MLA HANDBOOK, 9th EDITION

Getting Started with MLA

"MLA Style" refers to the guidelines published by the Modern Language Association in the MLA Handbook.

The MLA Handbook publishes the Association's rules on how to format a paper, how to document research sources you use, and other matters of writing style. The Modern Language Association released a new edition of the MLA Handbook in 2021. You can read about the changes on the MLA Style Center website.

The MLA Handbook is available at the library reference desks and is available for purchase, but student writers can refer to help guides like this for almost any question about MLA style. 

If there's something this guide or the MLA Handbook doesn't cover, try searching the Ask the MLA-FAQ page from the MLA Style Center.

Why is MLA so important?

If you don't use a citation style to document the sources you used to help write a research paper, you're in danger of plagiarism.

Even if you don't mean to plagiarize, not citing your sources correctly might make it look as though you're passing someone else's words or ideas off as your own. There are serious consequences for plagiarism at Lone Star College. 

The best way to protect yourself from plagiarism is to get familiar with MLA style and use it consistently. 

Guides and Handouts

MLA 8: View this handout to learn more about MLA 8 citations. A print version of this handout is available in the library.

Finding and Citing Images for Posters and Powerpoints: This guide will help you learn about copyright, Creative Commons images, where to find them, and how to cite them.

Finding Creative Commons Images: This guide will help you find images that you may use in your work without strict copyright requirements.

Finding Flickr Creative Commons Images in Canvas: This guide will show you how to embed and cite Creative Commons images in Canvas.

MLA Quicklinks

 Video Tutorials

Other Resources

MLA Practice Template

The MLA Style Center: Works Cited: A Quick Guide

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): MLA Sample Paper: MLA style paper to help you format your own paper.

In-Text Citations

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): MLA In-Text Citations

MLA has rules for formatting your research paper. Your paper should have:

• An easily readable font (most professors prefer Times New Roman)

• 11-13 point size (most professors prefer 12 point font)

• Double spacing

• 1-inch margins

• 1/2-inch indent on the first line of each paragraph in the body of your paper

• Hanging indent on each Works Cited citation

• Your last name and page number at the top right of each page header

• Heading information at the top left of the first page: 

  • Your Name

  • Your Professor's Name

  • Class and section number 

  • Date

• For more details see "Formatting Your Research Paper" on the MLA Style Center.

For help setting up your paper in MLA format, click through our Google Slides presentation with step-by-step screenshots using a desktop version of Word:

• Format a Word document in MLA

  This slideshow will lead you step-by-step through formatting a Word document in MLA style.

Sample MLA Paper:

Need a visual? Take a look at our sample paper in MLA.

• Sample MLA Paper

  Word document formatted in MLA style.

In-Text Citations in MLA

Any time you use an information source in your paper, you must include an in-text citation.

The purpose of the in-text citation is to give just a little bit of information about the source you used so your reader can find your Works Cited list citation for the source. The Works Cited list citations allow your reader to see where you're getting your information and to find the source again so they can read it for themselves.  

Every in-text citation must correspond to a source citation on your Works Cited list. Every citation on your Works Cited list must correspond to at least one in-text citation somewhere in your paper.  

If you don't include in-text citations or Works Cited citations for information you use from your sources, you are at risk of plagiarism (passing off others' work as your own). Plagiarism has serious academic consequences. 

FORMATTING IN-TEXT CITATIONS IN MLA

Direct and Indirect Quotes

Create an in-text citation whenever you use a direct or indirect quote.

Direct quotes: when you copy/paste the exact words from a source. Put quotation marks around the quote to show it is direct. 

Texting is very common in almost every environment, including the college classroom. Two researchers report finding that “the vast majority of participants (97.5%) reported at least occasional use of a cell phone to text while in class” (Olmsted and Terry 188).

Indirect quotes: when you summarize or paraphrase a source in your own words. Even though you’re using your own words, you must cite the source to give credit to the original idea.

This is an example of paraphrase of the direct quote above:

Texting is very common in almost every environment, including the college classroom. In a 2014 study of undergraduates, researchers found that nearly all of the students surveyed had used their cell phones to text at some point during class (Olmsted and Terry 188).

PARENTHESES VS. SIGNAL PHRASES

There are two ways to create an in-text citation: with parentheses or in a signal phrase. 

Parentheses: Put the author(s) and page number of the quote together in parentheses at the end of the quote​:

Texting is very common in almost every environment, including the college classroom. Two researchers report finding that “the vast majority of participants (97.5%) reported at least occasional use of a cell phone to text while in class” (Olmsted and Terry 188).

Signal phrase: Write the author(s) in the text of the sentence (using a "signal phrase") and put the page number in parentheses at the end of the quote: 

Texting is very common in almost every environment, including the college classroom. In a 2014 study of undergraduates, Olmsted and Terry found that nearly all of the students surveyed had used their cell phones to text at some point during class (188).

WORKS CITED LISTS

You must include an citation for any information source you cite in your paper on your Works Cited list. 

The purpose of the Works Cited list is to give as much information as possible about the sources you used. This allows your reader to see where you're getting your information and to find the source again so they can read it for themselves.  

Every citation on your Works Cited list must correspond to at least one in-text citation somewhere in your paper.  

If you don't include Works Cited citations for information you use from your sources, you are at risk of plagiarism (passing off others' work as your own). Plagiarism has serious academic consequences. 

WORKS CITED LIST CITATIONS

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES

An Annotated Bibliography is a Works Cited list with one addition: descriptions ("annotations") written under each citation that summarize and analyze that source.  

Writing an annotated bibliography is a useful step in the research process because it can help you figure out what your research sources are really saying and how you can use them to support your thesis in a research paper.

Scroll down for resources to help you format an Annotated Bibliography in MLA and write annotations for your sources. 

HELP WITH ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Create citations for Annotated Bibliographies the same way you would for Works Cited lists in MLA. 

For help creating citations in MLA, refer to the Works Cited List Citations in MLA page in this guide choose a type of source for the correct format and an example:

Books

Citing a Printed Book

Format

Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. 

Example:

Citing an Electronic Book from the Open Web 

Format

Author. Title of Book. E-book, Publisher, Year. Website, URL.  

Example:

Citing an Electronic Book from a Library Database 

Format

Author. Title of Book. E-book, Publisher, Year. Database Name, permalink.  

Example:

Important things to notice about book reading citations:

• If your book has two authors, write them both out. Only reverse the order of the first author's names and include a comma after:

Kendi, Ibram X., and Jason Reynolds. 

• If your book has three or more authors, only write the first author's name and then type a comma and the "et al." abbreviation:

Doe, Jane, et al. 

• If your book has an edition number, put that after the book title and before the publisher. If your textbook doesn't have an edition number, just skip that part of the citation. Example:

Danielewski, Mark. House of Leaves. 2nd ed., Pantheon, 2000. 

