Book spines of the Chicago Manual of Style. Photo by Jason Dyck.

Citations (CMS)

A Brief Introduction

    Word Count: 1883

    Reading Time: 6 min.

“Footnotes buttress and undermine, at one and the same time.” – Anthony Grafton, The Footnote: A Curious History (1997)

CMS

All scholarly work should be original, but it is still built upon the achievements of others. It is necessary to give them credit for their work, which means providing proper citations in any type of research project. Citations are there to support your arguments, to show awareness of past research, to avoid being accused of plagiarism, to provide access to original sources, and to help others learn about your topic. In history, the Notes and Bibliography Style is preferred to the Author-Date Style (with in-text citations and reference lists) and the Chicago Manual of Style is the preferred citation guide.

Search result page in  Carleton's Academic Search Tool (Omni)  for the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. This citation guide is extensive, which is why resources like the  Purdue Online Writing Lab  offer abbreviated forms for quick reference.

Citations

It is not necessary to provide a citation at the end of every sentence or paragraph or even for things that are common knowledge. For example, you do not need a citation if you tell your reader something like the Spaniards initiated the so-called conquest of Mexico in 1519. You should, however, include citations in your work whenever you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. As a rule, you need a citation in the following cases:

  • Referring to statistics, data, tables, graphs, or images.
  • Summarizing processes or offering specific background material on a given topic.
  • Paraphrasing in your own words the arguments, ideas, or findings of someone else.
  • Quoting the exact words of an author by placing them in quotation marks (“. . .”).

Footnotes

Although in-text citations are common in other disciplines, footnotes are generally the norm in history. Footnotes provide the bibliographic information of your citation at the bottom of each page. You can generate footnotes – both the superscript numbers in your paper and the corresponding number and citation at the bottom of the page – by using your word processor. Whether you directly quote an author or summarize their work, you need footnotes with exact page references. The following slideshow offers examples of how to format footnotes according to the Chicago Manual of Style (see section 14 for a more exhaustive list). Here are a few important things to keep in mind:

  • First reference. Full bibliographic details need to appear in a note the first time you reference a source.
  • Shortened notes. Shortened forms are used for subsequent references to a source.
  • Editors. The abbreviations for editor (ed.) and editors (eds.) are not the same.
  • Editions. The edition of the book must be included if it is not the first (i.e., 2nd ed.).
  • Quotations. Exact page references need to be provided for all quotations.
  • Ranges. Page ranges are used when summarizing content covered over several pages.
  • Commentaries. Brief comments in footnotes allow you to avoid digressions in the body of your paper.
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Book (Single Author)

First name Last name, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number(s).

Book (Single Author - Second Edition)

First name Last name, Title of Book, Edition. (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number(s).

Book (2 or 3 Authors)

First name Last name (First author) and First name Last name (Second author), Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number(s).

eBook (Single Author)

First name Last name, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number(s).

Translated Book

First name Last name, Title of Book, trans. (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number(s).

Edited Volume (Single Editor)

First name Last name, ed., Title of Edited Volume (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number(s).

Edited Volume (2 or 3 Editors)

First name Last name (First editor) and First name Last name (Second editor), eds., Title of Edited Volume (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number(s).

Chapter from an Edited Volume (Single Author)

First name Last name, “Title of Book Chapter,” in Title of Book, eds. First name Last name (First editor) and First name Last name (Second editor)(Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number(s).

Scholarly Journal Article (Single Author)

First name Last name, “Title of Article,” Title of Journal Volume number, Issue number (Year of publication): page number(s), Database or DOI.

Newspaper Article

First name Last name, “Title of Article,” Title of Newspaper, Date, URL (if available).

Magazine Article

First name Last name, “Title of Article,” Title of Magazine, Date, URL (if available).

Webpage

“Name of page,” Name of Website, accessed Date, URL.

Sample essay page using Lorem Ipsum, a dummy text used in the typesetting industry since the 1500s. Observe the superscript numbers in the text and the corresponding footnotes at the bottom of the page. Also notice the distinction between a full and a shortened note of the same source.

Bibliographies

Unlike a reference list or works cited, a bibliography includes all the sources you consulted and cited in your research. The bibliography appears at the end of your work and is often divided into sections, specifically primary and secondary sources. Entries in a bibliography are slightly different than footnotes, so you cannot cut and paste from one to the other without making any changes. The following slideshow offers examples of how to format entries in a bibliography according to the Chicago Manual of Style (see section 14 for a more exhaustive list). Here are a few important things to keep in mind:

  • Title. Bibliography appears in bold letters at the top of a separate page at the end.
  • Margins. Entries begin at the left margin; subsequent lines of each entry are indented.
  • Order. Entries are organized by the last names of authors in alphabetical order.
  • Spacing. Entries are single-spaced with a double-space between each entry.
  • Multiple entries. Successive entries of the same author require 3-em dashes (———).
  • Commas. Commas separate two or more authors or editors.
  • URLs. Books consulted online should include a URL or the name of the database.
  • URLs. Articles consulted online should include a URL or the name of the database.
  • Periods. All sources in your bibliography should end with a period.
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Book (Single Author)

Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Book (Single Author – Second Edition)

Last name, First name. Title of Book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Book (2 or 3 Authors)

Last name, First name (First author), First name Last name (Second author). Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

eBook (Single Author)

Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication. Name of database or URL.

Translated Book

Last name, First name. Title of Book. Translator. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Edited Volume (Single Editor)

Last name, First name, ed. Title of Edited Volume. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Edited Volume (2 or 3 Editors)

Last name, First name (First editor), First name Last name (Second editor), eds. Title of Edited Volume. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Chapter from an Edited Volume (Single Author)

Last name, First name. “Title of Book Chapter.” In Title of Edited Volume, edited by First name Last name and First name Last name, page numbers. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Scholarly Journal Article (Single Author)

Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume number, Issue number (Year of publication): page numbers. Database or DOI.

Newspaper Article

Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Date, URL (if available).

Magazine Article

Last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine, Date, URL (if available).

Webpage

Name of Website. “Name of page.” Accessed Date. URL.

Sample bibliography for a history paper. Notice how the entries are organized alphabetically and that they all end with a period.

Sample essay page using Lorem Ipsum, a dummy text used in the typesetting industry since the 1500s. Observe the superscript numbers in the text and the corresponding footnotes at the bottom of the page. Also notice the distinction between a full and a shortened note of the same source.

Sample bibliography for a history paper. Notice how the entries are organized alphabetically and that they all end with a period.