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Citation

This guide is intended to help Oxford College students with citation.

Chicago Style


From the Chicago Manual of Style Quick Guide:

Chicago style source citations come in two varieties: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date.

  • 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.
  • 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.

If you know you need to use Chicago style but are unsure what variation to use, ask your professor, or talk with a librarian.

Note that Chicago Style and Turabian style are nearly identical. The Turabian style manual was created to be a pared down version of the Chicago style manual for students. 

Chicago Manual of Style Online

CMOS Icon

This resource, updated to reflect the Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.), offers examples of common citations in both style variations. Check here for help citing more resources or make an appointment with an Oxford librarian!

Icons are from the Noun Project and under Creative Commons licence (CCBY): books by sandra, article by Arfan Khan Kamol, website by Julynn B, link by Nathan Diesel, Video by Aybige, Audio by Manasa, Image by Mohammad Iqbal, hashtag by Gregor Cresnar.

Books

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Some example citations are below, from the Chicago Manual of Style Online. As it is the more commonly used format, we have given examples here in the Notes and Bibliography variation. Please visit the Chicago Manual of Style's page on Author-Date for examples in that format!

Basic Book Note: 

#. Author First Name, Author Last Name. Title of Book. (City of publication: Publisher, Year of Publication), page number. 

Basic Book Bibliography Entry: 

Author Last Name, Author First Name. Title of Book. City of publication: Publisher, Year of publication. 

How To Cite...

Notes

1. Zadie Smith, Swing Time (New York: Penguin Press, 2016), 315–16.

Bibliography

Smith, Zadie. Swing Time. New York: Penguin Press, 2016.

Notes

2. Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015), 12.

Bibliography

Grazer, Brian, and Charles Fishman. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015.

Notes

3. Henry David Thoreau, “Walking,” in The Making of the American Essay, ed. John D’Agata (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016), 177–78.

Bibliography

Thoreau, Henry David. “Walking.” In The Making of the American Essay, edited by John D’Agata, 167–95. Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016.

Articles

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Some example citations are below, from the Chicago Manual of Style Online. As it is the more commonly used format, we have given examples here in the Notes and Bibliography variation. Please visit the Chicago Manual of Style's page on Author-Date for examples in that format!

Basic Scholarly Journal Article Note

#. Author First Name Author Last Name. "Title of the Article in Quotation Marks," Journal Title Volume #, no. issue # (Publication date): page number, DOI/URL/Name of Database (only if no link available)

Basic Scholarly Journal Article Bibliography Entry

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of the Article in Quotation Marks." Journal Title Volume #, no. issue # (Publication date): page number. DOI/URL 

From the Chicago Manual of Style Online:

If there are four or more authors, list up to ten in the bibliography; in a note, list only the first, followed by et al. (“and others”).

How To Cite...

Notes

1. Rebecca Mead, “The Prophet of Dystopia,” New Yorker, April 17, 2017, 43.

2. Farhad Manjoo, “Snap Makes a Bet on the Cultural Supremacy of the Camera,” New York Times, March 8, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/technology/snap-makes-a-bet-on-the-cultural-supremacy-of-the-camera.html.

Bibliography

Manjoo, Farhad. “Snap Makes a Bet on the Cultural Supremacy of the Camera.” New York Times, March 8, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/technology/snap-makes-a-bet-on-the-cultural-supremacy-of-the-camera.html.

Mead, Rebecca. “The Prophet of Dystopia.” New Yorker, April 17, 2017.

In Print

Notes

1. Susan Satterfield, “Livy and the Pax Deum,” Classical Philology 111, no. 2 (April 2016): 170.

Bibliography

Satterfield, Susan. “Livy and the Pax Deum.” Classical Philology 111, no. 2 (April 2016): 165–76.

From an Online Database

Notes

2. Shao-Hsun Keng, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem, “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income Inequality,” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring 2017): 9–10, https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.

