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Chicago Notes-Bibliography Citation Style

The Chicago Manual of Style has two systems, Notes and Bibliography and Author-Date.

Notes and Bibliography uses footnotes, and is most frequently used in the humanities and the arts. Author-Date is mostly used in the social sciences. Both systems use the same citation format, but only Notes and Bibliography uses footnotes.

The Two Chicago Styles

Notes & Bibliography

Notes and Bibliography is commonly used in humanities and history, and is the only current citation style that fully accommodates and provides rules for footnotes/endnotes.  Consider using the Notes and Bibliography system for any paper where footnotes/endnotes are required or if you need to document:

  • primary sources such as letters and manuscripts in archives
  • personal communications (informal discussions, emails, letters)
  • photos, images, and sculptures
  • classical and religious works that might be inappropriate for either a bibliography or parenthetical citation

Notes and Bibliography also allows authors to maintain a flow within main body of a text while at the same time providing convenient locations for:

  • translations
  • commentary and explanations
  • alternative sources
  • author's asides or a combination of citations and commentary

Author-Date

Chicago Author-Date style is a parenthetical style like APA, and is commonly used in anthropology, politics, economics, and other social science disciplines.

Chicago/Turabian Quick Guides

Official quick guides for basic citation questions, including both parenthetical and footnote citations:

Sample Papers