Understanding what a Chicago citation looks like is essential for anyone engaged in academic or professional writing. This style, managed by the University of Chicago Press, provides a systematic way to acknowledge sources, allowing readers to trace the research behind an argument. The format prioritizes clarity and flexibility, offering two distinct documentation systems to suit different disciplines and source types.
Two Systems: Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date
The primary distinction in Chicago style lies in its two systems: Notes-Bibliography (NB) and Author-Date. The NB system is common in literature, history, and the arts, utilizing footnotes or endnotes alongside a comprehensive bibliography. Conversely, the Author-Date system is preferred in the sciences and social sciences, integrating brief in-text citations that direct the reader to a reference list. Choosing the correct system is the first step in mastering what Chicago citation looks like in practice.
Visual Structure of a Footnote
First Citation Example
To visualize the Notes-Bibliography format, consider the structure of a first footnote. It contains the author’s full name, the title of the work in italics, publication details, and specific page number. For a book, the citation appears as follows: 1. Jane Smith, *The Architecture of Modern Thought* (New York: Academic Press, 2020), 45.
Subsequent Citation Example
What Chicago citation looks like changes slightly for subsequent references to the same source. The format shortens to include only the author's last name, a shortened title if necessary, and the page number. Following the initial full note, the same source would be cited as: 2. Smith, *The Architecture*, 78.
Bibliography Page Format
The bibliography, which appears at the end of the document, provides a complete list of all sources cited in the notes. Entries are formatted with a hanging indent and arranged alphabetically by the author's last name. The visual presentation differs from the footnote, offering full details in a concise list. A typical book entry looks like this:
Smith, Jane.
The Architecture of Modern Thought .
New York: Academic Press, 2020.
Author-Date In-Text Citations
Shifting focus to the Author-Date system reveals another answer to what Chicago citation looks like. In-text citations are streamlined, placed in parentheses immediately after a quote or paraphrase. They consist of the author's last name and the year of publication, separated by a comma. This method directs the reader to the corresponding entry in the reference list, which is organized numerically by appearance rather than alphabetically.
Reference List Construction
The reference list in the Author-Date system serves a similar function to the bibliography but follows a strict order of publication details. The formatting emphasizes efficiency, listing the author's name, year of publication in parentheses, title of the work, and source information. Here is an example of what a completed entry looks like:
Smith, Jane.
(2020) The Architecture of Modern Thought .
New York: Academic Press.