• If your book has more than one publisher listed, use the first publisher's name on the title page as the publisher. 

• If your book has more than one copyright year on the back of the title page, use the most recent year as the date.

Textbooks

Need to cite a reading from your textbook, or any chapter from an edited volume? Use this format or try our step-by-step video. 

Format:

Author of Reading. "Title of Reading." Title of Book, edited by Editor, # ed., Publisher, Year, pp. ###-###. 

Example:

Citing a Reading from an Electronic Textbook

Format:

Author of Reading. "Title of Reading." Title of Book, edited by Editor, e-book, # ed., Publisher, Year, pp. ###-###. 

Example:

Important things to notice about textbook reading citations:

• If a title ends in a punctuation mark other than a period (like a question mark or exclamation mark), you do not need to type a period after: use the original punctuation mark in the source as your closing punctuation.

• If your textbook has three or more editors, only write the first editor's name and use the "et al." abbreviation like the example.

• If your textbook has an edition number, put that after the editors' names like the example. If your textbook doesn't have an edition number, just skip that part of the citation. 

• If your textbook has more than one publisher listed, use the first publisher's name on the title page as the publisher. 

• If your textbook has more than one copyright year on the back of the title page, use the most recent year as the date.

• Notice that page numbers have pp. before them in the Works Cited citation, but never use p. or pp. in MLA in-text citations.

• Cite a Textbook Reading in MLA

  This video walks you through citing a reading from an English textbook.

Webpages

Citing a Page on a Website

Format

Author. "Title of Webpage." Title of Website, Publisher of Website*, Date, URL. 

Example

* Note: MLA says that if the title of a website and the publisher of the website are the same, you do not need to repeat it in the citation. In this example, the publisher of Medium as listed at the bottom of the site is A Medium Corporation. Since they are nearly the same, we didn't include it in the citation. 

Citing an Online News or Magazine Article

Format

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Website, Date, URL. 

Example:

Citing a Webpage with No Author or Date

Format

 "Title of Article." Title of Website, Publisher of Website*, URL. 

Example

* Note: MLA says that if the title of a website and the publisher of the website are the same, you do not need to repeat it in the citation. We included it in this citation to let readers know what the NACCHO acronym stands for. 

Important things to notice about webpage citations:

• A lot of webpages don't have a specific author listed. That's OK! Just skip the author and start the citation at "Title of Webpage."

• MLA says that if the title of a website and the publisher of the website are the same, you do not need to repeat it in the citation.

• A lot of webpages don't have dates. That's OK! Just skip the date and go right from Title of Website, to either the website publisher or the URL (depending on whether or not the publisher is different from the website title).

• When you copy and paste the URL into your webpage citations, take off the http:// or https:// at the beginning: MLA does not require it. 

• Type a period at the end of your URL. 

• MLA does not require access dates (the date you looked at the webpage) unless a source changes frequently (like a Wikipedia entry). Some professors may require accessed dates, too, so if you need to include one, just pop it at the very end of the citation and format it as Accessed Day Month. Year (example: Accessed 24 Apr. 2020). 

• Cite a Webpage in MLA

  This video walks through citing two types of webpages - an online news article and a webpage with no author or date - in MLA format.

  more...

Videos and Films

Citing a Film (without a specific format noted)

Format

Film Title. Directed by Director, Film Distributor, Year.

Example

Citing YouTube videos

Format

"Video Title." YouTube Channel, Date, URL. 

Example

Citing Films from Streaming Services (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime)

Format

Film Title. Directed by Director, Film Distributor, Year. Streaming Service, URL. 

Example

Citing TV Episodes from Streaming Services (e.g., Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime)

Format

"Title of Episode." TV Show, season #, episode #, TV Network, Date. Streaming Platform, URL. 

Example

Citing Videos on DVD

Format

Film Title. Directed by Director, Film Distributor, Year, DVD. 

Example

Emphasizing a specific performer or director:

Format

Performer Name, performer. Film Title. Film Distributor, Year, DVD. 

Example

Important things to notice about video/film citations:

• If you want to emphasize a particular aspect of a film (like its director, performers, or writers), start the citation as if that person(s) were an author and include a word describing their role afterward, like in the Moana citation above. 

• When you create in-text citations for videos, include the timestamp of the part of you're citing in the place where page numbers would normally go. In this example, I'm citing Cravalho's performance in Moana from minutes 30 - 32 in the film:

(Cravalho  00:30:00 - 00:32:00)

Images

Citing an Image from the Web 

Format

Image Creator. Title of Image. Collection or Publisher, Date. Image Aggregator, URL. 

Example

Important things to notice about image citations:

• If you can't find one of the citation pieces for your image, that's OK! Just include as many citation elements as you can find.  

• If an image doesn't have a specific title, you can create a title by describing it: 

Photograph of Women Holding Protest Signs at March. 

• ​Many images have copyrights and cannot be used, even with attribution and under Fair Use guidelines. For more information and links to websites where you can find rights-free images, check out our Art LibGuide: https://cflibguides.lonestar.edu/c.php?g=864248&p=6197576

Database Sources

Most databases will format citations in MLA for you, but you always need to double check them!

Format:

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Publication, vol. #, no. #, Date, pp. ## - ##. Database Name, DOI or Permalink. 

Example:

Important things to notice about database citations:

• Databases do a good job of putting the right citation elements in the right order, but they do not do a good job on formatting: always double-check and edit database citations so they follow MLA formatting rules of Times New Roman font, 12 pt size, double spacing, and hanging indents. 

• Citations from a database include the database name. If you are using an EBSCO database, the automatic citation will put in EBSCOhost as the database name: change that to the specific EBSCO database you used (like Academic Search Complete, Literary Reference Center, etc.)

• Citations from a database will end in either a DOI (digital object identifier) or a URL. Remove the http:// from in front of a DOI or URL if the database includes it.  

• Scroll down or visit the Citing Database Sources in MLA page in this guide for examples on correcting MLA citations from different library databases. 

Citing Journal Articles and eBooks from EBSCO Databases

• Cite a Journal Article from EBSCO Databases in MLA

  This video walks you through copying, pasting, and correcting an MLA citation for a journal article in an EBSCO database like Academic Search Complete.

• Cite an eBook from EBSCO in MLA

  This video walks you through copying, pasting, and correcting an MLA citation for a book from the EBSCO eBook Collection database.

Citing Something from the Credo Reference Database

• Cite an Entry from Credo Reference in MLA

  This video walks you through copying, pasting, and correcting an MLA citation from the Credo Reference database.

Other Sources

This guide collects the most common types of sources we see students citing. If you need to create an MLA citation for a source type you don't see here, try one of these resources:

• MLA Handout with Examples

  This handout has examples of different Works Cited source citations on page 2-3 and examples of in-text citations on page 4.