Bibliography

Keng, Shao-Hsun, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem. “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income Inequality.” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring 2017): 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.

Notes

1. Michiko Kakutani, “Friendship Takes a Path That Diverges,” review of Swing Time, by Zadie Smith, New York Times, November 7, 2016.

Bibliography

Kakutani, Michiko. “Friendship Takes a Path That Diverges.” Review of Swing Time, by Zadie Smith. New York Times, November 7, 2016.

Website

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Some example citations are below, from the Chicago Manual of Style Online. As it is the more commonly used format, we have given examples here in the Notes and Bibliography variation. Please visit the Chicago Manual of Style's page on Author-Date for examples in that format!          

Basic Webpage Note

#. "Title of the Webpage," Name of Website, Publication or revision date if available. Access date if no other date is available. URL.

Basic Webpage Bibliography Entry

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of the webpage." Name of Website. Publication or revision date if available. Access date if no other date is available. URL.

Please note that in Chicago Style, the URL of an online resource is always included.

How To Cite...

Notes

1. “Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google, last modified April 17, 2017, https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

2. “About Yale: Yale Facts,” Yale University, accessed May 1, 2017, https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

Bibliography

Google. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Last modified April 17, 2017. https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

Yale University. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Accessed May 1, 2017. https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

Notes

1. “Libraries = Strong Communities: Celebrating National Library Week,” Oxford College Library, accessed July 25, 2019, https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/oxford/events/libraries-strong-communities-celebrating-national-library-week/.

Bibliography

Oxford College Library. “Libraries = Strong Communities: Celebrating National Library Week.” Accessed July 25, 2019. https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/oxford/events/libraries-strong-communities-celebrating-national-library-week/.

Digital Resources


Citing personal photos, digital files, or other electronic resources can be confusing. The important thing to remember is that everything you use for academic or professional work, even if you made it yourself, does need to be cited - every time! Click on the tabs above to see some commonly cited items in each style. Remember to follow the indentation guidelines of your chosen style.

Some URL Notes from Purdue OWL:

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  • Many scholarly journal articles found in databases include a DOI (digital object identifier). If a DOI is available, cite the DOI number instead of the URL.
  • Online newspapers and magazines sometimes include a permalink, which is a shortened, stable version of a URL. Look for a “share” or “cite this” button to see if a source includes a permalink. If you can find a permalink, use that instead of a URL.

If you have a question or need to cite something not listed here, schedule a consultation with a librarian!

Digital Resources in Chicago Style: How Do I Cite...

Some of the examples used here are from the Purdue OWL guide to Chicago Style. As it is the more commonly used format, we have given examples here in the Notes and Bibliography variation. Please visit the Chicago Manual of Style's page on Author-Date for examples in that format!

Play Button IconNote/Bibliography

1. Alejandra Ortega, “Grammar: Active and Passive Voice,” Purdue OWL, February 1, 2019, video, 4:22, http://youtu.be/GEP-8lFTKKg.


Ortega, Alejandra. “Grammar: Active and Passive Voice.” Purdue OWL. February 1, 2019. Video, 4:22. http://youtu.be/GEP-8lFTKKg.

Song - Note/BibliographySpeaker Icon

1. Jeremy Zuckerman, "To Heal," 2015, Soundcloud, https://soundcloud.com/jeremy-zuckerman/to-heal?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing.

2. Ray Charles, vocalist, “Georgia on My Mind,” by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell, recorded March 1960, track 2 on The Genius Hits the Road, ABC-Paramount, vinyl LP.


Charles, Ray. “Georgia on My Mind.” By Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell. Recorded March 1960. Track 2 on The Genius Hits the Road. ABC-Paramount, vinyl LP.

Zuckerman, Jeremy. To Heal. Soundcloud. Audio file.

Podcast - Note/Bibliography

1. Sean Cole and Ira Glass, “622: Who You Gonna Call?,” August 4, 2017, in This American Life, produced by WBEZ, podcast, MP3 audio, 1:00:27, https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/622/who-you-gonna-call.


