This guide will assist you in understanding how to reference, with examples to help you format your notes and bibliography. Can't find your example below? You can access an online copy of The Chicago Manual of Style via the Library catalogue.

Consult the manual

Chicago 18 notes and bibliography is a numbered style. In-text citations are represented by superscript numerals like this1 and this,2 that correspond to numbered footnotes containing citation details, placed at the bottom of the page . All citations are then listed in the bibliography at the end of the assignment.

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Chicago 18 notes and bibliography examples

How to format authors for notes and the bibliography
Number of authors Notes entries Bibliography list entry
No author
First citation
1. Book Title,...
Subsequent citation
2. Shortened Book Title, ...
Book Title,..
1
First citation
1. Anna Simpson, Book Title,...
Subsequent citation
2. Simpson, Shortened Book Title, ...

Simpson, Anna. Book Title,...

2
First citation
1. Jean-Louis Cohen and Christian Huber, Book Title,...
Subsequent citation
2. Cohen and Huber, Shortened Book Title,...

Invert only the lead author's name.

Cohen, Jean-Louis, and Christian Huber. Book Title,...

3 - 6
First citation
List the lead author only followed by et al.
1. Arvin Farshad et al., "Article Title," Journal Title...
Subsequent citation
2. Farshad et al., "Shortened Article Title," ...

List all the authors. Invert only the lead author's name.

Farshad, Arvin, Jose Espinosa, Benjamin Bird, Andrew West, Simon Watson, and Barry Lennox. "Article title." Journal Title...

7+
First citation
List only the lead author followed by et al.
1. Robert Home et al., "Article Title," Journal Title...
Subsequent citation
2. Home et al., "Shortened Article Title,"...

List the first 3 authors followed by et al. Invert only the lead author's name.

Home, Robert, Olivia Lewis, Nicole Bauer et al. "Article title." Journal Title....

Book

Book – electronic

Book – print

Book chapter

Book with editor, translator

Editions other than first

Article

Journal article – electronic

Journal article – print

Source citing another source

Journal article - advance online publication, ahead of print

Newspaper article

TV, video, audio, performance, exhibition

TV series

Film or documentary

Online video - YouTube, Vimeo

Audiobook or podcast

Audio recording - music or speeches

Live performance

Review - show or performance

Exhibition - catalogue or review

Illustration, table, works of art, maps

Illustration, table, chart

Painting, photograph, works of art

Maps

Web page, social media, software, AI

Web page

Social media content

Blog post

Software

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In-text and notes

For more examples and guidance on formatting note entries, refer to the manual.

In-text examples

Guest states that .....interests and national priorities.1
......"direct quote from a source."2
Layering flat materials can .... of visual contradiction.3
  • Acknowledge authors in your writing using consecutive superscript reference numbers. These numbers correspond to the notes reference numbers.
  • Insert only one reference number in a sentence, like this.2 Do not insert multiple reference numbers.
  • Place the superscript number after any punctuation mark, except for the dash which it precedes.

Notes examples

1. Chris Guest, Sharing the Water: One Hundred Years of River Murray Politics (Murray-Darling Basin Authority, 2016), 98.

2. Linda Puppe, Helen Jossberger, and Hans Gruber, “Learning Environments and the Role of Feedback in Sculpting Lessons," Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education 21, no. 1 (2022): 85-98, https://doi.org/10.1386/adch_00048_1.

3. Paul Jackson, Cut and Fold Paper Textures (Laurence King, 2017), 36; Jason Franz, "Magic Wand: The Power of the Ballpoint Pen," Drawing 14, no. 54 (Summer 2017), Art & Architecture Complete.

  • Provide a full note entry the first time a source is cited, then use the shortened form for subsequent notes.
  • For subsequent notes, include the author's last name and the key word or words from the main title, shortened if more than four words.
  • In the note entry separate citation elements with commas.
  • Order citations in the same order that they are mentioned in the sentence.
  • Group multiple sources to support a point in a single footnote, separating each one with a semi-colon.

Block quote examples

Gullifer and Tyson's findings clearly indicate,
how important it is for institutions ... ... is not done in the haphazard or piecemeal manner reported by participants.4
  • Block quotes are recommended for a hundred words or more and quoted material of more than a paragraph, even if very brief.
  • Block quotations are not enclosed in quotation marks. Always start on a new line and indent or set in smaller font type than the text.
  • The note reference number is placed after the punctuation mark at the end of the quote.

Bibliography

Place the list at the end of your assignment on a new page with the heading Bibliography. Check your assessment requirements when formatting your list, often it will suggest 1.5 or double line spacing.

In your bibliography:

  • arrange all sources alphabetically by the lead author's last name
  • invert only the lead author's name for sources with multiple authors. For example, LastName, FirstName MiddleInitial. Additional authors’ names are listed as FirstName MiddleInitial LastName
  • all entries should be formatted with a hanging indent
  • place a full stop at the end of each entry even if the last element is a URL or DOI.

Sample bibliography

More examples

View the Chicago 18 notes and bibliography guide to see citation examples for a variety of common source types.

Disclaimer

Referencing information is provided as a guide only and is based on the official manual or other authoritative sources where available. You should confirm referencing requirements for your course and consult the manual directly for more information.

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