• Sample Works Cited List for Career Sources

  This is a Works Cited list we created with citations of different kinds of career sources (like the OOH, CareerOneStop, an article from a database). If you're taking EDUC 1300 and need to cite sources for the career project, try this resource.

• Excelsior Online Writing Lab: MLA Style

  We love the Excelsior College guide to MLA. Use the links on the left for examples of different kinds of in-text and Works Cited citations.

• MLA Core Elements Worksheet

  This blank worksheet lists the core elements needed to create Works Cited entries in MLA. No matter what kind of source you're citing, it will have at least one or two of these core elements. Use the worksheet to plug in the elements from your source and create the MLA citation from scratch.

• Contact a Librarian

  Not sure how to get started with MLA? Contact a librarian - we're here to help.

Getting Started with APA

• APA 7 Quick Reference Guide

"APA Style" refers to guidelines published by the American Psychological Association.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition details the organization's rules on how to format a paper, how to document research sources you use, and other matters of writing style. The American Psychological Association released a new edition of the Publication Manual in 2020. You can read about the changes on the APA Style website.

The APA Publication Manual is available at the first floor library reference desk (two-hour checkout, in-library use only) and for purchase, but students can refer to help guides like this for almost any question about APA Style. The American Psychological Association also publishes the Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition specifically for students.

Why is APA Style so important?

If you don't use a citation style to document the sources you used to help write a research paper, you're in danger of plagiarism.

Even if you don't mean to plagiarize, not citing your sources correctly might make it look as though you're passing someone else's words or ideas off as your own. There are serious consequences for plagiarism at LSC-CyFair.

The best way to protect yourself from plagiarism is to get familiar with APA Style and use it consistently. 

Additional APA Sources

Additional Sources -providing more in-depth information and examples

Frequently Asked Questions about APA Style American Psychological Association (2010 ed.) Includes information about citing web sites, etc.

Reference List: Electronic Sources (Web Publications) from Purdue OWL Have questions specifically about citing electronic resources? Look here!

In-text Citations for APA style (2010 ed.) Includes a table with information on how to do in-text citations for multiple authors.

Referencing Sources in APA Style: A Basic Introduction (Video -- covers how to do in-text citations)

APA Style Reference List: How to Reference Journal Articles (Video -- covers how to cite journal articles)

The Alvin Sherman Library  Includes a collection of How Do I Cite? videos

The OWL at Purdue  A great source for APA formatting and style, with examples.

Duke University Library Provides examples for all citation styles in Citing Sources Within Your Paper and Assembling a List of Works Cited.

Using a DOI vs. a URL in APA Style (2010 ed.) Shows when to use a DOI and when to use a URL in your APA citations.

Acknowledging, Paraphrasing, and Quoting Sources From the Writing Center at University of Wisconsin - Madison, this guide gives examples of successful and unsuccessful paraphrasing.

Format a Paper in APA

• APA Student Paper Setup Guide

  Created by the American Psychological Association, provides detailed guidelines on how to setup your entire paper

• APA Student Paper Template

  Created specifically for LSC-CyFair students; feel free to download, save as, and overwrite for your paper!

APA STUDENT PAPER COMPONENTS

Citing Author's in APA

Guidelines for APA Style References

• Creating an APA Style Reference List Guide

• Common Reference Examples Guide

• Reference Guide for Journal Articles, Books, and Edited Book Chapters

Guidelines:

• Your Reference List is the last section of your paper. It provides information about sources you used and cited within your paper.
  • Each source you cite within your paper must appear as an entry in your reference list. Refer to the page in this guide about In-Text Citations for more information and examples.
• Begin your reference list on a new page separate from the main body of your paper.
• Title this page References in bold, and center at the top of the page (do not underline or use quotation marks for the title).
• Double space and use hanging indentation for each entry in your reference list.
  • From Microsoft Word, select your text > click the pop-out icon next to "Paragraph" > select "Hanging" from the special indentation dropdown menu > click "Ok" to apply formatting
• Alphabetize reference list entries by the last name of the first author of each work.
• For multiple sources by the same author(s), list entries in chronological order from earliest to most recent.
  • If there is no year of publication, use the abbreviation "n.d." for "no date"

CITING ARTICLES IN APA

CITING AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA IN APA

CITING BOOKS IN APA

Book/eBook

Format

Book with Author(s):

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher Name. DOI or URL if available

Edited Book with No Author:

Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher. DOI or URL if available

Examples

Book with Author(s):

Hallam, S. & Himonides, E. (2022). The power of music: An exploration of the evidence. Open Book Publishers.

Edited Book with No Author:

Newton, D. E. (Ed.). (2019). Spotlight on current events: Essays on contemporary world issues. ABC-CLIO.

Audiobook

Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (N. Narrator, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Publisher. DOI or URL if available

Example

Cain, S. (2012). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking (K. Mazur, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Random House Audio. https://www.audible.com/pd/Quiet-Audiobook/B006TIKUN4

Book Chapter

Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (pp. page range of chapter). Publisher. DOI or URL if available

Example

Armstrong, D. (2019). Malory and character. In M. G. Leitch & C. J. Rushton (Eds.), A new companion to Malory (pp. 144-163). D. S. Brewer.

Edition other than the first

Format

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (# edition). Publisher. DOI or URL if available

Example

Belcher, W. (2019). Writing your journal article in twelve weeks: A guide to academic publishing success (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

Multivolume Book

Format

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (Vol. #). Publisher. DOI or URL if available

• If the volume has an editor instead of an author, use the editor's name in place of the author's name followed by "Ed." or "Eds." in parentheses (as in the Travis & White example below)
• If the volume does not have its own title, include the volume number in parenthesis without italics (as in the Fiske et al. example below)
• If the volume has its own title, include the volume number and title after the main title in italics (as in the Travis & White example below)

Examples

Fiske, S. T., Gilbert, D. T., & Lindzey, G. (2010). Handbook of social psychology (5th ed., Vol. 1). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119

Travis, C. B., & White, J. W. (Eds.). (2018). APA handbook of the psychology of women: Vol. 1. History, theory, and battlegrounds. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000059-000

Citing Webpages in APA

GUIDELINES FOR APA STYLE IN-TEXT CITATIONS

• In-Text Citation Checklist

The purpose of the in-text citation is to briefly identify a source used within your paper. The in-text citation directs readers to the full reference list citation, which provides the information needed to locate the exact source.

