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Citation Style Guide

A introductory guide to citation styles and reference management tools.

What is the Author-Date Format?

"The author-date system is more common in the sciences and social sciences. In this system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each in-text citation matches up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided."

Chicago Style Citation Quick Guide

Most of the examples from the Notes & Bibliography section can be easily adapted to the Author-Date system. Therefore, when the Author-Date system does not specifically cover a citation type, this guide lists the corresponding Notes & Bibliography section for reference. But remember, if you refer to the Notes & Bibliography section, you will still need to adapt the examples into the Author-Date style.

General Chicago Author-Date Formatting

This is only a brief list of general guidelines, consult the Chicago Manual of Style and the Chicago Manual of Style Online for a more complete list of guidelines.

General Chicago Style Author-Date Formatting Guidelines
Field Description
Author(s)
  • List authors names in the order given.
  • Formatting:
    • One Author: 
      • Reference List: Last, First Middle
      • In-text: First Middle Last
    • Two to Three Authors: 
      • Reference List: Last, First Middle, First Middle Last, and First Middle Last
      • In-text: First Middle Last, First Middle Last, and First Middle Last
    • Four to Ten Authors: 
      • Reference List: list all the authors
      • In-text: list the first author followed by "et al."
    • More than Ten Authors: 
      • Reference List: list first 7 authors, followed by "et al."
      • In-text: list the first author followed by "et al."
  • [Chicago 17th: 15.9]
Dates
  • Do not abbreviate
  • Format: Month Day, Year
  • [Chicago 17th: 15.14, 15.49]
Publisher Information
  • Do not abbreviate
  • Include publisher's location
Online Location
  • Order of preference: DOI, Database Name or permalink, URL (only use one)  
    • DOI (Digital Object Identifier): A permanent link to a specific published digital object. A DOI is always the preferred method of citing an online source.
    • *check with your professor on whether to use a database name or permalink if no DOI
      • Database Name: The name of the subscription database where you accessed a source (e.g. EbscoHost, ProQuest, Netflix...).
      • Permalink: A permanent or stable link to a source accessed through a subscription database. The reader must have access to the database for the link to work.
    • URL: The website address located in your browser's address bar. URLs are updated regularly and your link may not work in the future. Use these when no alternative is available. 
  • include "https://" with both DOIs and URLs
  • Accessed Dates: Not required for formally published electronic sources with a DOI or permalink. In general, only include for websites if it is likely the website will be altered (Wikipedia, twitter) or does not have a publication date.
  • [Chicago 17th: 15.9 and refer to 14.6-18 and adapt to Author-Date system, Chicago Style]
Page Numbers
  • do not use "p." or "pp." to denote page numbers
  • Formatting inclusive page numbers
    • 1-99, 100, multiples of 100 = include all digits
      • examples: 3-10,  71-72,  96-117,  100-104,  1100-1113
    • 101 to 109, 201 to 209, etc. = only include the changed part, don’t use repeated digits
      • examples: 101-8, 808-33, 1103-4
    • 110 to 199, 210 to 299, etc. = use two digits unless more are needed for clarity
      • examples: 321-28, 498-532, 1496-500, 11564-615, 12991-3001
  • [Chicago 17th: 15.8, 15.9, 15.23 and refer to 14.6-18 and adapt to Author-Date system]
In-text Citations
  • Basic in-text citation format: (Last Name Date, Page)
  • Examples:
    • [quote or paraphrase, author is not mentioned] (Lees and Overing 2009, 100).
    • According to Lees and Overing (2009, 100), [insert quote or paraphrase].
    • In 2009, Lees and Overing claimed that [insert quote or paraphrase] (100).
  • [This is a very brief overview for a very important part of citations, please consult Chicago 17th: 15.7, 15.21-31 and the WMC Quick Guide to Chicago AD Style]

Books

Common Book Formatting:

