Chicago style is genuinely unusual among major citation formats — it offers two distinct, entirely different citation systems, and choosing correctly between them depends on your specific academic discipline. This tool generates properly formatted Chicago-style citations.
One style guide, two genuinely different citation systems
The Chicago Manual of Style, first published by the University of Chicago Press in 1906, is distinctive among major citation styles for offering two complete, parallel citation systems rather than just one — the "Notes-Bibliography" system (using numbered footnotes or endnotes, favored in history and humanities disciplines) and the "Author-Date" system (using parenthetical in-text citations similar in structure to APA, favored in the sciences and social sciences) — a dual structure that reflects Chicago style's uniquely broad adoption across disciplines with genuinely different citation traditions and preferences.
How this tool generates citations
The tool takes your source's details and formats them according to your chosen Chicago citation system (Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date), correctly applying that specific system's particular punctuation, ordering, and formatting conventions — since the two Chicago systems, despite sharing the same overall style guide name, produce genuinely different-looking citations for the identical source.
Where Chicago citations are genuinely required
- History and historical research — Chicago's Notes-Bibliography system, with its detailed footnotes, is particularly favored in historical scholarship, where extensive source commentary and context often accompanies each citation.
- Publishing and editorial work — beyond academic citation, the Chicago Manual of Style is also a broader, comprehensive editorial style guide widely used throughout American book and magazine publishing.
- Certain social science and science disciplines — Chicago's Author-Date system serves disciplines with citation needs similar to APA's, offering an alternative within the same overall style guide.
- Interdisciplinary or flexible academic programs — some programs and instructors specifically choose Chicago style precisely because it can flexibly accommodate different disciplinary citation preferences within one style guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which Chicago citation system to use — Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date? This typically depends on your specific academic discipline and, most importantly, your instructor or publication's explicit preference — history and humanities fields commonly use Notes-Bibliography, while science and social science fields more often use Author-Date, though it's always worth confirming the specific requirement directly rather than assuming.
What's the difference between a footnote and an endnote in the Notes-Bibliography system? A footnote appears at the bottom of the same page where the citation occurs, while an endnote appears collected together at the end of the document or chapter — both serve the identical citation function, with the choice between them typically being a formatting preference specified by an instructor or publisher.
Is the Chicago Manual of Style only used for academic citations? No — it's also one of the most widely used general editorial style guides in American publishing, covering grammar, punctuation, and formatting conventions well beyond just source citation, making it a foundational reference across book publishing, journalism and general professional writing, not just academic contexts.
Further reading
The Chicago Manual of Style — Citation Quick Guide — The official guide comparing Chicago's two citation systems.
Wikipedia — The Chicago Manual of Style — Full history of the style guide since its 1906 origin at the University of Chicago Press.