Guidelines

• Each in-text citation must have a corresponding citation in the reference list, and each reference list citation must have a corresponding in-text citation.
• At a minimum, each in-text citation will include the author and year of publication.
  • If there is no author, your in-text citation will refer to a shortened source title.
  • If there is no year of publication, use the abbreviation "n.d." for "no date"
    • (Smith, n.d.)
• When citing specific pieces of information such as direct quotes, you will include the page number (or equivalent) from which the information was pulled.
  • For a single page, use the abbreviation "p."
    • (Smith, 2022, p. 24)
  • For multiple pages, use the abbreviation "pp." and separate the page range with a dash
    • (Smith, 2022, pp. 24-25)
  • For pages that are disconnected, use the abbreviation "pp." and a comma between the page numbers
    • (Smith, 2022, pp. 24, 26)
  • For sources without page numbers, provide readers with another way (paragraphs, sections, tables, figures, timestamps, slide numbers, etc.) of locating the original information
    • (Smith, 2022, paras. 2-3)
    • (Smith, 2022, Table 4)
• An in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative.
  • In a parenthetical in-text citation, the author and publication date (or equivalent information) appear in parentheses within or at the end of a sentence.
  • In a narrative in-text citation, the author appears in running text and the date appears in parentheses immediately after the author name.
• Integrate sources into your assignment by paraphrasing or quoting. Both situations require an in-text citation.
  • Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there.
  • Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work and phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. Keep just what you need – you have no obligation to use the author's whole sentence if you don't need it. If you need to change something about the quote for clarity or to fit your own sentence, place the changed word(s) in square brackets. Quotes should always be framed by your own words before and/or after.

Tutorial Videos

Other APA Resources

• APA 7 References Formatting & Citations Guide

  Handout describing how to format your paper, cite commonly used sources, and properly use in-text citations

• APA Style and Grammar Guidelines

  Official website for APA Style, including resources and updates from the American Psychological Association

• APA Style Blog

  Official companion to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition that addresses FAQs

• Purdue OWL APA Formatting & Style Guide (7th Edition)

  Our favorite APA guide that provides more examples of in-text and reference list citations

Citation Management Software

Citation management tools make it easy to save citation information for your sources as you research. They even generate reference lists in the citation style of your choice. Explore the tools below, select the one that will best meet your research needs, and create a free account!

• Mendeley

  Mendeley is a free reference manager that can help you store, organize, note, share, and cite references and research data. Automatically generate bibliographies, collaborate with other researchers, import papers from other research software, find relevant papers based on what you're reading, and access your papers from anywhere online.

• Zotero

  Zotero is a free reference manager that can help you collect, manage, cite, and share your research. Attach PDFs, annotations, and images to your citations, organize them into collections for different projects, and create bibliographies.

About Chicago Style: Fast Facts

The Chicago Manual of Style offers two distinct documentation methods, one for the humanities (Notes and Bibliography system) and one for the sciences (Author-Date system). This guide presumes you're using the Notes & Bibliography format, which is common for Lone Star College classes.

• There is no particular required font, but stick with Times New Roman size 12, as you would for other essays.
• Footnote numbers are consecutive throughout the whole paper. If you re-use a source, it will get a new footnote number each time. 
• Most of your paper will be double-spaced.
• Footnote entries & bibliography entries will be single-spaced. Footnotes will also use a "first line indent," making them look like a regular paragraph. Bibliography entries at the end of the paper will use a hanging indent like you've probably used in MLA and APA.

• 

  Chicago Style Template Word Document

  This Word doc is already set up for the notes-bibliography version of Chicago style. Just add content!

• Chicago Sample Paper

  View the sample paper written in Chicago Style. Adapted from the OWL Writing Center of Purdue University.

Basic Chicago Citation Anatomy

Shortened (Concise) Notes

The second (or subsequent) time a resource is referenced, use a shortened form of the citation.  The short form should include the last name of the author, a brief form of the title (formatted with italics or quotation marks as needed), and the page number.  For example:

      95. Miller, Quest, 81.

Note: Older versions of Chicago used Ibid. for consecutive references to the same source. This is no longer preferred, as of the 17th edition. You will use shortened notes for all footnote citations after your initial use of a source.

Other Citation Guides

MLA Style Guide

APA Style Guide

Additional CMOS Resources

• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): CMOS Formatting & Style Guides

  A great source for Chicago formatting and style, with examples.

• The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS): Citation Quick Guide

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) Sample Paper

• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): CMOS NB Sample Paper

  Chicago style paper to help you format your own paper

Annotated Bibliography Example

• How to Write an Annotated Bibliography: Chicago Style

Setting Up Your Paper

Margins, Indents

• Leave uniform margins of at least 1 inch (2.54 cm.) at the top, bottom, left and right of every page.
• Indent all paragraphs in the body of the paper 1/2". (Hit the Tab key once.)
• Indent notes (footnotes or endnotes) 1/2" (first line indent, like a normal paragraph).
• Use a hanging indent of 1/2" for Bibliography entries.
• Block indent long quotations 1/2".

Spacing

• Double-space the body of the paper with no extra space between paragraphs.
• Double-space block quotes.
• Single-space each note (whether using endnotes or footnotes) and bibliography, but double-space between each entry.
• Type only one space between words as well as following a period or a colon

Numbering

• Count title page as page one but do not put a number on it
• Number subsequent pages in the top right-hand corner
• Format note numbers as superscripts in the text

Fonts: CMOS does not specify a particular font. We suggest you use a readable serif font, like Times New Roman, 12 pt.

Title Page

All title page elements will be centered. Go with size 12 Times New Roman font. There is no page number on the title page!

About a third of the way down the page, write your paper title.

Go down about another third and write:

Your Name

Class Name

Date

Paper Body

In-text citations will use footnotes, not parentheses (see formatting examples on the other pages of this guide).

Otherwise, proceed with your normal paper-writing style: indent paragraphs, organize your ideas, use good grammar, and so on.

The paper will be double-spaced throughout -- everything should be consistent and match everything else, from title page through bibliography.

Bibliography

• Center the word "Bibliography" (without quotation marks) at the top of a new page
• Continue with numbering of pages.    

Each bibliographic entry will be single-spaced with a double-space in between each entry. Use the hanging indent.

For examples, please refer to the other sections of this guide (Articles, E-Books & Books, etc).

Sample Chicago Paper

Sample Chicago Paper

Word document formatted in Chicago style.

Adding Footnotes in Word

Unlike MLA and APA, you'll be using footnotes to add your in-text documentation. (There is a version of Chicago which uses parenthetical citations -- Author-Date format -- but you're more likely to use Notes-Bibliography, which this guide focuses on.)

To add footnotes to your paper, just click the "Insert Footnote" option in Word (under References) wherever you'd normally be adding a parenthetical citation. Word will take care of all the spacing and footnote numbering for you.

You will need to do some slight reformatting to your footnotes to make them fit Chicago Style. Footnotes should be single-spaced (with an empty line separating each footnote) and use a first line indent.

Our document template has already been formatted to Chicago style.

Template for Chicago Style paper

This Word doc is already set up for the notes-bibliography version of Chicago style. Just add content!

Scholarly Articles from an Online Database

General Format:

Full Note:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, "Article Title," Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Year): page #, Name of Database OR URL of journal article web page.