Author. Date. Title. Other Contributors. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Book with One Author  [Chicago 17th: 15.9]
Reference List: Morrison, Toni. 1987. Beloved. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
In-text Citation: (Morrison 1987, 55)
Book with Two Authors  [Chicago 17th: 15.9]
Reference List: Lees, Clare A., and Gillian R. Overing. 2009. Double Agents: Women and Clerical Culture in Anglo-Saxon England. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ProQuest Ebook Central.
In-text Citation: (Lees and Overing 2009, 125)
Book with More than Two Authors  [Chicago 17th: 15.9]
Reference List: Zamudio, Margaret, Caskey Russell, Francisco A Rios, and Jacquelyn L Bridgeman. 2011. Critical Race Theory Matters: Education and Ideology. New York: Routledge. ProQuest Ebook Central.
In-text Citation: (Zamudio et al. 2011, 100-21)
Edited Book  [Chicago 17th: 15.9, 15.36]
Reference List: Berglund, Jeff, Jan Johnson, and Kimberli Lee, eds. 2016. Indigenous Pop: Native American Music from Jazz to Hip Hop. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ProQuest Ebook Central.
In-text Citation: (Berglund, Johnson, and Lee 2016, 120-21)
Book with Translator  [Chicago 17th: 15.9, 15.36 and see 15.40 for books with more than one date]
Reference List: Coelho, Paulo. 2015. The Alchemist. Translated by Alan Clarke. New York: HarperCollins.
In-text Citation: (Coelho 2015, 58)
Book Chapter  [Chicago 17th: 15.9]
Reference List: Lomax, Michael E. 2006. “Jackie Robinson: Racial Pioneer and Athlete Extraordinaire in an Era of Change.” In Out of the Shadows: A Biographical History of African American Athletes, edited by David K Wiggins, 163–79. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ffjksv.15.
In-text Citation: (Lomax 2006, 165)
Encyclopedias and other Multi-Volume Works [Chicago 17th: 14.232-234 for encyclopedias and 14.116-122 for multivolume works]
In-text Citation: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1980, s.v. "salvation," 15th ed.
In-text Citation: Oxford English Dictionary, 2021, s.v. "hootenanny," OED Online.
Reference List: Lobb, Richard L.. 2003. “Military Rations.” In Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, edited by Solomon H. Katz and William Woys Weaver, 2:159–60. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
In-text Citation: (Lobb 2003, 159-60)

Note: Chicago Style indicates that well-known reference books (such as major dictionaries and encyclopedias, are normally only cited in the notes and not the bibliography. However, in certain reference works it may be appropriate to cite the individual entries by author. See below for distinctions.

eBook  [Chicago 17th: refer to 14.159-162 and adapt to Author-Date system]
Reference List: Soldatenko, Michael. 2009. Chicano Studies: The Genesis of a Discipline. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ProQuest Ebook Central.
In-text Citation: (Soldatenko 2009, 50-55)
Reference List: Pérez, Patricia A, ed. 2019. The Tenure-Track Process for Chicana and Latina Faculty: Experiences of Resisting and Persisting in the Academy. New York: Routledge. https://doi-org/10.4324/9780429275784.
In-text Citation: (Pérez 2019, 75)
Plays and Poems  [Chicago 17th: refer to 14.242-253 and adapt to Author-Date system]
Reference List: Hansberry, Lorraine. 1994. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage Books.
In-text Citation: (Hansberry 1994, 3.2.49-60)
Reference List: Shakespeare, William. (1603) 2006. "Hamlet." In Arden Shakespeare, 3rd ser., rev. ed., edited by Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor, 317-422. London: Bloomsbury.
In-text Citation: (Shakespeare [1603] 2006, 3.2.5)
Reference List: Homer. (762 B.C.E.) 1990. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books.
In-text Citation: (Homer [762 B.C.E.] 1990, 1.1-8)

Note: Plays and poems follow the format of similar mediums (e.g. book, book chapter, webpage). When citing specific passages, use act, scene, book, chapter, verse, line, and/or canto instead of a page number whenever possible. For example, in a play the citation 1.3.36-37, refers to act 1, scene 3, lines 36 and 37.

