History

Chicago-style source citations come in two varieties: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. If you are not sure which variety you should be using, check with your professor or publisher before getting started! 

The notes and bibliography system is preferred by many working in the humanities—including literature, history, and the arts. In this system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography. The notes and bibliography system can accommodate a wide variety of sources, including unusual ones that don’t fit neatly into the author-date system.

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.

Adapted from: Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide

For an overview of Chicago guidelines, reference the Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide. This Quick Guide, part of the Chicago Manual of Style Online, is freely available on the web. It may include all the information you need to prepare your citations for some projects.

However, for projects with unusual or more complex source material, you will need to reference the complete Chicago Manual of Style either in print or online (see below).  

This complete print edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition, is available in the reference collection on the first floor of the North Reading Room near the SINC site. Please ask at the desk if you need help locating it! 

The New York Public Library (NYPL) offers online access to the Chicago Manual of Style. Anyone who lives, works, attends school, or pays property taxes in New York State is eligible for a free NYPL card! 

If you do not have a card, you can get a digital card instantly on the NYPL website.