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, "Article Title," page #.

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initial. "Article Title." Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Year): Page range of article. Name of Database OR URL of journal article web page.

• CMOS: Journal Article

Example 1

Footnote (Full Note):

1.  Valerie Bunce, "Rethinking Recent Democratization: Lessons from the Postcommunist Experience," World Politics 55, no. 2 (2003): 168, Project MUSE.

Footnote (Concise Note):

2.  Bunce, "Rethinking Recent Democratization," 172.

Bibliography:

Bunce, Valerie. "Rethinking Recent Democratization: Lessons from the Postcommunist Experience." World Politics 55, no. 2 (2003): 167-192. Project MUSE.

Example 2

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Kenneth Aitchison, "After the Gold Rush: Global Archeology in 2009," World Archeology 41, no. 4 (2009): 670, https://doi.org/10.1080/00438240903363772.

Footnote (Concise Note):

2.  Aitchison. "After the Gold Rush," 661.

Bibliography:

Aitchison, Kenneth. "After the Gold Rush: Global Archeology in 2009." World Archeology 41, no. 4 (2009): 659-671. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438240903363772.

Example 3

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Bernard Testa and Lamont B. Kier, "Emergence and Dissolvence in the Self-Organisation of Complex Systems," Entropy 2, no. 1 (2000): 17, http://www.mdpi.org/entropy/papers/e2010001.pdf.

Footnote (Concise Note):

2.  Testa and Kier, "Emergence and Dissolvence," 17.

Bibliography:

Testa, Bernard, and Lamont B. Kier. "Emergence and Dissolvence in the Self-Organisation of Complex Systems." Entropy 2, no. 1 (2000): 1-25. http://www.mdpi.org/entropy/papers/e2010001.pdf.

Website Articles

General Format:

Websites can often be limited to notes. If not using notes, a bibliographic entry may be included, cited by the owner or sponsor of the site.

Full Note:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, "Title of Page," Title or Owner of Site, date last modified or accessed, URL.

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, "Title of Page."

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initials. "Title of Page." Title or Owner of Site. Date last modified or accessed. URL.

Examples:

Example 1 (with access date)

Full Note:

1. K. A. Johnson and J. A. Becker, "The Whole Brain Atlas," Harvard University Medical School, accessed April 29, 2011, http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/. 
 
Concise Note:

2. Johnson and Becker, "The Whole Brain Atlas."

Bibliography:

Johnson, K. A., and J. A. Becker. "The Whole Brain Atlas." Harvard University Medical School. Accessed April 29, 2011.  http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/. 

Example 2 (with publication date)

Full Note:

1. Alan Henry, "Why We Get Brain Freezes," Lifehacker, June 11, 2016, http://lifehacker.com/why-we-get-brain-freezes-1781798710.
 
Concise Note:

2. Henry, "Brain Freezes."

Bibliography:

Henry, Alan. "Why We Get Brain Freezes." Lifehacker. June 11, 2016. http://lifehacker.com/why-we-get-brain-freezes-1781798710.

Examples (No Author):

Full Note:

1. "Apps for Office Sample Pack," Office Dev Center, Microsoft Coporation, updated October 20, 2015, https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/office/Apps-for-Office-code-d04762b7.

Concise Note:

2.  "Apps for Office."

Bibliography:

Microsoft Corporation. "Apps for Office Sample Pack." Office Dev Center. Updated October 20, 2015. https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/office/Apps-for-Office-code-d04762b7.

Full Note:

1. "Diabetes Myths," American Diabetes Association, last modified July 5, 2017, http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths.

Concise Note:

2.  "Diabetes Myths."

Bibliography:

American Diabetes Association. "Diabetes Myths." Last modified July 5, 2017. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths.

Magazine Articles

General Format:

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, "Article Title," Magazine Title, Month Day, Year, page # OR URL/location.

Footnote (Concise Note):

2. Author Surname, "Article Title," page #.

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initial. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Month Day, Year. URL/location.

• CMOS: News or Magazine Article

Examples (Online):

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Joseph Boyden, "The Lessons Not Learned from the Gulf Coast Oil Spill: It's been a Year Since the BP Disaster, and Nobody has Learned Anything," Macleans, May 2, 2011, http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/05/02/spilling-over/.  

Footnote (Concise Note):

2. Boyden, "The Lessons Not Learned."

Bibliography:

Joseph Boyden. "The Lessons Not Learned from the Gulf Coast Oil Spill: It's been a Year Since the BP Disaster, and Nobody has Learned Anything." Macleans, May 2, 2011. http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/05/02/spilling-over.

Examples (Print):

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Carol Ezzell, "Care for a Dying Continent," Scientific American, May 2000, 32. 

Footnote (Concise Note):

2. Ezzell, "Care for a Dying Continent," 32.

Bibliography:

Ezzell, Carol. "Care for a Dying Continent." Scientific American, May 2000.

Newspaper Articles

General Format:

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, "Article Title," Newspaper Title, Month Day, Year, URL.

Footnote (Concise Note):

2. Author Surname, "Article Title."

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initial. "Article Title." Newspaper Title, Month Day, Year. URL.

• CMOS: News or Magazine Article

Examples (Online):

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Alessandra Stanley, “‘Mad Men’ Strains to Stay as Button-Down as Ever,” New York Times, August 13, 2009, nytimes.com.

Footnote (Concise Note):

2. Stanley, "'Mad Men.'"

Bibliography:

Stanley, Alessandra. “‘Mad Men’ Strains to Stay as Button-Down as Ever.” New York Times, August 13, 2009. nytimes.com.

Examples (Print):

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Laurie Goodstein and William Glaberson, "The Well-Marked Roads to Homicidal Rage," New York Times, April 10, 2000, national edition, sec. 1. 

Footnote (Concise Note):

2. Goodstein and Glaberson, "The Well-Marked Roads."

Bibliography:

Goodstein, Laurie, and William Glaberson. "The Well-Marked Roads to Homicidal Rage." New York Times, April 10, 2000, national edition, sec. 1.

About Citing Book and Ebooks

Full Note, General Format for Books:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, "Title of Chapter or Article," in Book Title, translator and editor, (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), volume #:page #.

Remember: If your source doesn't need an element, skip it. Each color highlight in the sample above corresponds to one element and any punctuation it needs.

Specific examples are listed on this page.

Ebooks

General Format:

Ebooks are generally referenced in the same way as other books.  The general format provided below refers to a basic one author ebook. 
 
If you are using an ebook that has multiple authors, includes an edition number, etc., please refer to the appropriate section in this guide. Include information on the format of the resource near the end of the citation (including a URL or DOI for the online version of an ebook).
 
Full Note:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, Book Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Format, page #.

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, Book Title, page #.

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initial. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Format.

