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Citing Sources: Chicago Manual Style

Citation format instruction for technical & scientific writing.

The Chicago Manual of Style

The Chicago Manual of Style has its origins at the University of Chicago where it can be traced back to a single style sheet in the 1890s, although the first edition of the manual was not published until 1906.

It offers two systems of documentation:

  1. The note-bibliography style, used predominantly in history and some humanities, places a superscript number in the text, which points to a note, either a footnote at the bottom of the page or an endnote at the end of the paper or chapter.

    An alphabetically arranged bibliography at the end of the text or book provides a complete list of all sources used in the work. The paper excerpt that follows demonstrates the in-text number, which points to a note referencing a journal article. The note could be either an endnote or a footnote. A bibliography entry for the same text follows:

    In-Text

    Reflection-in-action is the process of revising and reviewing that takes place while writing; this process was first described by Sharon Pianko in her groundbreaking article, "Reflection: A Critical Component of the Composing Process." According to Pianko, "The ability to reflect on what is being written seems to be the essence of the difference of able and not so able writers."1 1. Sharon Pianko, "Reflection: A Critical Component of the Composing Process," College Composition and Communication 30 (1979): 276-278.

    Bibliography

    Pianko, Sharon. "Reflection: A Critical Component of the Composing Process." College Composition and Communication 30 (1979): 276-278.

  2. The author-date system, used primarily in the sciences, provides the author's last name and the date of publication in a parenthetical reference within the text. The parenthetical citation directs the reader to a list of references at the end of the text or chapter. The following excerpt from R.M.M. Crawford's 2003 article provides an example of Chicago's in-text documentation and the same entry as it would appear in the Reference list:

    In-Text

    Depriving a plant of oxygen at any time of the year is dangerous, but plants are more likely to survive the severe conditions of flooding and the "oxygen deprivation" that can result in summer months than in winter (Crawford 2003).

    Reference

    Crawford, R.M.M. 2003. Seasonal differences in plant responses to flooding anoxia. Can J Bot 81: 1224-1246.

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