Chicago Style Guide

    Master Chicago Manual of Style citation with comprehensive examples and guidelines for history, literature, and arts writing.

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    Published: September 15, 2025
    By Paper Hero Team

    What is Chicago Style?
    17th Edition

    The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) citation guide

    Chicago Style, based on The Chicago Manual of Style, is widely used in history, literature, and the arts. The 17th edition offers two citation systems: Notes-Bibliography (Chicago NB) and Author-Date (Chicago AD), providing flexibility for different scholarly traditions and publication requirements.

    When to Use Chicago Style

    Chicago style accommodates diverse scholarly approaches through its dual citation systems. The Notes-Bibliography system excels in historical research and literary analysis, while the Author-Date system serves disciplines that emphasize recent scholarship and empirical studies.

    Primary Disciplines:

    History
    Literature
    Art History
    Music
    Theology
    Philosophy

    Chicago's flexibility makes it ideal for interdisciplinary work and complex source relationships. The detailed citation formats accommodate historical documents, archival materials, and diverse media types common in humanities research.

    Chicago Citation Systems

    Chicago style offers two distinct citation systems, each designed for specific scholarly needs and disciplinary traditions. Understanding when and how to use each system enhances your academic credibility and meets publication standards.

    Notes-Bibliography (NB)

    Preferred for history, literature, and arts

    Footnotes/Endnotes:
    ¹ John Smith, Research Methods (Chicago: Academic Press, 2023), 42.
    Bibliography:
    Smith, John. Research Methods. Chicago: Academic Press, 2023.

    Author-Date (AD)

    Preferred for sciences and social sciences

    In-Text Citations:
    (Smith 2023, 42)
    Reference List:
    Smith, John. 2023. Research Methods. Chicago: Academic Press.

    Key Chicago Style Features

    Dual Systems

    Offers both Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date systems to accommodate different scholarly traditions and disciplinary preferences.

    Detailed Documentation

    Provides comprehensive guidelines for complex sources, historical documents, and archival materials common in humanities research.

    Flexible Formatting

    Accommodates diverse source types and publication contexts while maintaining scholarly rigor and consistency.

    Historical Emphasis

    Particularly strong for citing primary sources, archival materials, and historical documents with complex publication histories.

    Quick Reference Examples

    Notes-Bibliography System:

    Book (First Citation)
    ¹ John Smith, Research Methods in History (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2023), 42.
    Journal Article
    ² Mary Johnson, "Digital Humanities Approaches," Journal of Historical Studies 45, no. 2 (2023): 123-145.

    Author-Date System:

    In-Text Citation
    (Smith 2023, 42)
    Reference List Entry
    Smith, John. 2023. Research Methods in History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Start Building Your Chicago Citations

    Master Chicago Formatting Rules →

    Learn document setup, footnotes, and general formatting requirements for Chicago papers.

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