Examples:

Example 1: Ebook from Database

Full Note:

1. Hal Hellman, Great Feuds in Science: Ten of the Liveliest Disputes Ever (New York: John Wiley, 1998), Net Library e-book, 52.

Concise Note:

2. Hellman, Great Feuds in Science, 52.

Bibliography:

Hellman, Hal. Great Feuds in Science: Ten of the Liveliest Disputes Ever. New York: John Wiley, 1998. Net Library e-book.

Example 2: Ebook With DOI

Full Note:

1. Elliot Antokoletz, Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartok (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008), doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195365825.001.0001.

Concise Note:

2.  Antokoletz, Musical Symbolism.

Bibliography:

Elliot Antokoletz. Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartok. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195365825.001.0001.

Example (Downloaded Book):

Full Note:

1. Kevin R. Johnson, How Did You Get To Be Mexican? A White/Brown Man's Search for Identity (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2000), Kindle, chap. 5.

Concise Note:

2. Johnson, White/Brown Man, chap. 7.

Bibliography:

Johnson, Kevin R. How Did You Get To Be Mexican? A White/Brown Man’s Search for Identity. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2000. Kindle edition.

Examples (Online/Browser):

Full Note:

1. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus (1817; Project Gutenberg, 1993), letter 2, http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/84.

Concise Note:

2. Shelley, Frankenstein, chapter 4.

Bibliography:

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. 1817; Project Gutenberg, 1993. http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/84.

Print Book

General Format:

Full Note:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, Book Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page #.

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, Book Title, page #.

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initial. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.

If you are dealing with an editor instead of an author, insert the editor's name in the place where the author's name is now, followed by a comma and the word "ed." without the quotation marks (e.g. John Smith, ed.). If you have more than one editor, use "eds." The rest of the format remains the same.

Example (1 Author):

Full Note:

1. Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet (New York: Henry Holt, 1999), 25. 

Concise Note:

2. Rushdie, The Ground Beneath, 25. 

Bibliography:

Rushdie, Salman. The Ground Beneath Her Feet. New York: Henry Holt, 1999.

Example (2-3 Authors):

Full Note:

1. Liam P. Unwin and Joseph Galloway, Peace In Ireland (Boston: Stronghope Press, 1990), 139. 

Concise Note:

2. Unwin and Galloway, Peace in Ireland, 220.

Bibliography:

Unwin, Liam P., and Joseph Galloway. Peace in Ireland. Boston: Stronghope Press, 1990.

Example (4 Authors):

Full Note: 

1. Jeri A. Sechzer et al., eds., Women and Mental Health (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996), 243.

Concise Note:

2. Sechzer et al., Women and Mental Health, 245.

Bibliography:

Sechzer, Jeri A., S. M. Pfaffilin, F. L. Denmark, A. Griffin, and S. J. Blumenthal, eds. Women and Mental Health. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996.

Example (No Author):

Full Note:

1. New York Public Library American History Desk Reference (New York: Macmillan, 1997), 87.

Concise Note:

2. New York Public Library, 87.

Bibliography:

New York Public Library American History Desk Reference. New York: Macmillan, 1997.

Images (Online or Physical)

General Format:

Omit the URL for art you've viewed in person.

Full Note:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, Image Title, Year, medium, dimensions, physical location, URL.

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, Image Title.

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initial. Image Title. Year. Medium, dimensions. Location. URL.

Example (Artwork):

Full Note:

1. Jan Griffier, Dutch Snow Scene with Skaters, c.1695, oil on canvas, 83 x 94 cm, Merchant Adventurers' Hall, York, https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/dutch-snow-scene-with-skaters-10363.

Concise Note:

2. Griffier, Dutch Snow Scene.

Bibliography: Note: Chicago does not require that you include art in your bibliography, though your professor might!

Griffier, Jan. Dutch Snow Scene with Skaters. c.1695. Oil on canvas, 83 x 94 cm. Merchant Adventurers' Hall. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/dutch-snow-scene-with-skaters-10363.

Full Note:

1. Pablo Picasso, Bull's Head, spring 1942, bicycle saddle and handlebars, 33.5 x 43.5 x 19 cm, Musée Picasso Paris.

Concise Note:

2. Picasso, Bull's Head.

Bibliography:

Picasso, Pablo. Bull's Head. Spring 1942. Bicycle saddle and handlebars, 33.5 x 43.5 x 19 cm. Musée Picasso Paris.

Example (Photograph)

Full Note:

1. Dorothea Lange, Black Maria, Oakland, 1957, printed 1965, gelatin silver print, 39.3 x 37 cm, Art Institute, Chicago, http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/220174.

Concise Note:

2. Lange, Black Maria, Oakland.

Bibliography:

Lange, Dorothea. Black Maria, Oakland. 1957, printed 1965. Gelatin silver print, 39.3 x 37 cm. Art Institute, Chicago. http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/220174.

Full Note:

1. Steve McCurry, Afghan Girl, December 1984, photograph, National Geographic, cover, June 1985.

Concise Note:

2. McCurry, Afghan Girl.

Bibliography:

McCurry, Steve. Afghan Girl. December 1984. Photograph. National Geographic, cover, June 1985.

Example (Digital Graphic)

Full Note:

1. Lone Star College-University Park Student Learning Resource Center, Collage of library photos profile image, n.d., color image, Citations: Chicago Style, http://upresearch.lonestar.edu/chicago.

Concise Note:

2. Lone Star Collage, Collage.

Bibliography:

1. Lone Star College-University Park Student Learning Resource Center. Collage of library photos profile image. N.d., color image. Citations: Chicago Style. http://upresearch.lonestar.edu/chicago.

Image in a Book

General Format:

Full Note:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, "Photograph Title," Year Photo was Taken (if provided), in Book Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page or plate #. 

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, "Photograph Title."

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initial. "Photograph Title." Year Photo was Taken (if provided). In Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year, page or plate #.
 

"Figure" can be abbreviated to fig. but table, map, plate, and other labels should be spelled out. Page number (if available) should precede the illustration number.

Example

Full Note:

1. Franz Jansen, "8 O'Clock," 1920, in German Expressionist Woodcuts, ed. Shane Weller (New York: Dover Publications, 1994), plate 12.

Concise Note:

2. Jansen, "8 O'Clock."

Bibliography:

Jansen, Franz. "8 O'Clock." 1920. In German Expressionist Woodcuts, edited by Shane Weller. New York: Dover Publications, 1994, plate 12. 

Movie or Video Recording

General Format:

The order of elements (and what you include) will depend on the format you watched as well as whether you're focusing on a particular piece or aspect of the overall work.

Full Note:

1. "Scene Title or Number," Title of Motion Picture, directed by Director First Name Surname (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Format.

Concise Note:

2. "Scene Title or Number."

Bibliography:

"Scene Title or Number." Title of Motion Picture. Directed by Director First Name Surname. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Format.
 

