Citation Styles

Chicago Style is used in both the humanities and social sciences. There are two documentation systems within Chicago Style: notes-bibliography and author-date. The notes-bibliography system is preferred by many in literature, history, and the arts. The author-date system is more precise and generally used by the physical, natural, and social sciences. Choosing which of these systems is most appropriate often depends on the subject matter and the type(s) of sources being cited.

Other disciplines using Chicago Style include but are not limited to:

• Business
• Library Science
• Publishing fields (such as Journalism)

This guide is divided into several sections. The main page provides an overview of this citation style and who should use it, followed by available print and online sources for  Two discuss notes-bibliography system and author-date system in more detail, including formatting tips and examples of how different resources are formatted in either system. Lastly, there is a section briefly discussing Turabian Style, which is largely similar to Chicago Style.

ASU Library has the online version of the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style – the 18th edition, in addition to print copies available in libraries across the campuses. The online and print editions contain guidance in formatting your research paper, including overviews of the two systems and examples of how to cite various types of sources.

These online sources are helpful in resolving citation style questions. However, they are not all official Chicago Style guides, but rather interpretations of the citation style and may be prone to inaccuracies. Always consult the official style manual first for the most accurate information.

• Chicago Style Citation Quick Guide - Give examples about citing different source types, without having to consult the whole manual.
• Purdue OWL Chicago Style Guide - ​​Online resource from Purdue University that provides information on online reference materials and services for creating citations, formatting papers to particular styles, and more.
• ZoteroBib - A free service to help you create a bibliography in any style.