Chicago Style Resources
The Chicago Manual of Style is the official guide to Chicago format. You can also visit the Chicago Manual of Style Quick Guide for official guidance.
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The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition
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Call Number: On ReserveISBN: 9780226817972Publication Date: 2024-09-19The venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar--an indispensable reference informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. Now in its 18th edition!
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Chicago Manual of Style 18th Ed. Official Quick Guide This link opens in a new windowProvided by The University of Chicago.
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CMSO 18th Ed. Quick GuideAvailable in the WC Library and the Academic Support Center.
Chicago Style
Overview: Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS),18th Edition
Chicago (CMOS) style is a citation format usually used in the humanities, history, the arts, etc., and is also known as Turabian style. It includes different versions for notes, shortened notes, and bibliographic entries.
- This guide is specific to the Notes-Bibliography style. While footnotes are emphasized in this guide, CMOS's Notes-Bibliography style also allows for endnotes. Notes-Bibliography style is what most of your history professors prefer, but you will need to ask to make sure.
- Your professor may prefer that you use Author-Date style. If so, this guide doesn't include the information you need.
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CMOS 18 Edition Changes This link opens in a new windowCMOS 18 Quick Style Guide examples and notes on how they differ from previous editions.
What's New in CMOS 18?
Most changes are style changes that reflect the changing inclusive language and syntax. These changes are not noted specifically in this guide, but highlights include capitalization of prepositions more than 5 letters or more: ex: About, Below, Through, Above, etc.; pronouns are formalized and clarified; CMOS is pointing to Merriam-Webster Dictionary as the specific spelling and grammar authority.
For the Bibliography, please note changes affect bibliography, notes and shortened notes.
Notes and Bibliography Guidance
- Location of publication no longer required (published since 1900)
Binder, Amy J., and Jeffrey L. Kidder. The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today. University of Chicago Press, 2022.
Yu, Charles. Interior Chinatown. Pantheon Books, 2020.
- The page range for a chapter in a book is no longer required in bibliography entries (see CMOS 14.8). In a note, cite specific pages as applicable.
- For notes, omit "p." and "pp." The number alone, preceded by a comma, are sufficient. Where other numerals threaten ambiguity, p., or pp., may be added for clarity. (14.50)
- Eastern order (family name first) rather than Western order (family name last) is followed; In the example, the author is therefore referred to as “Liu” in a shortened note, and the name is not inverted in a bibliography entry. See CMOS 13.75 for more details.
Liu Xinwu. The Wedding Party. Translated by Jeremy Tiang. Amazon Crossing, 2021.
- Book Consulted in Electronic Format CMOS 14.58–62.
- Include either a URL or the name of the database.
- For downloadable ebook formats, name the format ("Reflowable formats should be noted, as the potential for differences relative to print is greater, i.e., Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, proprietary formats based on EPUB" (14.58).
- If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the note (or simply omit).
- Audiobook include the name of narrator(s). A time stamp may be added if specific location is needed.
- For notes, page number in ebook formats omit page numbers, therefore it is often best to cite a chapter number or a section number or other milepost in lieu of a number (i.e., numbered paragraphs).
- Journal articles in the bibliography include the page range for the whole article. For articles consulted online, include a URL (preferably one based on a DOI; see CMOS 13.7); alternatively, list the name of the database.
- Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences.
- For works by two authors, list both in the bibliography and in a note (as in the Dittmar and Schemske example below).
- For three or more authors, list up to six in the bibliography
- More than six authors, list the first three, followed by “et al.” (“and others”).
- In a note, list only the first, followed by “et al.”
Dittmar, Emily L., and Douglas W. Schemske. “Temporal Variation in Selection Influences Microgeographic Local Adaptation.” American Naturalist 202, no. 4 (2023): 471–85. https://doi.org/10.1086/725865.
Hebert, B. T. “The Island of Bolsö: A Study of Norwegian Life.” Sociological Review 17, no. 4 (1925): 307–13. EBSCOhost.
Notes-Bibliography System Overview
In the notes-bibliography system, each in-text reference is denoted by a number that corresponds to a footnote.
- When it's time to cite a source within the text of your paper, you'll insert a footnote outside of the period or other punctuation using your word processor.
- A superscript 1 will appear after the punctuation mark, and you will be taken to the footer of the page, which will also show a 1. The superscript 1 in the text alerts your reader to look for the 1 on the bottom of the page for more information.
From Purdue OWL's "CMOS 17th NB Sample Paper."
- In the footer, add a period after the number, and create your footnote.
- The first line of a footnote is indented .5” from the left.
- Subsequent lines of a footnote are flush left.
- Footnotes are single-spaced within a note.
- Double-space between footnotes.
- Each subsequent note within your text will follow in numerical order throughout your paper. Even if you insert a note in between notes, for example, the software you are using will adjust.
Updated from Purdue OWL's "CMOS 17th NB Sample Paper."
In the notes-bibliography system, the page at the end of your paper where you will list all of your citations should be titled Bibliography.
- Bibliographies should be organized in alphabetical order by the first letter in the first word of each entry.
- Subsequent lines of an entry have a hanging indent.
- Write out the names of the first 3 authors.
- If there are 4 to 10 authors, write out the names of each author in the bibliography entry, but use First Author Name et al. in the footnote.
- Use DOIs instead of URLs if possible.
- Make DOIs active.
From Purdue OWL's "CMOS NB Sample Paper."
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the following libraries for permitting the Merced College Library to adapt their Chicago 17th ed. guides.