• CMOS on timestamps

Example:

Full Note:

1. "Crop Duster Attack," North by Northwest, directed by Alfred Hitchcock (1959; Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2000), DVD.

Concise Note:

2. "Crop Duster Attack."

Bibliography:

"Crop Duster Attack." North by Northwest. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. 1959. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2000. DVD.

Full Note:

1. Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron (2013; Burbank, CA: Warner Bros. Pictures, 2014), Blue-ray Disc, 1080p HD.

Bibliography:

Curaon, Alfonso, dir. Gravity. 2013; Burbank, CA: Warner Bros. Pictures, 2014. Blue-ray Disc, 1080p HD.

Online/Streaming Videos

General format:

The order of elements (and what you include) will depend on the format you watched as well as whether you're focusing on a particular piece or aspect of the overall work.

Source type refers to the original format (e.g. 35 mm), and format is the version you viewed (e.g. DVD, YouTube video). Cite the video according to its original release information first, then add in details about the digital version.

Full Note:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, Multimedia Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), source type, format, URL.

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, Multimedia Title.

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initial. Multimedia Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Format, URL.

• CMOS on timestamps

Example:

Example 1

Full Note:

1. A. E. Weed, At the Foot of the Flatiron (American Mutoscope and Biograph Co., 1903), 35 mm film; from Library of Congress, The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906, MPEG video, 2:19, https://www.loc.gov/item/00694378/.

Concise Note:

2. Weed, At the Foot of the Flatiron.

Bibliography:

Weed, A. E. At the Foot of the Flatiron. American Mutoscope and Biograph Co., 1903; 35 mm film. From Library of Congress, The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906. MPEG video, 2:19. https://www.loc.gov/item/00694378/.

Example 2

Full Note:

1. W. K. L. Dickson, Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (Edison Manufacturing Co., 1894), 35 mm film, YouTube video, 0:07, posted by "FreeClassicMovies1," April 3, 2012, https://youtu.be/oUC1QlXVhiM.

Concise Note:

2. Dickson, Record of a Sneeze.

Bibliography:

Dickson, W. K. L. Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze. Edison Manufacturing Co., 1894, 35 mm film. YouTube video, 0:07. Posted by "FreeClassicMovies1," April 3, 2012. https://youtu.be/oUC1QlXVhiM.

Music

General Format:

Like movies, the inclusion and order of various elements will depend on the the recording itself and how you accessed it. If your source doesn't indicate a date of recording or publication, use other sources to locate this information. Recordings on LP or disc will usually have an acquisition number, which should be included after the name of the recording company (no comma separating them).

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Creator or Group, "Title of Song," other contributors, recording date, Recording Company or publisher acquisition number, track number on Album Title, year of release, format.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Creator/Group, "Title," time stamp.

Bibliography:

Name of group or composer or performer. Title. Recording date. Recording Company or Publisher, format.

Example:

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Leslie Odom, Jr., performer, "Wait For It," by Lin-Manuel Miranda, recorded 2015, with Hamilton ensemble cast, track 13 on Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording), vol. 1, Atlantic 551093-2, compact disc.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Odom, "Wait For It," 2:16.

Bibliography/Discography:

Miranda, Lin-Manuel, writer/performer. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording). Atlantic 551093-2, 2015, 2 compact discs.

Audiobook

General Format

Follow this model for musical recordings as well as recorded readings, lectures, audiobooks, and so on. Live performances cannot be referenced by a reader, so you'd typically just describe those in-text.

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Creator First Name Surname, Title of Work, other contributors, (place of publication: publisher, year), format, timestamp.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Creator Surname, Title, time stamp.

Bibliography:

Creator Surname, First Name. Title of Work. Other contributor. Place of Publication: Publisher, year. Format, run time.

Example:

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, read by Bernadette Dunne, (New York: Random House Audio, 2012), Audible audio ed., 6:42:20.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Strayed, Wild, 12:34:17.

Bibliography/Discography:

Strayed, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Read by Bernadette Dunne. New York: Random House Audio, 2012. Audible audio ed., 13 hr., 6 min.

Interviews (Video)

General Format

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Interviewee First Name Surname, interview by Interviewer Name, Name of TV Show/Production, Publisher, date, url.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Interviewee Surname, interview.

Bibliography:

Interviewee Surname, First Name. Interview by Interviewer Name. Name of TV Show/Production, Publisher. Date. url.

Example:

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Russell Crowe, interview by Charlie Rose, Charlie Rose, April 23, 2015, http://www.charlierose.com/watch/60551640.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Crowe, interview.

Bibliography:

Crowe, Russell. Interview by Charlie Rose. Charlie Rose. April 23, 2015. http://www.charlierose.com/watch/60551640.

Footnote (Full Note):

1. McGeorge Bundy, interview by Robert MacNeil, MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, PBS, February 7, 1990.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Bundy, interview.

Bibliography:

Bundy, McGeorge. Interview by Robert MacNeil. MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, PBS. February 7, 1990.

Maps

General Format:

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Cartographer First Name Surname, cartographer, Title of Map (if given) or a Description, year created, scale, size, publication details.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Cartographer Surname, Title of Map/Description (shortened).

Bibliography:

Cartographer Surname, First Name. Title of Map (if given) or a Description. Year created. Scale, size. Publication details.

Example:

This example is for a map reprinted in a book which is part of a multi-volume collection.

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Samuel de Champlain, cartographer, Carte geographrique de la Nouvelle Franse, 1612, 43 x 76 cm, in The History of Cartography, vol. 3, Cartography in the European Renaissance (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007), fig. 51.3.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. de Champlain, Carte geographique de la Nouvelle Franse.

Bibliography:

de Champlain, Samuel. Carte geographique de la Nouvelle Franse. 1612. 43 x 76 cm. In The History of Cartography, vol. 3, Cartography in the European Renaissance. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.

This example is for a map reproduced as a stone rubbing for a museum,  which has been digitized and found through the Library of Congress site. The bracketed text provides the English translation of the map's title.

Footnote (Full Note):

1. Yu ji tu [Map of the tracks of Yu], AD 1136, Forest of Stone Steles Museum, Xi'an, China, stone rubbing, 1933?, 84 x 82 cm, Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/item/gm71005080.

Footnote (Shortened Note):

2. Yu ji tu [Map of the tracks of Yu].

Bibliography:

Yu ji tu [Map of the tracks of Yu]. AD 1136. Forest of Stone Steles Museum, Xi'an, China. Stone rubbing, 1933?. 84 x 82 cm. Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/item/gm71005080.

Note

The Chicago Manual of Style, like both MLA and APA, defers to The Bluebook for legal citations.

Legal publications only need to be cited in the notes, not the bibliography (unless you have a secondary publication, like a book in which the legal publication appears, in which case CMOS takes over).

