Chicago 17th edition notes and bibliography - print version

This referencing style guide provides a set of rules on how to acknowledge the thoughts, ideas and works of others when you use them in your own work.

Many types of publication examples have been provided in this guide. If you cannot find the example you need, you can:

• consult The Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition.
• view the reference lists of articles in publications that use Chicago style
• consult the Instructions to authors, if writing for a journal
• type the title of the item into Library Search to see if it has a suggested citation
• adapt the rules of a similar publication type to the item
• consult other institutions’ style guides
• consult with your tutor or course coordinator.

Further resources

The Chicago Manual of Style allows for two different types of reference styles. There is the Notes and Bibliography Style (the subject of this guide), and the Author-Date System (a variation of the Harvard style).

While the Notes & Bibliography Style allows for either footnotes or endnotes, this guide will deal with footnotes. Bibliographic citations are provided in footnotes, supplemented by a bibliography at the end of the document. Your footnotes and bibliography should identify references cited (eg. book, journal article, webpage, video) in sufficient detail so that others may locate and consult your references. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text.

Punctuation marks and spaces within the citation are very important. Follow the punctuation and spacing as given in the examples.

A note may look like this:

^1. Alastair Blanshard, Hercules: A Heroic Life (London: Granta, 2006), 151.

While a bibliographic entry may look like this:

Blanshard, Alastair. Hercules: A Heroic Life. London: Granta, 2006.

Any subsequent lines in a reference are on a hanging indent.  A hanging indent is an indent that indents all text except the first line.

Amongst many changes some of the more important include:

The use of ibid. for subsequent citations is now discouraged in favor of shortened citations. (14.29)

Expanded information on personal communications, including texts and posts through social media (14.214)

Expanded information on the elements of multimedia citations (14.261)

New information on permalinks (14.9)

New information on the use of short URLs (14.10)

Citing locations in electronic formats without fixed pages (14.160)

For a full list see What’s New in the 17th Edition

Authors’ names are normally given as they appear within the source itself. If correct identification is needed, first names may be given. If an author uses their given name in one cited work and initials in another (e.g., “Mary L. Jones” versus “M. L. Jones”), the same form, preferably the fuller one, should be used in references to that author for both works.

Two or three authors (or editors) of the same work are listed in the order in which they appear with the source. In a bibliography, only the first author’s name is inverted, and a comma must appear both before and after the first author’s given name or initials. Use "and", not an ampersand.

In Endnote, when entering the name of a corporate author, that is, an entity such as a government body or a company, you must place a comma at the end of the name.  Commas in the names themselves must be duplicated in Endnote. 

Italics are used for the titles of books, journals. newspapers and blogs, movies and video games, and paintings.

Quotation marks are generally reserved for the titles of subsections of larger works including chapter and article titles and the titles of poems in a collection.

For English-language works, titles are capitalized headline-style in source citations. In headline style, the first and last words of title and subtitle and all other major words are capitalized.

A colon is used to separate the main title from the subtitle even if no colon appears in the source itself.

Where a full day/month/year date for access dates for websites, dates for conferences etc is required, for students in the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry the School recommends using the Australian format i.e. 6 February 2018. Chicago 17th ed recommends using in U.S. format.

For any edition of a work other than the first, both the edition and the date of that edition must be included in a listing.

For commentary on DVDs, cite the date of the commentary rather than the original film date if these are different. 

When the publication date of a printed work cannot be ascertained, the abbreviation n.d. takes the place of the year in the publication details.

A reference to a book must include enough information to lead interested readers to the source.

The title of the book is italicised. 

List the name of the author(s) or editor(s) or, if none are listed, name of institution standing in their place. An author’s name and the title of a book should generally be cited according to how it appears on the title page.

In a note, the author’s name is given in the normal order. In a bibliography, where names are arranged alphabetically, it is usually inverted (last name first).

When a specific chapter (or other titled part of a book) is cited in the notes, the author’s name is followed by the title of the chapter (or other part), followed by in, followed by the title of the book. The chapter title is enclosed in quotation marks.

The title of the book is italicised. 

In a note, cite specific pages.  In the bibliography include the page range for the chapter or part. 

