day. Website Name. Accessed Date. URL. NB: If no original date is given, use an accessed date. Do not use both. In Print: Speaker Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Speech.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor First and Last Name. Location of Publication: Publisher. |
| Standards | (Organization Year) | Abbreviation Used in Citations (Full Name of Issuing Organization). Year of Issue. Title of Standard. Standard number or identifier. Place of publication (if known): publishing organization. URL (if standard was accessed online). |
| Statistics (derived data) | Online: Author Last Name, First Name/Organization. Year. “Title of Statistical Information.” Accessed Date. URL. NB: If no original date is given, use an accessed date. Do not use both. In Print: Author Last Name, First Name/Organization. Year. “Title of Statistical Information.” In Name of Source, Page Range, additional information if any. Location of Publication: Publisher. | |
| Statute or Act (UK/US) | There is no guidance available on dealing with statutes and other such legal matter in CMoS author-date. Either follow the customer’s lead or simply ensure that you provide the statute name and year in the text itself. | |
| Translated book | (Author Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Translated by Translator First and Last Name. Publishing Location: Publisher. |
| TV series | (Last Name Year) | Surname, First Name, role. Year. Name of TV Show. Season and episode number, “Episode Title.” Featured contributors. Date and channel of first airing. Medium or URL. |
| Video (online) | (Author Last Name Year) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Video.” Filmed Date at Filming Location. Video, Video Length. URL. |
| e.g. | (Bouman 2016) | Bouman, Katie. 2016. “How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole.” Filmed November 2016 at TEDxBeaconStreet, Brookline, MA. Video, 12:51. https://www.ted.com/talks/katie_bouman_what_does_a_black_hole_look_like. |
| Webinar | (Presenter Last Name Year) | Presenter Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Webinar.” Webinar from Publisher, Broadcast location, Month, Day. URL. |
| Website content (e.g., a web page) | Organization/ Author Last Name n.d.) | Organization/Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Webpage.” Accessed Dated. URL. NB: It is often sufficient simply to describe web pages and other website content in the text (“As of May 1, 2017, Yale’s home page listed . . .”). For a source that does not list a date of publication or revision, use n.d. (for “no date”) in place of the year and include an accessed date. |
| e.g. | (Yale University n.d.) | Yale University. n.d. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Accessed May 1, 2017. https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts. |
| White paper (published or unpublished) | (Last Name/ Organization Name Year) | Author Name/Organization. Year. Title of White Paper. Page Number. Accessed Date. URL. NB: If no original date is given, use an accessed date. Do not use both. |
| Working paper | (Last Name Year, Page Number) | Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Title of Working Paper.” Working Paper, Place of Publication: Publisher. NB: Add all available information so that the source can be found. Don’t worry if some information is missing. |
| Yearbook | (Title of Yearbook Year) | Title of Yearbook. Location of Publication: Publisher, Year(s). Published annually. Also available at URL. |
| e.g. | (Europa World Year Book 1926–) | Europa World Year Book.1926–. London: Europa / Routledge. Published annually. Also available at http://www.europaworld.com/pub/. |