Cole, Sean and Ira Glass. “622: Who You Gonna Call?.” Produced by WBEZ. This American Life. August 4, 2017. Podcast, MP3 audio, 1:00:27. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/622/who-you-gonna-call.

In Chicago style, information about art pieces is usually given in the text, not the bibliography. If an entry is needed, use these guidelines.

Personal Photo - Note/BibliographyPhoto Icon

Remember to get the permission of all the people in the photo (or their guardians, if minors) before you use it in your work! For your own photographs, it is sufficient to give just a credit line/ caption below the image. Example caption:

Figure 1. Christopher Garofalo, CSCE contributor gift table, April 12, 2019, SmugMug. www.christophervisuals.com/OxfordCollege/CSCE/i-wP8vMbB/A.

Online Photo or Image - Note/Bibliography

If the work is posted via a username, use that username for the author.

1. Maynard Owen Williams, "An Ouled Nail woman in Algeria wears a tattoo that is customary for dancers, 1949," NatGeoFound, March 10, 2016. https://natgeofound.tumblr.com/post/140802561912/an-ouled-nail-woman-in-algeria-wears-a-tattoo-that.


Williams, Maynard Owen. "An Ouled Nail woman in Algeria wears a tattoo that is customary for dancers, 1949." NatGeoFound. March 10, 2016. https://natgeofound.tumblr.com/post/140802561912/an-ouled-nail-woman-in-algeria-wears-a-tattoo-that.

Posts on social media will often be cited only as notes, though if you intend to discuss the content in depth, you should also put a citation in the bibliography. The Chicago Manual of Style recommends taking a screenshot of social media posts as they may be edited or deleted in the future.

ExampleHashtag Icon

Conan O’Brien’s tweet was characteristically deadpan: “In honor of Earth Day, I’m recycling my tweets” (@ConanOBrien, April 22, 2015).

Example - Note/Bibliography

2. Bill Nye (@BillNye), “While I’m not much for skipping school, I sure am in favor of calling attention to the seriousness of climate change. Our students can see the problem…,” Twitter, March 14, 2019, https://twitter.com/BillNye/status/1106242216123486209.


Nye, Bill (@BillNye). “While I’m not much for skipping school, I sure am in favor of calling attention to the seriousness of climate change. Our students can see the problem….” Twitter, March 14, 2019. https://twitter.com/BillNye/status/1106242216123486209.

 

*Figures cited in-text must be both captioned and cited in the bibliography.

In-text citation:

see fig. X

see fig. 3

Photographs and Online Images Caption:

* Captions can be short incomplete sentences or more formal description of the work providing explanatory information about the image. This then must be followed by a credit line for the image.  A caption can just be the credit line. Credit line will vary based on the copyright of the item. Below are examples for how to cite items used without restrictions. 

Fig. X.  Description of work, (type of item) courtesy of Creator Name, source of item. 

Fig. 5. Atlanta Streetcar. (Photograph courtesy by Lauren Holley. Flickr. 2014. flickr.com/photos/atlantadowntown/16106577510/. CC BY 2.0)

Artwork Captions: 

Fig. X. Artist’s name (last name, first name), Title, Date, Medium and support. Source. (Copyright Information).

Fig. 3. Cézanne, Paul,  Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses, 1890, Oil on canvas, 28 3/4 x 36 3/8 in. New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435882. (Public Domain).

Note: 

#. Author Name Title, Date, Medium and support, Source, URL. 

1. Paul Cézanne,  Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses, 1890, Oil on canvas, 28 3/4 x 36 3/8 in., New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435882. 

Bibliography:

Artist’s name (last name, first name). Title. Date. Medium and support. Source. the location of the work. URL. 

Cézanne, Paul.  Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses. 1890, Oil on canvas, 28 3/4 x 36 3/8 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435882. 