Confirm with your course coordinator or check your course profile before using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your assessment. Some assessment pieces do not permit the use of AI tools, while others may allow AI with some limitations.

Any permitted use of AI for assessment must be acknowledged appropriately. Your course coordinator will provide guidance on how to reference the use of AI tools. Some possible examples include:  

• citing or referencing in the text or list of references
• inclusion in your methodology
• an appendix including a full transcript of any prompts and AI-generated responses.

AI models sometimes produce incorrect, biased or outdated information. Verify the accuracy of AI-generated content using reliable sources before including it in your work.

Additionally, there may be legal or ethical issues to consider when using AI. Works created by non-humans are not eligible for copyright protection under Australian law. If you intend to publish work incorporating AI-generated content, check the publisher guidelines about what is allowed.

When interacting with AI models, you should be cautious about supplying sensitive information, including personal, confidential or propriety information or data.

Find out more about using AI tools in your studies.

Where an assignment requires ChatGPT to be cited, you must reference all the content from Generative AI tools that you include. Failure to reference externally sourced, non-original work can result in Academic misconduct.

References should provide clear and accurate information for each source and should identify where they have been used in your work.

Content from generative AI is a nonrecoverable source as it can't be retrieved or linked.

Citing generative AI content for specific referencing styles

1. Check the referencing style used in your course for specific guidelines for how to cite generative AI content.
2. If there are no specific guidelines, we recommend that you base it on the reference style for personal communication or correspondence.

The following sections have examples of how to cite generative AI for different styles.

Based on APA Style guidance.

In-text

Author of generative AI model, Year of version used

Example:

(OpenAI, 2022)

OpenAI (2022)

Reference list

Author of AI model used. (Year of AI model used). Name of AI model used (Version of AI model used) [Type or description of AI model used]. Web address of AI model used

Example:

OpenAI. (2022). ChatGPT (Dec 20 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/

The full transcript of a response can be included in an appendix or other supplementary materials.

Visit How to cite ChatGPT for more information.

Interim advice and guidance

Essentially use rule 7.12 that covers written correspondence. This is included in the bibliography (rule 1.13). Include the name of the creator and recipient first.

OpenAI, ChatGPT to Fred Jones, Output, 24 February 2023.

Note:

^Number Output from [program], [creator] to [recipient], [full date].

¹Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to Fred Jones, 24 February 2023. 

Text explaining the prompt that was used can be included in the footnote. The full detail can also be included in an appendix.

¹ Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to Fred Jones, 24 February 2023. The output was generated in response to the prompt, ‘What is the history of the Law School at The University of Queensland’: see below Appendix C.

In-text citation or note

^Number.Originator of the communication, medium, Day Month, Year.

¹ OpenAI's ChatGPT AI language model, response to question from author, 7 February, 2023.

Guidance based on How do I cite generative AI in MLA style? from the official style website.

In-text citation

(Short form Title of source) 

(“Describe the symbolism”) 

Work cited

“Title of source” prompt. Name of AI Tool, version, Company, Date content was generated, General web address of tool. 

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat. 

The text of your document must include:

• Type of communication
• Communicator
• Date in this format (Day Month Year)

In an online chat with OpenAI's ChatGPT AI language model (7 February 2023) ...

If you use ChatGPT or other generative AI to help you generate ideas or plan your process, you should still acknowledge how you used the tool, even if you don’t include any AI generated content in the assignment.

Provide a description of the AI tool used, what you did and the date accessed.

Save a copy of the transcript of your questions and responses from the generative AI tool. You can:

• Take a screenshot
• Right click and select Save as to save the webpage file.

Different publishers are taking different approaches to whether generative AI is allowed.

If you are writing for publication, you should check the publisher's information for authors.

In a footnote, cite specific page numbers. In the bibliography, include the page range for the whole article. For articles consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database. Many journal articles list a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). A DOI forms a permanent URL that begins https://doi.org/. This URL is preferable to the URL that appears in your browser’s address bar.

The title of the journal is italicised. 

