The Chicago Manual of Style Notes / Bibliography system is used by scholars in history, arts, and humanities. For social sciences and sciences disciplines, see the Author-Date system.
This style consists of two parts:
See How to Format Notes, How to Format the Bibliography, and the examples of types of sources in the left navigation for further details.
For more detailed information see Chicago Manual of Style, 14.19.
A note consist of two parts:
1. Julia Alvarez, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (Chapel Hill, NC : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1991), 17.
2. Sanjay Sharma, "Black Twitter? Racial Hashtags, Networks and Contagion," New Formations: A Journal of Culture/Theory/Politics 78 (2013): 51, https://doi.org/10.3898/NEWF.78.02.2013.
For additional examples, see the source types listed in the left navigation.
For more detailed information see Chicago Manual of Style, 14.29-14.36
1. Julia Alvarez, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (Chapel Hill, NC : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1991), 17.
2. Sanjay Sharma, "Black Twitter? Racial Hashtags, Networks and Contagion," New Formations: A Journal of Culture/Theory/Politics 78 (2013): 51. https://doi.org/10.3898/NEWF.78.02.2013.
3. Alvarez, García Girls, 20-21.
4. Sharma, "Black Twitter?," 57-58.
1. Julia Alvarez, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (Chapel Hill, NC : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1991), 17.
2. Alvarez, 20-21.
For more detailed information see Chicago Manual of Style, 14.21; 14.61-14.99
Bibliography entries are formatted similarly to notes, with the following differences:
Compare the bibliography and note forms for this book:
Bibliography:
Alvarez, Julia. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Chapel Hill, NC : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1991.
Note:
1. Julia Alvarez, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (Chapel Hill, NC : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1991), 17.
For additional examples, see the source types listed in the left navigation.
2. "The Titanic Sails To-Day," New York Times, April 10, 1912.
Notes:
1. Gilbert Geis and Ivan Bunn, A Trial of Witches: A Seventeenth-Century Witchcraft Prosecution (London: Routledge, 1997), 17.
2. Chih-Hung Ko et al., "The Associations between Aggressive Behaviors and Internet Addiction and Online Activities in Adolescents," Journal of Adolescent Health 44, no. 6 (2009): 600.
Bibliography:
Geis, Gilbert, and Ivan Bunn. A Trial of Witches: a Seventeenth-Century Witchcraft Prosecution. London: Routledge, 1997.
Ko, Chih-Hung, Ju-Yu Yen, Shu-Chun Liu, Chi-Fen Huang, and Cheng-Fang Yen. "The Associations between Aggressive Behaviors and Internet Addiction and Online Activities in Adolescents." Journal of Adolescent Health 44, no. 6 (2009): 598-605.
It is always better to consult the original source, but if it cannot be obtained, cite the original source and the secondary source you used in the notes and the secondary source only in the bibliography (CMOS, 14.260):
1. Theodore Sedgwick, Thoughts on the Proposed Annexation of Texas to the United States (New York: D. Fanshaw, 1844), 31, quoted in Lyon Rathbun, "The Debate over Annexing Texas and the Emergence of Manifest Destiny," Rhetoric & Public Affairs 4, no. 3 (Fall 2001): 479.
Rathbun, Lyon. "The Debate over Annexing Texas and the Emergence of Manifest Destiny." Rhetoric & Public Affairs 4, no. 3 (Fall 2001): 459-493.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.100-14.163
note:
1. Author First Name Last Name, Book Title (Place: Publisher, Year), Cited Page(s).
bibliography:
Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Place: Publisher, Year.
For e-books, include the provider of the book, the URL, or e-book application/device at the end of the citation. (CMOS,14.159-14.163)
note:
Print Book
1. Brenna Greer, Represented: the Black Imagemakers Who Reimagined African American Citizenship (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019), 17.
E-Book
2. Alejandra B. Osorio, Inventing Lima: Baroque Modernity in Peru's South Sea (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), 44, ProQuest eBook Central.
Edited Book by a Single Author; Book in Translation
3. Annemarie Schimmel, The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture, ed. Burzine K. Waghmar, trans. Corinne Atwood. (London: Reaktion, 2004).