 

AI Generated Content

 

Generative AI is still a new technology as such the rules around citing it are still evolving. This guide lays out recommendations made by Chicago Manual of Style for how to cite content created by generative AI. 

Always before using AI in a project check with your professor. According to the the Undergraduate Academic Honor Code of Oxford College:

Using an artificial intelligence program to generate any content for any assignment (including, but not limited to examinations, papers, homework, and creative work) constitutes plagiarism and is a violation of the Honor Code unless students acknowledge in the assignment the extent to which an artificial intelligence program contributed to their work and outside resources are permitted for the assignment.


AI Generated Text

Chicago Manual of Style recommends always noting in text when you are using materials generated by AI tools. In causal situations this might be something like this poem was created by Google Gemini. However, in scholarly work, such as school assignments, you must provide a more formal citation.

Basic Footnote Citation: 

#. AI Tool Name, response to "AI prompt used," AI Parent Company, date generated.

Chicago Manual of Style advises that unless you have a sharable URL for the conversation in the AI tool, that you should not cite it in your bibliography, only in your notes or in-text citations. This is similar to how you would cite personal communications in Chicago (See CMOS 14.213). If you have a sharable link you may cite the item like this:

Gemini. Response to "In 200 words describe the symbolism of Momento Mori in European renaissance art." prompt. Google DeepMind. 30 July, 2024. https://g.co/gemini/share/9753376cc70d.

If using author-date style, include any information not in the text in the parentheses.

Example:

Renaissance artist often used motifs such as skulls, wilted flowers, and hourglasses to remind viewers of death and the value of time (Gemini, response to "In 200 words describe the symbolism of Momento Mori in European renaissance art,"30 July, 2024).

For further guidance see the Chicago Manual of Style Q&A. 


AI Generated Images

AI generated images must have a caption like all other art work. See example below:

Fig. 1. "Create a watercolor painting of a college library in outer space", imaged generated by Google Deepmind's Gemini, 30 July, 2024.

You can include a URL if you have a sharable URL to the conversation similar to generated text. For more information see Chicago Manual of Style Q&A on DALL·E images.

In-Text Citations

Chicago style source citations come in two varieties: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. Always check with your professor or a librarian about which style to use. 

Note-Bibliography:

In note-bibliography style you are using footnotes for in-text citation. This means in your text, you have a note number superscripted at the end of the clause or sentence you are citing. Then you have a corresponding full-sized number followed by a period in your footer that lists the full note for the source.

Example:

According to one source “Superman is the least impressive member of the Justice League.” 1 

 

  1. Bruce Wayne, Why Batman is the Greatest Detective (Gotham: Wayne Industry Press, 1939), 12.  

The full note needs to correspond to a source listed in your bibliography. Full notes, while providing the same information as a citation in your bibliography, have different formatting. Be aware of these differences when creating your notes and bibliography. 

After you cite the source for the first time in the subsequent citations of the source you can use a shortened version of the citation. That is just the author’s last name, a shortened title, and page number. Make sure to include enough of the title that readers can recognize the source.  

Example:

1. Wayne, Why Batman, 6.  

Most word processors will insert footnotes into your work for you and keep track of the order. You will just need to supply the citation. Zotero also can insert footnotes - make sure to select Chicago full note when setting up your document preferences.  

Author-date:

Chicago’s parenthetical citations include the author's last name, the date, and a page number. Note that you do not put a comma between the author's last name and the date in Chicago style parenthetical citations. 

Format:

(author's last name date, page number)  

Example:

In contrast, some scholars argue that Superman and Batman are destructive in their crime fighting actions (Prince 1941, 3). 

To cite more than one source put a semicolon between the two sources' citations.

Format:

(author date, page number; author date, page number)  

Example:

Of all the Justice League members, Aquaman is the least well liked and is often only praised for his ability to speak with fish in the literature (Wayne 1939, 63; Clark 1938, 108). 

For more information about Chicago, see the Purdue OWL page about in-text citation.