Notes and Bibliography: Sample Citations

The Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition

Go to Author-Date: Sample Citations

The following examples illustrate the notes and bibliography system. Sample notes show full
citations followed by shortened citations for the same sources. Sample bibliography entries
follow the notes. For more details and many more examples, see chapter 14 of The Chicago
Manual of Style. For examples of the same citations using the author-date system, follow the
Author-Date link above.

Book
Notes

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

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

Shortened notes

3. Smith, Swing Time, 320.

4. Grazer and Fishman, Curious Mind, 37.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

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

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

For many more examples, covering virtually every type of book, see 14.100–163 in The
Chicago Manual of Style.

Chapter or other part of an edited book

In a note, cite specific pages. In the bibliography, include the page range for the chapter or
part.

Note

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

2. Thoreau, “Walking,” 182.

Bibliography entry

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

In some cases, you may want to cite the collection as a whole instead.

Note

1. John D’Agata, ed., The Making of the American Essay (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press,
2016), 177–78.

Shortened note

2. D’Agata, American Essay, 182.

Bibliography entry

D’Agata, John, ed. The Making of the American Essay. Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016.

For more examples, see 14.103–5 and 14.106–12 in The Chicago Manual of Style.

Translated book
Note

1. Jhumpa Lahiri, In Other Words, trans. Ann Goldstein (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016),
146.

Shortened note

2. Lahiri, In Other Words, 184.

Bibliography entry

Lahiri, Jhumpa. In Other Words. Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,
2016.

E-book
For books consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database. For other types of e-
books, name the format. If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a
chapter or other number in the notes, if any (or simply omit).
Notes

1. Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851), 627,
http://mel.hofstra.edu/moby-dick-the-whale-proofs.html.

2. Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, eds., The Founders’ Constitution (Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1987), chap. 10, doc. 19, http://press-
pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

3. Brooke Borel, The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking (Chicago: University of Chicago

Press, 2016), 92, ProQuest Ebrary.

4. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (New York: Penguin Classics, 2007), chap. 3, Kindle.

Shortened notes

5. Melville, Moby-Dick, 722–23.

6. Kurland and Lerner, Founders’ Constitution, chap. 4, doc. 29.

7. Borel, Fact-Checking, 104–5.

8. Austen, Pride and Prejudice, chap. 14.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Penguin Classics, 2007. Kindle.

Borel, Brooke. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2016. ProQuest Ebrary.

Kurland, Philip B., and Ralph Lerner, eds. The Founders’ Constitution. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press, 1987. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851.
http://mel.hofstra.edu/moby-dick-the-whale-proofs.html.

For more examples, see 14.159–63 in The Chicago Manual of Style.

Journal article
In a note, cite specific page numbers. In the bibliography, include the page range for the
whole article. For articles consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database. Many
journal articles list a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). A DOI forms a permanent URL that
begins https://doi.org/. This URL is preferable to the URL that appears in your browser’s
address bar.

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

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.

3. Peter LaSalle, “Conundrum: A Story about Reading,” New England Review 38, no. 1
(2017): 95, Project MUSE.

Shortened notes

4. Satterfield, “Livy,” 172–73.

5. Keng, Lin, and Orazem, “Expanding College Access,” 23.

6. LaSalle, “Conundrum,” 101.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

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.

LaSalle, Peter. “Conundrum: A Story about Reading.” New England Review 38, no. 1 (2017):
95–109. Project MUSE.

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

Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences. 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”). For more than ten authors (not shown here), list the first seven in the bibliography,
followed by et al.

Note

7. Rachel A. Bay et al., “Predicting Responses to Contemporary Environmental Change

Using Evolutionary Response Architectures,” American Naturalist 189, no. 5 (May 2017):
465, https://doi.org/10.1086/691233.

Shortened note

8. Bay et al., “Predicting Responses,” 466.

Bibliography entry

Bay, Rachael A., Noah Rose, Rowan Barrett, Louis Bernatchez, Cameron K. Ghalambor,
Jesse R. Lasky, Rachel B. Brem, Stephen R. Palumbi, and Peter Ralph. “Predicting
Responses to Contemporary Environmental Change Using Evolutionary Response
Architectures.” American Naturalist 189, no. 5 (May 2017): 463–73.
https://doi.org/10.1086/691233.

For more examples, see 14.168–87 in The Chicago Manual of Style.

News or magazine article

Articles from newspapers or news sites, magazines, blogs, and the like are cited similarly.
Page numbers, if any, can be cited in a note but are omitted from a bibliography entry. If you
consulted the article online, include a URL or the name of the database.