Chapter in an Edited Book
4. Ramon A. Gutierrez, “Warfare, Homosexuality, and Gender Status Among American Indian Men in the Southwest.” In Long before Stonewall: Histories of Same-Sex Sexuality in Early America, ed. Thomas A. Foster and John D’Emilio (New York: New York University Press, 2007), 20.
bibliography:
Print Book
Greer, Brenna. Represented: the Black Imagemakers Who Reimagined African American Citizenship. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019.
E-Book
Osorio, Alejandra B. Inventing Lima: Baroque Modernity in Peru's South Sea. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. ProQuest eBook Central.
Edited Book by a Single Author; Book in Translation
Schimmel, Annemarie. The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture. Edited by Burzine K. Waghmar. Translated by Corinne Atwood. London: Reaktion, 2004.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Gutierrez, Ramon A. “Warfare, Homosexuality, and Gender Status Among American Indian Men in the Southwest.” In Long before Stonewall: Histories of Same-Sex Sexuality in Early America, edited by Thomas A. Foster and John D’Emilio. New York: New York University Press, 2007.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.168 - 14.187
note:
1. Author First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Year): Cited Page(s), URL/DOI.
bibliography:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Year): Page Range of Article. URL/DOI.
For journal articles consulted online, use a URL based on a DOI (begins with https://doi.org/). Otherwise, use the URL provided with the article.
Examples
note:
Article with a Single Author
1. Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, "Twenty Years of Critical Race Theory: Looking Back to Move Forward, " Connecticut Law Review 43, no. 5 (2011): 58, https://doi.org/10.2307/1167376.
Article with Multiple Authors
2. Sharon Block and Kathleen M. Brown, "Clio in Search of Eros: Redefining Sexualities in Early America," The William and Mary Quarterly 60, no. 1 (2003): 6, https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.wellesley.edu/stable/3491493.
bibliography:
Article with a Single Author
Crenshaw, Kimberle Williams. "Twenty Years of Critical Race Theory: Looking Back to Move Forward." Connecticut Law Review 43, no. 5 (2011): 1253-1352. https://doi.org/10.2307/1167376.
Article with Multiple Authors
Block, Sharon, and Kathleen M. Brown. "Clio in Search of Eros: Redefining Sexualities in Early America." The William and Mary Quarterly 60, no. 1 (2003): 5-12. https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.wellesley.edu/stable/3491493.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.188 - 14.190
note:
3. Author First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Magazine Title, Date, Cited Page(s).
bibliography:
Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Magazine Title, Date.
Inclusive page numbers are not included in the bibliography entry because magazine articles tend to appear on non-consecutive pages. If citing an online magazine, end the citation with the URL, library database, or app.
Examples
note:
Print Magazine
3. Laura G. Gutierrez, "Sneaking into the Media: Judi Werthein’s Brinco Shoes and Post-Border Art, Illegal Immigration, Global Labor and Mass Media," The Spectator, Spring 2009, 12.
Online Magazine
4. Eren Orbey, “In Iowa, Democrats Court the Long-Overlooked Native American Vote,” The New Yorker, August 21, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/in-iowa-democrats-court-the-long-overlooked-native-american-vote.
bibliography:
Print Magazine
Gutierrez, Laura G. “Sneaking into the Media: Judi Werthein’s Brinco Shoes and Post-Border Art, Illegal Immigration, Global Labor and Mass Media.” The Spectator, Spring 2009.
Online Magazine
Orbey, Eren. “In Iowa, Democrats Court the Long-Overlooked Native American Vote.” The New Yorker, August 21, 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/in-iowa-democrats-court-the-long-overlooked-native-american-vote.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.191 - 14.200
note:
5. Author First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Newspaper Title, Date, sec. Section.
bibliography:
Newspaper articles are cited in the text in the notes, but usually are not included in the bibliography. (CMOS, 14.199) Below is the format, if required by your professor.
Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Newspaper Title, Date, sec. Section.
