Chicago Bibliography: The Basics

As a History major, Brian will often use the documentary-note version of the Chicago Manual of Style to cite sources in his papers. This style is used for history, arts, and humanities.

Look at the following Chicago citations from the bibliography of Brian's paper on media and politics and note the elements usually required when writing complete citations.

Be sure to keep track of this information as you gather your sources during the research process. You'll need it later when you write your paper.

• Book with One Author
  
  Format:
  

  Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Edition Number ed. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
  

  Citation:
  

  Graber, Doris A. Mass Media and American Politics. 6th ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2002.
  

• Chapter from Edited Book
  
  Format:
  

  Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of essay." In Title of edited book, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Page Numbers of Chapter. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
  

  Citation:
  

  Rottinghaus, Brandon, Kenton Bird, Travis Ridout, and Rebecca Self. "'It's Better Than Being Informed': College-Aged Viewers of The Daily Show." In Laughing Matters: Humor and American Politics in the Media Age, edited by Jody C. Baumgartner and Jonathan S. Morris, 279-294. New York: Routledge, 2008.
  

• Journal Article
  
  Format:
  

  Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of article." Title of Journal Volume Number, no. Issue Number (Year of Publication): Page Numbers.
  

  Citation:
  

  Baumgartner, Jody and Jonathan S. Morris. "The Daily Show Effect: Candidate Evaluations, Efficacy, and American Youth." American Politics Research 34, no. 3 (2006): 341-367.
  

• Magazine Articles
  
  Format:
  

  Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Magazine Month Day, Year of Publication, Page Numbers.
  

  Citation:
  

  Lowry, Brian. "Latenight couch feels comfy for candidates." Variety January 14, 2008, 15.
  

• Web Sites
  
  Format: Varies depending on what type of document it is. The basic citation format includes:
  

  Author. Print publication information (if there is a print equivalent). Information about electronic publication. Access information.
  

  A page from a web site would have this format:
  

  Author's/Creator's Last Name, First Name (if given). "Title of Page." Title of Site or Owner. URL.
  

  Note: Chicago does not require publication date. Access date is not needed unless the discipline requires it.
  
  Citation:
  

  Annenberg Public Policy Center. "Daily Show viewers knowledgeable about presidential campaign, National Annenberg Election Survey shows." NAES04: National Annenberg Election Survey. http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/Downloads/Political_
  Communication/naes/2004_03_late-night-knowledge-2_9-21_pr.pdf.

Want more examples? See the library's Chicago Manual of Style Documentary-Note guide. See also: Citation Guides and Other Resources.