Chicago Citation Style Guide: Format, Examples & Rules (2026)
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Chicago citation style (17th edition) is the standard citation format for history, humanities, and arts. It offers two systems: Notes-Bibliography (footnotes + bibliography, used in humanities) and Author-Date (parenthetical citations + reference list, used in social sciences). This guide covers both systems with examples for 2026.
Chicago Citation Style: Two Systems Overview
Chicago NB vs Author-Date at a Glance
Footnotes/endnotes + bibliography page
In-text (Author Year, page) + reference list
Corresponds to footnote or endnote
Author, year, page in parentheses
Alphabetical, full source details
University of Chicago Press
Chicago Notes-Bibliography: Footnote Examples
| Source Type | First Footnote (Full) | Shortened Subsequent Note |
|---|---|---|
| Book | 1. James Morris, The Rise of Academic Publishing (London: Oxford University Press, 2019), 45. | 2. Morris, Rise of Academic Publishing, 47. |
| Journal Article | 3. Priya Nair, "Open Access Trends in India," Journal of Information Science 47, no. 2 (2021): 112. | 4. Nair, "Open Access Trends," 115. |
| Chapter in Edited Book | 5. R. Sen, "Archival Methods," in History Research Handbook, ed. A. Gupta (Delhi: Sage, 2020), 78. | 6. Sen, "Archival Methods," 80. |
| Website | 7. University Grants Commission, "UGC CARE List," accessed May 2026, https://ugccare.unipune.ac.in. | 8. University Grants Commission, "UGC CARE List." |
| Newspaper | 9. Ramesh Gupta, "PhD Reforms in India," The Hindu, March 15, 2026. | 10. Gupta, "PhD Reforms." |
Chicago Bibliography Format: Examples
| Source Type | Bibliography Entry |
|---|---|
| Book | Morris, James. The Rise of Academic Publishing. London: Oxford University Press, 2019. |
| Edited Book | Gupta, A., ed. History Research Handbook. Delhi: Sage, 2020. |
| Journal Article | Nair, Priya. "Open Access Trends in India." Journal of Information Science 47, no. 2 (2021): 108–120. https://doi.org/10.xxxx. |
| Chapter in Book | Sen, R. "Archival Methods." In History Research Handbook, edited by A. Gupta, 75–90. Delhi: Sage, 2020. |
| Website | University Grants Commission. "UGC CARE List." Accessed May 2026. https://ugccare.unipune.ac.in. |
Chicago Author-Date: In-Text Citation Examples
In the Author-Date system, citations appear parenthetically in the text:
- Single author: (Morris 2019, 45)
- Two authors: (Morris and Nair 2021, 112)
- Three or more authors: (Morris et al. 2020, 78)
- No page (whole work): (Morris 2019)
- Multiple works: (Morris 2019; Nair 2021)
Key Chicago Style Rules to Remember
- Book titles are italicised; article/chapter titles are in quotation marks.
- Ibid. can be used for an immediately repeated source in footnotes (Chicago 17th still permits it).
- Page ranges use an en dash (112–120), not a hyphen.
- DOIs should be included in a hyperlink format: https://doi.org/xxxxx
- Bibliography entries have a hanging indent (second and subsequent lines indented).
- et al. is used after four or more authors in notes; after three or more in bibliography.
Quick Tip: Which Chicago System Should You Use?
Check your department's or journal's style guidelines. History, fine arts, musicology, and philosophy typically use Notes-Bibliography. If your field is not specified, ask your supervisor. Many journals explicitly state "Chicago 17th edition, Notes-Bibliography system" or "Author-Date" in their author guidelines. When in doubt, use NB for humanities and AD for social sciences.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Chicago citation style is primarily used in history, fine arts, music, philosophy, and some social sciences. It is published by the University of Chicago Press (now in its 17th edition, 2017). Chicago offers two systems: (1) Notes-Bibliography (NB) — used in humanities — with footnotes/endnotes and a bibliography page; (2) Author-Date (AD) — used in social sciences — similar to APA, with in-text parenthetical citations and a reference list.
Chicago Notes-Bibliography (NB) system uses superscript numbers in the text that correspond to footnotes at the bottom of the page or endnotes at the end of the chapter. A bibliography page lists all sources alphabetically. Chicago Author-Date (AD) system uses in-text citations like (Smith 2020, 45) and a reference list at the end. NB is preferred in humanities; AD is preferred in sciences and social sciences.
Chicago footnote format for a book: [Note number]. Firstname Lastname, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page number. Example: 1. James Morris, The Rise of Academic Publishing (London: Oxford University Press, 2019), 45. Subsequent references to the same source use shortened form: 2. Morris, Rise of Academic Publishing, 47.
Chicago bibliography entry for a book: Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Place: Publisher, Year. Example: Morris, James. The Rise of Academic Publishing. London: Oxford University Press, 2019. For journal articles: Lastname, Firstname. "Article Title." Journal Name volume, no. issue (Year): page range. DOI or URL if available.
Turabian style (A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate Turabian) is based on the Chicago Manual of Style but adapted for student papers and dissertations. The core formatting rules are essentially the same, but Turabian provides additional guidance for thesis/dissertation formatting. Most universities that specify Turabian accept Chicago style interchangeably.