Page numbers are not included because articles can appear on different pages in different editions. For regularly occurring columns, cite with both the column name and headline or just the column name. If citing an online newspaper, include the URL at the end. If citing from a library database, include the database name.
note:
Print Newspaper
5. Steven Erlanger, "Pact on Israeli Pullback Hinges on Defining Army's Role," New York Times, May 8, 1998, sec. A.
Online Newspaper Edition
6. Manuela Andreoni, Letícia Casado, and Ernesto Londoño, “With Amazon Rain Forest Ablaze, Brazil Faces Global Backlash,” New York Times, August 22, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/22/world/americas/brazil-amazon-fires-bolsonaro.html.
Newspaper Database
7. Jillian Mock, "Here to Help: One Thing we can do: Eat a Bit Less Meat," New York Times, Aug 23, 2019, Proquest New York Times 1980-Present.
bibliography:
Print Newspaper
Erlanger, Steve. "Pact on Israeli Pullback Hinges on Defining Army's Role." New York Times, May 8, 1998, sec. A.
Online Newspaper Edition
Andreoni, Manuela, Letícia Casado, and Ernesto Londoño. “With Amazon Rain Forest Ablaze, Brazil Faces Global Backlash.” New York Times, August 22, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/22/world/americas/brazil-amazon-fires-bolsonaro.html.
Newspaper Database
Mock, Jillian. "Here to Help: One Thing we can do: Eat a Bit Less Meat." New York Times, Aug 23, 2019. Proquest New York Times 1980-Present. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.wellesley.edu/docview/2277819680?accountid=14953.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.207
Format
note:
1. Author First Name Last Name, "Page Title," Website Title or Site Sponsor, last modified Date, URL
bibliography:
Website content is usually cited in notes or in the text only. If a bibliography entry is needed, use the format below.
Author Last Name, First Name. "Page Title." Website Title or Site Sponsor. Last modified Date. URL.
If there is no personal author, start with the page title or site sponsor. If there is no last modified date, use the accessed date and change "last modified" to "accessed."
Examples:
note:
1. Drew DeSilver, "The Real Value of a $15 Minimum Wage Depends on Where You Live," Pew Research Center, last modified October 10, 2018, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/10/the-real-value-of-a-15-minimum-wage-depends-on-where-you-live/.
2. "State Maps of Laws & Policies," Human Rights Campaign, accessed February 7, 2019, http://www.hrc.org/state_maps.
bibliography:
DeSilver, Drew. "The Real Value of a $15 Minimum Wage Depends on Where You Live." Pew Research Center. Last modified October 10, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/10/the-real-value-of-a-15-minimum-wage-depends-on-where-you-live/.
"State Maps of Laws & Policies." Human Rights Campaign. Accessed February 7, 2019. http://www.hrc.org/state_maps.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.208
Format
note:
3. Author First Name Last Name, "Post Title," Blog Title (blog), Date, URL.
bibliography:
Blog posts are usually cited in notes only.
If the blog has the word "blog" as part of its name, "(blog)" should not be included in the citation. If the blog is a part of a larger publication, include that title, too.
Example:
3. Peggy Roalf, "Figure Drawing: Live From New York," Design Arts Daily (blog), August 9, 2019, www.ai-ap.com/publications/article/25445/figure-drawing-live-from-new-york.html.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.208
Format
note:
4. Commenter Name, Timestamp of Comment, Comment on Blog Post Citation.
bibliography:
Comments are usually cited in notes only.
If the blog post has been cited previously, the blog post citation can be shortened.
Example:
4. Silver H., August 16, 2014 (3:17 p.m.), comment on Jack Halberstam, "You Are Triggering Me! The Neo-Liberal Rhetoric of Harm, Danger and Trauma," Bully Bloggers, July 5, 2014, https://bullybloggers.wordpress.com/2014/07/05/you-are-triggering-me-the-neo-liberal-rhetoric-of-harm-danger-and-trauma/#comment-9001/.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.209
Citations for social media content can often be incorporated into the text:
Reacting to the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, Obama tweeted, "Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins" (@POTUS44, June 26, 2015).
If you cite an account frequently or an extensive thread, use the format below.
Format
note:
5. Author's Real First Name Last Name (Screen name), "up to 160 characters of text of post," Social Media Service Name, Month Day, Year, URL.
bibliography:
Author's Real Last Name, First Name (Screen name). "up to 160 characters of text of post." Social Media Service Name, Month Day, Year. URL.