Abbreviations

Legislation (Enacted Bills/Statutes)

General Format:

Laws are initially collected in the United States Statutes at Large (Stat.), and later are incorporated into the United States Code (U.S.C.). These publications are broadly called reporters.

1. Name of the Bill, vol# Reporter Name series# (year), url.

Examples:

1. Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2012).

2. Homeland Security Act of 2002, 6 U.S.C. §101 (2012).

3. Chinese Exclusion Act, 22 Stat. 58 (1882), https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=47&page=transcript.

Bills and Resolutions (Proposed Laws, Not Enacted)

General Format:

1. Name of the Bill, Bill No., No. of the Congress, section # (year).

Examples:

With URL:

1. State v. Griffin, 211 W. Va. 508, 566 S.E.2d 645 (2002), http://www.courtswv.gov/supreme-court/docs/spring2002/30433.htm.

US Supreme Court Cases:

1. Citizens United v. Federal Election Comm'n, 558 U.S. 310 (2010).

2. Citizens United, 558 U.S. at 322.

3. Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584 (2015).

With a Court Specified before Year:

1. Profit Sharing Plan v. Mbank Dallas, N.A., 683 F.Supp. 592 (N.D. Tex. 1988).

Hearings/Testimony

General Format:

1. Published Title of the Recorded Testimony, Before the Relevant Committee, number of the Congress, page# (year) (Speaker's Name, Title and Affiliation).

Example:

1. Homeland Security Act of 2002: Hearings on H.R. 5005, Day 3, Before the Select Comm. on Homeland Security, 107th Cong. 203 (2002) (statement of David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States).

Memo in an Online Collection

General Format:

Full Note:

1. Sender First Name Surname to Recipient First Name Surname, memorandum, "Subject of Memo," date, Collection Information, url.

Concise Note:

2. Sender to Recipient, date.

Bibliography:

Sender Surname, First Name. Sender First Name Surname to Recipient First Name Surname, memorandum, "Subject of Memo," date. Collection Information. url.

Example:

Full Note:

1. William L. Stearman to Henry Kissinger, memorandum, "Current Military Situation in Vietnam," Aug. 9, 1974, Presidential Country Files: East Asia and the Pacific, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum, https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/exhibits/vietnam/032400069-001.pdf.

Concise Note:

2. Stearman to Kissinger, Aug. 9, 1974.

Bibliography:

Stearman, William L. William L. Stearman to Henry Kissinger, memorandum, "Current Military Situation in Vietnam," Aug. 9, 1974. Presidential Country Files: East Asia and the Pacific. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum. https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/exhibits/vietnam/032400069-001.pdf.

About Citing Websites

General Format:

Websites can often be limited to notes. If not using notes, a bibliographic entry may be included, cited by the owner or sponsor of the site.

Full Note:

1. Author First Name/Initial Surname, "Title of Page," Title or Owner of Site, date last modified or accessed, URL.

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, "Title of Page."

Bibliography:

Author Surname, First Name or Initials. "Title of Page." Title or Owner of Site. Date last modified or accessed. URL.

Examples:

Example 1 (with access date)

Full Note:

1. K. A. Johnson and J. A. Becker, "The Whole Brain Atlas," Harvard University Medical School, accessed April 29, 2011, http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/. 
 
Concise Note:

2. Johnson and Becker, "The Whole Brain Atlas."

Bibliography:

Johnson, K. A., and J. A. Becker. "The Whole Brain Atlas." Harvard University Medical School. Accessed April 29, 2011.  http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/. 

Example 2 (with publication date)

Full Note:

1. Alan Henry, "Why We Get Brain Freezes," Lifehacker, June 11, 2016, http://lifehacker.com/why-we-get-brain-freezes-1781798710.
 
Concise Note:

2. Henry, "Brain Freezes."

Bibliography:

Henry, Alan. "Why We Get Brain Freezes." Lifehacker. June 11, 2016. http://lifehacker.com/why-we-get-brain-freezes-1781798710.

Examples (No Authors)

Full Note:

1. "Apps for Office Sample Pack," Office Dev Center, Microsoft Coporation, updated October 20, 2015, https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/office/Apps-for-Office-code-d04762b7.

Concise Note:

2.  "Apps for Office."

Bibliography:

Microsoft Corporation. "Apps for Office Sample Pack." Office Dev Center. Updated October 20, 2015. https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/office/Apps-for-Office-code-d04762b7.

Full Note:

1. "Diabetes Myths," American Diabetes Association, last modified July 5, 2017, http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths.

Concise Note:

2.  "Diabetes Myths."

Bibliography:

American Diabetes Association. "Diabetes Myths." Last modified July 5, 2017. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths.

Blog Post

General Format:

Generally, blog entries and comments are cited only as notes. If you frequently cite a blog, however, then you may choose to include it in your bibliography. List this citation by the blog's title or, if available, the editor's name. [14.208]
 
Note: if the word “blog” is included in the title of the blog, there is no need to repeat it in parentheses after that title.

Full Note: 

1. Author-Firstname Surname, "Title of Entry," Name of Blog (blog), Name of Larger Publication/Site, date last modified, URL.

Concise Note:

2. Author Surname, "Name of Entry."

Bibliography (if needed):

Surname, Firstname, ed. Title of Blog (blog). Name of Larger Publication/Site. URL.

Examples:

Full Note:

1. Mike Nizza, "Go Ahead, Annoy Away, an Australian Court Says," The Lede (blog), New York Times, July 15, 2008, http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/.

Concise Note:

2.  Nizza, "Go Ahead, Annoy Away."

Bibliography (if necessary):

The Lede (blog). New York Times. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/.

Full Note:

1. Justin Rowlatt, "Are We Doomed by Democracy?," Ethical Man (blog), BBC, August 17, 2010, http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ethicalman.

Concise Note:

2.  Rowlatt, “Are We Doomed.”

Bibliography (if necessary):

Rowlatt, Justin, ed. Ethical Man (blog). BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ethicalman.

Full Note:

1. William, Germano, "Futurust Shock," Lingua Franca (blog), Chronicle of Higher Education, February 15, 2017, http://www.chornicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2017/02/15/futurist-shock/.

Concise Note:

2.  Germano, "Futurist Shock."

Bibliography (if necessary):

Germano, William. "Futurust Shock." Lingua Franca (blog). Chronicle of Higher Education, February 15, 2017. http://www.chornicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2017/02/15/futurist-shock/.

More Online Guides

• The Chicago Manual of Style Online - Quick Guide

• Purdue OWL Chicago Guide

• Academic Writing

Citation Management Software

These citation management systems make it easy to save citation information as you're researching. They even generate bibliographies for you in the style of your choice. Take a look at their sites to see which one will best meet your research needs.

• Zotero

  A free browser add-on that imports and formats citations from databases and the internet. Also serves as a versatile notetaking platform.

• Mendeley

  Free to everyone, this tool is oriented towards saving and annotating research.