Ancient Works  [Chicago 17th: 14.242-252 for classical works and adapt to Author-Date system
Reference List: Herodotus. (440 B.C.E.) 1987. The Histories. Translated by David Grene. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
In-text Citation: (Herodotus [440 B.C.E.] 1987, 2.1-8)

Note: Ancient works and epic poems follow the format of similar mediums (e.g. book, webpage). When citing specific passages, use book, chapter, verse, line, and/or canto instead of a page number whenever possible. 

Religious Texts  [Chicago 17th: 14.238-241 for scriptural references and adapt to Author-Date system
In-text Citation: (1 Thess. 4:11, 5:2-5)
In-text Citation: (Gen. 25:19-36:43)
In-text Citation: (2 Kings 11:8, NSRV)
In-text Citation: (1 Cor. 13:1, KJB)
In-text Citation: (Qur’an 19:17–21)
In-text Citation: (Bhagavad Gita 3:4)

Note: Religious texts are generally only cited in-text. If you are required to cite them in the reference list, refer to the Chicago Notes-Bibliography page and adapt into a Author-Date format. When citing religious works, do not cite the page number, instead cite the book (in Roman and abbreviated), chapter, and verse.

Journal Articles

Common Journal Formatting:  [Chicago 17th: 15.46-48]

Author. Date. "Article Title." Journal Title Volume, Number: Pages. Online Location.

Note: There are three variations in how a journal's volume and issue number can be arranged.

  • Article has a volume and issue number or season: 114 (5): 165
  • Article has a volume but no issue number or season: 114:165 [no space between colon and page numbers]
  • Article has an issue number but no volume number: no. 5, 165 [comma instead of colon]
Article from a Printed Journal  [Chicago 17th: 15.9,15.46-48]
Reference List: Epstein, Saul, and Sara Libby Robinson. 2012. “The Soul, Evil Spirits, and the Undead: Vampires, Death, and Burial in Jewish Folklore and Law.” Preternature 1 (2): 232–51. https://doi.org/10.5325/preternature.1.2.0232.
In-text Citation: (Epstein and Robinson 2012, 235-41)
Reference List: Ingham, Michael, and Kaoru Nakao. 2018. “‘Come, You Spirits’: An Alternative Afterlife to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Othello, as Mediated through Japanese Classical Nō and Kyōgen Theatre.” Asian Theater Journal 35 (Spring 1): 112–32.
In-text Citation: (Ingham and Nakao 2018, 130-32)
Article from an Online Journal  [Chicago 17th: 15.9,15.46-48]
Reference List: Mandy, Stephen H. 2009. “Satisfying Patient Expectations with Soft‐Tissue Augmentation.” Dermatology Online Journal 15 (7): 45–47. https://doi.org/10.5070/D394t0r445.
In-text Citation: (Mandy 2009, 45)
Journal Article from a Database  [Chicago 17th: 15.9,15.46-48]
Reference List: Magee, Peter, Cameron Petrie, Robert Knox, Farid Khan, and Ken Thomas. 2005. “The Achaemenid Empire in South Asia and Recent Excavations in Akra in Northwest Pakistan.” American Journal of Archaeology 109 (4): 711–41. https://doi.org/10.3764/aja.109.4.711.
In-text Citation: (Magee et al. 2005, 720-30)
Reference List: Kinavey, Hilary, and Carmen Cool. 2019. “The Broken Lens: How Anti-Fat Bias in Psychotherapy Is Harming Our Clients and What To Do About It.” Women & Therapy 42 (1-2): 116–30. Taylor & Francis Social Science and Humanities Library.
In-text Citation: (Kinavey and Cool 2019, 120)
Journal Editorial  [Chicago 17th: refer to 14.295 and adapt to Author-Date system: 15.46-48]
Reference List: Cuellar, Norma Graciela. 2016. “Study Abroad Programs.” Editorial. Journal of Transcultural Nursing 27 (3): 209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659616638722.
In-text Citation: (Cuellar 2016, 209)
Book Review in a Journal  [Chicago 17th: refer to 14.201-203 and adapt to Author-Date system: 15.46-48]
Reference List: Clayton, Mary. 1990. Review of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People: A Historical Commentary, by J. M. Wallace-Hadrill. The Review of English Studies 41 (161): 157. JSTOR.
In-text Citation: (Clayton 1990, 157)

Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Common Newspaper and Magazine Formatting:  [Chicago 17th: 15.49]

Author. Date. "Article Title." Newspaper Title, Date. Location.

