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Buena Vista University

Chicago Citations (17th ed.)

This guide will help you format your paper and cite your sources in Chicago style.

Chicago Overview

The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) is often used to document sources for papers in the humanities (e.g. history, fine arts, and political science).

The Chicago Manual of Style recognizes two basic styles of citation. This guide is intended as a guideline for the Notes and Bibliography system only. This guide will generally cover how to cite using the following formats for each type of source:

  • Full Note - use the first time that you cite a source.
  • Concise Note - use after the first time you cite a source.
  • Bibliography - use when you are compiling the Bibliography that appears at the end of your paper.

Be sure to check with your instructor to find out which citation style you should use for an assignment.

The following sections in this guide will provide you with information and examples that will help you to cite the sources that you come across during your research. For more detailed information, refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.). You can also ask your instructor or a librarian.

Turabian Style

In addition to consulting The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) for more information, students may also find it useful to consult Kate L. Turabian's Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (8th edition). This manual, which presents what is commonly known as the "Turabian" citation style, follows the two CMOS patterns of documentation but offers slight modifications suited to student texts.

What is a DOI?

A DOI is a digital object identifier – a unique alphanumeric code that gives a persistent link to the web location for an electronic item. DOIs are commonly seen on current electronic journal articles or other digital sources.

All DOIs should be presented as hyperlinks, as in the example below. Old versions of DOIs should be updated to hyperlinks. If the work is to be published or read online, the hyperlinks should be live.

Example: https://doi.org/10.1080/14622200410001676305

Remember:
  • Use a DOI (if assigned to the article) in citing articles whether accessed in the print or electronic form.
  • A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is preferable to a URL when citing an online resource.