Use the screen name in the author position if there is no real name. If you have already fully quoted the text of the post, that element is not needed in the note. If relevant, include media type (photo, video, etc.) after the name of the social media service.
Example:
5. Barack Obama (@POTUS), "Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins," Twitter, June 26, 2015, http://twitter.com/POTUS/status/614435467120001024.
Obama, Barack (@POTUS). "Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins." Twitter. June 26, 2015. http://twitter.com/POTUS/status/614435467120001024.
Published music scores are cited like books and book chapters. For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.255
note:
1. Composer First Name Last Name, "Song Title," Book Title, ed. Editor First Name Last Name, (Place: Publisher, Year), Cited Page(s).
bibliography:
Composer Last Name, First Name. "Song Title." In Book Title, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Inclusive Pages for Song. Place: Publisher, Year.
Examples
1. Joan Tower, Sixth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, (New York: Associated Music Publishers, Inc., 2016), 3.
Tower, Joan. Sixth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman. New York: Associated Music Publishers, Inc., 2016.
Format
note:
2. Performer or Conductor First Name Last Name, "Song Title," by Composer First Name Last Name, recorded Date (if applicable), track # on Album Title, Record Label Catalog Number, Year, Medium or Streaming Service or File Format.
bibliography:
Music recordings are often cited in a separate discography instead of the bibliography.
Performer or Conductor Last Name, First Name. Album Title. Record Label Catalog Number, Year, Medium or Streaming Service or File Format. Originally released in Year.
Examples
1. Sofia Gubaidulina, Quartet No. 1, Danish Quartet, Recorded Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 1992, Tracks 1-3 on String quartets 1-3; String trio, CPO 999 064-2, compact disc.
Gubaidulina, Sofia. Quartet No. 1. Danish Quartet. Recorded Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 1992. Tracks 1-3 on String quartets 1-3; String trio. CPO 999 064-2. Compact disc.
1. Janelle Monae, "Make Me Feel", by J. M. Robinson, M. Friedman, R. Fredriksson, J. Trantor, & J. Michaels, track 8 on Dirty Computer, Bad Boy Records 567342-2, 2018, Compact disc.
Monae, Janelle. Dirty Computer, Bad Boy Records 567342-2, 2018,Compact disc.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.265
Format
note:
4. Film Title, directed by Director First Name Last Name (Original Film Release Year; Place: Studio/Distributor, Release Year of Medium Used), Medium.
bibliography:
Director First Name Last Name, dir. Film Title. Original Film Release Year; Place: Studio/Distributor, Release Year of Medium Used. Medium.
Example
4. Thelma & Louise, directed by Ridley Scott (1991; Santa Monica, CA: MGM Home Entertainment, 2004), DVD.
Scott, Ridley, dir. Thelma & Louise. 1991; Santa Monica, CA: MGM Home Entertainment, 2004. DVD.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.265
Format
note:
7. TV Show Title, season number, episode number, "Episode Title," directed by Director First Name Last Name, written by Writer First Name Last Name, featuring Performers First Names Last Names, aired Month Day, Year, on Network, Medium or URL for online access.
bibliography:
Director Last Name, First Name, dir. TV Show Title., Season number, episode number, "Episode Title." Aired Month Day, Year, on Network. Medium or URL for online access.
Examples:
7. Jane the Virgin, season 1, episode 1, "Chapter One," directed by Brad Silberling, written by Jennie Snyder Urman, featuring Gina Rodriguez, aired October 13, 2014 on The CW, https://www.netflix.com/title/80027158.
Silberling, Brad, dir. Jane the Virgin. Season 1, episode 1, "Chapter One." Aired October 13, 2014, on The CW. https://www.netflix.com/title/80027158.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.235 and CMOS Shop Talk.
Format
note:
8. Artist/Photographer First Name Last Name,Title of the Work, Year Created, Medium, Size, Institution Where Original Held, URL.
bibliography:
Images are not usually included in a bibliography.
If the image was accessed in a book or library database, replace the URL with book citation or database name. Use the information about the work provided in the source you used.
Examples:
8. Edgar Degas, The Dance Class, 1874, oil on canvas, 32 7/8 x 30 3/8 in., Metropolitan Museum of Art, http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/438817.
9. Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, The Dance Class, probably 1874, oil on canvas, 32 3/4 x 30 1/4 in., Metropolitan Museum of Art, ArtStor.
10. Edgar Degas, The Dance Class, 1875-1876, oil on canvas, 33 x 31 3/4 in., Metropolitan Museum of Art, in Anne Dayez, Michel Hoog, and Charles S. Moffett, eds., Impressionism: A Centenary Exhibition, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 12, 1974-February 10, 1975 (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1974.), 105.
The Chicago Manual of Style recommends using The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation to cite legal and public documents. Please see Wellesley's Legal Citation Guide, which uses The Indigo Book instead, for examples. Legal publications rarely include bibliographies. Thus, the examples below are for notes only.
For more information see: The Bluebook, R13.3
note:
1. Hearing Title, Congress Number Cong. Cited Page(s) (Year) (statement of First Name Last Name, Position Title, Organization/Affiliation).
If the hearing was found online, include the database name (in parentheses) or URL at the end of the citation.
1. Facebook, Google and Twitter: Examining the Content Filtering Practices of Social Media Giants: Hearing Before the H. Comm. on the Judiciary, 115th Cong. 5-6 (2018) (statement of Monika Bickert, Head of Global Policy Management, Facebook). https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CHRG-115hhrg33418/CHRG-115hhrg33418.
2. Federal Role in Urban Affairs. Part 14: Hearings Before the Subcomm. on Exec. Reorganization of the Sen. Comm. on Gov't Operations. 89th Cong. 2970 (1966) (statement of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference). (ProQuest Congressional Publications).
For more information see: The Bluebook, R13.5
note:
3. Volume no. Cong. Rec. Cited Page(s) (Year)
If citing the daily edition, replace Year with "daily ed." and full date. If needed, the identity of the speaker may be included in parentheses. For debates in the predecessors of the Congressional Record (before 1873), see The Bluebook, R13.5.
3. 156 Cong. Rec. 4133 (2010)
4. 156 Cong. Rec. H1819 (daily ed. March 21, 2010) (statement of Rep. Wilson).
For more information see: The Bluebook, R12.4
note:
5. Name of Act, Pub. L. No. Public Law Number, Volume Stat. First Page (Year).
5. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111–321, 124 Stat. 3515 (2010)
6. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-148 § 1501, 124 Stat. 119, 242-49 (2010).
For more information see: The Bluebook, R10
note:
7. First Party v. Second Party, Volume No. Reporter Abbreviation First Page, Cited Page (Date of Decision).
7. Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479, 492 (1965)
Supreme Court cases are reported in United States Reports which is abbreviated U.S.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.211
note:
1. Interviewee First Name Last Name (Brief identifying information, if appropriate), interview by First Name Last Name, Place, Date.
bibliography:
Interviews are usually run in to the text or cited in notes only.
1. Paula A. Johnson (college president, Wellesley College), interview by author, Wellesley, MA, September 1, 2019.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.214
note:
2. First Name Last Name, type of communication to author, Date.
bibliography:
Personal communications are usually run into the text or cited in notes only.
2. Michelle Obama, Facebook direct message to author, April 11, 2019.
For more information see: Chicago Manual of Style, 14.221-14.223
note:
3. Item, Date, Collection Name, Repository Name, Place.
bibliography:
Specific items are not included in the bibliography unless only one item from a collection is cited. The bibliographic entry gives details about the collection only.
Collection Name. Repository Name. Place.
If the item was accessed online, include the URL at the end of the citation.
Examples
Physical Materials
3. Mark Hopkins to Jaime Margalotti, 22 March 1861, Hopkins Family Papers, Williams College Special Collections, Williamstown, MA.
Hopkins Family Papers. Williams College Special Collections. Williamstown, MA.
Materials in Databases
6. "Walter Aiken, 371st Infantry Regiment, WWI", 1914-1918, "371st Infantry WWI" Collection, African American Communities, Adam Matthew Digital.
7. "An account of the first settlement of Nantucket", Thomas Macy, 1792, Zaccheus Macy Collection, Frontier Life: Borderlands, Settlement & Colonial Encounters, Adam Matthew Digital.
Searchable online version of the Chicago style guide with many examples.
Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.)
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