  • note: for newspapers and magazines, page numbers are only included in the note not the bibliography section.
Printed Newspaper Article [Chicago 17th: 15.49]
Reference List: Streeter, Kurt. 2021. “Standing Up for Herself by Sitting, And Empowering Others to Say No.” New York Times, July 29, 2021.
In-text Citation: (Streeter 2021, B9)
Reference List: Hirsch, Jerry. 2009. “Citrus Pest Infests Trees in Mexico.” Los Angeles Times, August 18, 2009.
In-text Citation: (Hirsch 2009, B1)
Newspaper Article from a Website [Chicago 17th: 15.49]
Reference List: Strauss, Valerie. 2016. “The Unusual Way Broadway’s ‘Hamilton’ Is Teaching U.S. History to Kids.” Washington Post, June 28, 2016. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/06/28/the-unusual-way-broadways-hamilton-is-teaching-american-history-to-kids.
In-text Citation: (Strauss 2016)
Reference List: Hirsch, Jerry. 2009. “Deadly Citrus Disease Reaches Mexico, Threatens California.” Los Angeles Times, August 18, 2009. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-aug-18-fi-citrus18-story.html.
In-text Citation: (Hirsch 2009)
Newspaper Article from a Database [Chicago 17th: 15.49]
Reference List: Li, Lillian. 2018. “Nothing Is More American Than Chinese Food on Christmas.” New York Times (Online), December 25, 2018. ProQuest.
In-text Citation: (Li 2018)
Reference List: Hirsch, Jerry. 2009. “Citrus Pest Infests Trees in Mexico; The Disease Spread by the Asian Psyllid Poses a Grave Threat to California’s $1.6‐billion Industry, Experts Warn.” Los Angeles Times, August 18, 2009. EBSCOhost.
In-text Citation: (Hirsch 2009, B1)
Printed Magazine Article [Chicago 17th: 15.49]
Reference List: Verducci, Tom. 2009. “World Domination.” Sports Illustrated, November 16, 2009.
In-text Citation: (Verducci 2009, 55)
Magazine Article from an Online Magazine  [Chicago 17th: 15.49]
Reference List: Koppelman, Alex. 2009. “White House Counsel to Be Fired?” Salon, August 4, 2009. http://www.salon.com/2009/08/04/craig_23/.
In-text Citation: (Koppelman 2009)
Magazine Article from a Database [Chicago 17th: 15.49]
Reference List: Kunzig, Robert. 2009. “Shading the Earth.” National Geographic, August 2009, 374-380. Gale Academic OneFile.
In-text Citation: (Kunzig 2009, 25)

Web Sources

Web Page  [Chicago 17th: 15.50]
Reference List: “Saint John’s Church and Campanile.” 2019. Marcel Breuer Digital Archive. Syracuse University Libraries. Accessed December 20, 2021. https://breuer.syr.edu/project.php?id=370.
In-text Citation: (“Saint John’s Church and Campanile” 2019)

Note: "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....”). If a more formal citation is needed, it may be styled like the examples below. For a source that does not list a date of publication or revision, include an access date." Chicago Style