To cite a webpage state the title or description of the specific page; the title or description of the site as a whole; the owner or sponsor of the site; and a URL. The word website (or web page) may be added (in parentheses) after the title or description of the site if the nature of the source is unclear. 

Publication date or date of revision or modification; if no such date can be determined, include an access date. For frequently updated resources, a time stamp may be included. The School recommends that citations of website be included in the footnotes and the bibliography.

Blog posts are cited like online newspaper articles. Citations include the author of the post; the title of the post, in quotation marks; the title of the blog, in italics; the date of the post; and a URL. The word blog may be added (in parentheses) after the title of the blog. Blogs that are part of a larger publication should also include the name of that publication.

The School recommends that citations to social media be included in the footnotes and bibliography.

Chicago conversely says that citations to social media can usually be limited to the text. A note may be added if a more formal citation is needed. In rare cases, a bibliography entry may also be appropriate.

Private content, including direct messages, is considered a form of personal communication and should be cited as such.

Comments are cited in reference to the related post, in a shortened form if fully cited elsewhere.

For students undertaking Classics or Ancient History courses in the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry please refer to the School's own Style Guide available through Learn.UQ (Blackboard) in order to cite ancient sources.

Well-known reference books, such as major dictionaries and encyclopedias, are normally cited in notes rather than in bibliographies. Most other reference works, however, are more appropriately listed with full publication details like any other book resource.

To cite substantial, authored entries in a reference work cite the contributions much like a multi-authored book.

For continually updated online resources, an edition number will usually be unnecessary. Instead, include a posted publication or revision date for the cited entry; if none is available, supply an access date. Time stamps may be included for frequently updated resources.

Titles of theses and dissertations appear in quotation marks otherwise they are cited like books.

The kind of thesis, the academic institution, and the date follow the title. Like the publication data of a book, these are enclosed in parentheses in a note but not in a bibliography.

If the document was consulted online, include a URL or, for documents retrieved from a commercial database, the name of the database and, in parentheses, any identification number supplied or recommended by the database.

Personal communications, including email and text messages and direct messages sent through social media, are usually cited in the text or in a note only; they are rarely included in a bibliography. Most such information can be referred to simply as a conversation, message, or the like; the medium may be mentioned if relevant.

Articles from newspapers or news sites, magazines, blogs, and the like are cited similarly. If you consulted the article online, include a URL or the name of the database.

Regular columns or features may carry headlines as well as column titles. Like the names of sections, these should appear in roman, capitalized but without quotation marks, when they are included in a citation.

Because a newspaper’s issue of any given day may include several editions, and items may be moved or eliminated in various editions, page numbers can be cited in a note but are usually omitted from a bibliography entry.

Titles of unpublished manuscripts, like the titles of other unpublished works, appear in quotation marks. Include the words unpublished manuscript and the date of the version consulted, if known; for electronic files, a last-saved or last-modified date may be appropriate. End the citation with an indication of format.

See this guide for referencing materials from the Fryer Library.

A paper included in the published proceedings of a meeting may be treated like a book chapter. If published in a journal, it is treated as an article.

Details of the sponsorship, location, and date of the meeting at which a speech was given or a paper, slides, or poster presented follow the title. This information is put in parentheses in a note but not in a bibliography. If the information is available online, include a URL.

Information about paintings, photographs, sculptures, or other works of art can usually be presented in the text rather than in a note or bibliography.

If a note or bibliography entry is needed, list the artist, a title (in italics), and a date of creation or completion, followed by information about the medium and the location of the work.

For works consulted online, add a URL.

For legal materials, Chicago recommends using the The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (see 14.269). It also states:

The Bluebook and the ALWD Guide are used in the United States. For citation guides used in Canada, see 14.293; for those used in the United Kingdom, see 14.297.

Following the broad principle of using citation styles used within a specific jurisdiction, we recommend using the Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th edition when citing legal materials.

Treat indexed scenes in films like a chapter and cite by title or by number. Commentary on a DVD is cited by author and title. Cite the date of the commentary rather than the original film date if these are different. 

Mention the details of live performances in the text and notes rather than the bibliography. Include as many details of the performance as required to identify the performance such as the name and location of the venue and the date of the performance.

For works consulted online, add a URL.