Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date) Citation Style: Detailed Guide

Introduction

Chicago style offers two main citation systems: Notes and Bibliography, and Author-Date. The Author-Date system, commonly used in the social sciences, provides brief in-text citations that direct readers to a comprehensive reference list. This document offers a concise overview of Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date) formatting, aiming to simplify the process of understanding and applying its rules.

Author-Date System

The Chicago Author-Date system uses parenthetical citations within the text, typically consisting of the author"s last name and the year of publication. These in-text citations correspond to a reference list at the end of the document.

In-Text Citations

• Basic Format: (Author Year, page number)

  Example: (Yu 2020, 45)

• Author Named in Text: If the author"s name is mentioned in the sentence, only the year and page number are needed in parentheses.

  Example: Yu (2020, 45) states that…

• Multiple Authors:

  • Two Authors: (Binder and Kidder 2022, 117–18)
  • Three or More Authors: (Dror et al. 2022, 10–11)

• Corporate Author: (National Institute of Mental Health 2018, 10)

• No Author: Use a shortened title and year.

  Example: ("Title of Article" 2020, 5)

Reference List

• The reference list is titled "References" and is arranged alphabetically by the author"s last name.
• Each entry provides full bibliographic details for every source cited in the text.

Reference List Format

General Format for Reference List Entries

Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Work. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Publication Types and Formatting

Books

Basic Format:

Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example:

Yu, Charles. 2020. Interior Chinatown. Pantheon Books.

Book with Two or More Authors:

Binder, Amy J., and Jeffrey L. Kidder. 2022. The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today. University of Chicago Press.

Edited Book:

Marks, P. J. M., and Stephen Parkin, eds. 2023. The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention. University of Chicago Press.

Chapter in an Edited Book:

Doyle, Kathleen. 2023. "The Queen Mary Psalter." In The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention, edited by P. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin. University of Chicago Press.

Translated Book:

Liu Xinwu. 2021. The Wedding Party. Translated by Jeremy Tiang. Amazon Crossing.

Book Consulted in an Electronic Format:

Borel, Brooke. 2023. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking. 2nd ed. University of Chicago Press. EBSCOhost.

Melville, Herman. 1851. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. New York. https://melville.electroniclibrary.org/moby-dick-side-by-side.

Journal Articles

Basic Format:

Author Last Name, First Name. Year. "Title of Article." Journal Name Volume (Issue): page range. DOI or URL.

Example:

Kwon, Hyeyoung. 2022. "Inclusion Work: Children of Immigrants Claiming Membership in Everyday Life." American Journal of Sociology 127 (6): 1818–59. https://doi.org/10.1086/720277.

Hebert, B. T. 1925. "The Island of Bolsö: A Study of Norwegian Life." Sociological Review 17 (4): 307–13. EBSCOhost.

Journal Article with Many Authors (more than 10):

Dror, Amiel A., Nicole Morozov, Amani Daoud, et al. 2022. "Pre-Infection 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels and Association with Severity of COVID-19 Illness." PLOS ONE 17 (2): e0263069. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263069.

Webpages and Websites

Basic Format:

Author Last Name, First Name (if available). Year. "Title of Page." Title of Website. Last modified Month Day, Year. URL.

Example:

"About Us." 2025. The Chicago Manual of Style Online. Accessed July 1. https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/about.html.

Blog Post:

Sagan, Carl. 2020. "Cosmos." The Sagan Blog (blog), October 20. https://www.carlsagan.com/blog/cosmos.

Other Common Source Types

News or Magazine Article:

Blum, Dani. 2023. "Are Flax Seeds All That?" New York Times, December 13. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/well/eat/flax-seeds-benefits.html.

Book Review:

Jacobs, Alexandra. 2023. "The Muchness of Madonna." Review of Madonna: A Rebel Life, by Mary Gabriel. New York Times, October 8.

Interview:

Buolamwini, Joy. 2023. "\‘If You Have a Face, You Have a Place in the Conversation About AI,\’ Expert Says." Interview by Tonya Mosley. Fresh Air, NPR, November 28. Audio, 37:58. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/28/1215529902/unmasking-ai-facial-recognition-technology-joy-buolamwini.

Thesis or Dissertation:

Blajer de la Garza, Yuna. 2019. "A House Is Not a Home: Citizenship and Belonging in Contemporary Democracies." PhD diss., University of Chicago. ProQuest (13865986).

Social Media Content:

Chicago Manual of Style. 2025. "Is it "data are" or "data is"? Our latest Q&A addresses this common question." Facebook, June 20, 10:30 a.m. https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManualofStyle/posts/1234567890.

Video or Podcast:

NPR. 2025. "The Science of Sleep." Fresh Air, July 10. Audio, 45:00. https://www.npr.org/podcasts/fresh-air.

This guide provides a concise overview of Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date) citation style. For more detailed information and specific examples, always consult the official Chicago Manual of Style or its online resources.