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.

3. Rob Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple,” Washington Post, July 5,
2007, LexisNexis Academic.

4. Tanya Pai, “The Squishy, Sugary History of Peeps,” Vox, April 11, 2017,
http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/4/11/15209084/peeps-easter.

Shortened notes

5. Mead, “Dystopia,” 47.

6. Manjoo, “Snap.”

7. Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone.”

8. Pai, “History of Peeps.”

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

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.

Pai, Tanya. “The Squishy, Sugary History of Peeps.” Vox, April 11, 2017.
http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/4/11/15209084/peeps-easter.

Pegoraro, Rob. “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple.” Washington Post, July 5, 2007.
LexisNexis Academic.
Readers’ comments are cited in the text or in a note but omitted from a bibliography.

Note

9. Eduardo B (Los Angeles), March 9, 2017, comment on Manjoo, “Snap.”

For more examples, see 14.188–90 (magazines), 14.191–200 (newspapers), and 14.208
(blogs) in The Chicago Manual of Style.

Book review
Note

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

Shortened note

2. Kakutani, “Friendship.”

Bibliography entry

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

Interview
Note

1. Kory Stamper, “From ‘F-Bomb’ to ‘Photobomb,’ How the Dictionary Keeps Up with
English,” interview by Terry Gross, Fresh Air, NPR, April 19, 2017, audio, 35:25,
http://www.npr.org/2017/04/19/524618639/from-f-bomb-to-photobomb-how-the-dictionary-
keeps-up-with-english.

Shortened note

2. Stamper, interview.

Bibliography entry

Stamper, Kory. “From ‘F-Bomb’ to ‘Photobomb,’ How the Dictionary Keeps Up with
English.” Interview by Terry Gross. Fresh Air, NPR, April 19, 2017. Audio, 35:25.
http://www.npr.org/2017/04/19/524618639/from-f-bomb-to-photobomb-how-the-dictionary-
keeps-up-with-english.

Thesis or dissertation
Note

1. Cynthia Lillian Rutz, “King Lear and Its Folktale Analogues” (PhD diss., University of
Chicago, 2013), 99–100.

Shortened note

2. Rutz, “King Lear,” 158.

Bibliography entry

Rutz, Cynthia Lillian. “King Lear and Its Folktale Analogues.” PhD diss., University of
Chicago, 2013.

Website content
It is often sufficient simply to describe web pages and other website content in the text (“As
of May 1, 2017, Yale’s home page listed . . .”). If a more formal citation is needed, it may be
styled like the examples below. For a source that does not list a date of publication or
revision, include an access date (as in example note 2).

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.

3. Katie Bouman, “How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole,” filmed November 2016 at
TEDxBeaconStreet, Brookline, MA, video, 12:51,
https://www.ted.com/talks/katie_bouman_what_does_a_black_hole_look_like.

Shortened notes

4. Google, “Privacy Policy.”

5. “Yale Facts.”

6. Bouman, “Black Hole.”

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Bouman, Katie. “How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole.” Filmed November 2016 at
TEDxBeaconStreet, Brookline, MA. Video, 12:51.
https://www.ted.com/talks/katie_bouman_what_does_a_black_hole_look_like.

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.

For more examples, see 14.205–10 in The Chicago Manual of Style. For multimedia,
including live performances, see 14.261–68.

Social media content

Citations of content shared through social media can usually be limited to the text (as in the
first example below). A note may be added if a more formal citation is needed. In rare cases,
a bibliography entry may also be appropriate. In place of a title, quote up to the first 160
characters of the post. Comments are cited in reference to the original post.

Text

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

Notes

1. Pete Souza (@petesouza), “President Obama bids farewell to President Xi of China at the
conclusion of the Nuclear Security Summit,” Instagram photo, April 1, 2016,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDrmfXTtNCt/.

2. Chicago Manual of Style, “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in
1993,” Facebook, April 17, 2015,
https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151.

Shortened notes

3. Souza, “President Obama.”

4. Michele Truty, April 17, 2015, 1:09 p.m., comment on Chicago Manual of Style, “singular
they.”

Bibliography entry

Chicago Manual of Style. “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in
1993.” Facebook, April 17, 2015.
https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151.

Personal communication
Personal communications, including email and text messages and direct messages sent
through social media, are usually cited in the text or in a note only; they are rarely included in
a bibliography.

Note
1. Sam Gomez, Facebook message to author, August 1, 2017.