Social Media  [Chicago 17th: 15.52]
Reference List: Chaucer Doth Tweet (@LeVostreGV). 2018. "A daye wythout anachronism ys lyke Emily Dickinson wythout her lightsaber." Twitter, April 7, 2018, 8:58 p.m. Accessed December 20, 2021. https://www.twitter.com/LeVostreGC/status/982829987286827009.
In-text Citation: (Chaucer Doth Tweet 2018)
Reference List: Ndiaye, Mamadou (@mndiaye_97). 2021. "Arctic Fox Facts You Need in your Life." TikTok, July 17, 2021. Accessed December 20, 2021. https://www.tiktok.com/@mndiaye_97/video/6986039209542847750.
In-text Citation: (Ndiaye 2021)
Online Videos  [Chicago 17th: refer to 14.267 and adapt to Author-Date system]
Reference List: Smart Student. 2021. "How to Avoid Plagiarism in Academic Writing." September 25, 2021. YouTube, 8:46, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7WjaIRgO4M.
In-text Citation: (Smart Student 2021)
Reference List: Snead, James. 2015. “St. Francis Dam Lecture.” Uploaded by Broome Library. April 2, 2015. YouTube, 58:46. https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxFnGttUZ-E.
In-text Citation: (Snead 2015)
Reference List: Cox, Elizabeth. 2020. “The Hidden Treasures of Timbuktu.” Directed by AIM Creative Studios. October 2020. TED-Ed video, 5:16. https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_cox_the_hidden_treasures_of_timbuktu.
In-text Citation: (Cox 2020)
Comment on Online Content   [Chicago 17th: 15.52]
Reference List: "Saving the Sounds of Radio." 2016. Library of Congress. Accessed December 20, 2021. https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2016/07/lcm-saving-the-sounds-of-radio.
In-text Citation: (Fulton July 28, 2016, comment on "Saving the Sounds of Radio" 2016)

Note: Comments from social media posts and forums are mentioned in-text in reference to a related post, the comment itself is not included in the reference list.

Live Performances

Live Performances  [Chicago 17th: 15.57 and refer to 14.266 and adapt to Author-Date system]
In-text Narrative In a performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York on February 2, 2016, ...

Note: Live performances that a reader cannot consult are not included in a reference list and are instead incorporated into the narrative text. 

Other Sources

Films  [Chicago 17th: refer to 14.265-267 and adapt to Author-Date system]
Reference List: Spielberg, Steven, director. 1993. Jurassic Park. Amblin Entertainment. 2 hr., 7 min. Netflix.
In-text Citation: (Spielberg 1993, 1:13:22)
Reference List: Spielberg, Steven, director. 1993. Jurassic Park. Amblin Entertainment. 2 hr., 7 min. DVD.
In-text Citation: (Spielberg 1993, 1:13:22)

Note: Unless watched in the theater, include information on how you accessed the information (the physical medium) at the end of a citation. If the film was watched online, you can include either the URL or the database name.

Dissertations/Thesis  [Chicago 17th: refer to 14.215 and adapt to Author-Date system]
Reference List: Savage, Courtney. 2019. “The Impact of Experiences of Asexual Students in Four-Year Institutions of Higher Education.” Master's thesis, Texas Tech University. https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/handle/2346/85057.
In-text Citation: (Savage 2019)
Reference List: Zonta, Michela Maria. 2004. “The Role of Ethnic Banks in the Residential Patterns of Asian Americans: The Case of Los Angeles.” PhD diss., University of California Los Angeles. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (Document ID 305197788).
In-text Citation: (Zonta 2004)

Interviews  [Chicago 17th: 15.53]

Reference List: Schlichenmaier, Frances M.. 1989. "Oral History Interview with Frances M. Schlichenmaier." Interview by Andrew Dunbar. Harry S. Truman National Historic Site. August 28, 1989. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/frances-myers-schlichenmaier-oral-history-interview.htm.
In-text Citation: (Schlichenmaier 1989)
Personal Communications  [Chicago 17th: 15.53]
In-text Citation: (Jane Doe, email message to John Doe, December 20, 2021)
In-text Citation: (Jane Doe, personal communication with John Doe, December 20, 2021)
In-text Citation: (Jane Doe, Facebook message to John Doe, December 20, 2021)

*Note: Personal communications (e.g. emails, texts, conversations) are only cited in-text, they are rarely included in a reference list.

More Chicago Style Resources