Common Citation Styles 3: Chicago

A citation style is a set of rules on how to cite your sources in academic writing. Citation style guidelines are often published in an official handbook containing explanations, examples, and instructions.

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is a style guide for American English published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press. Its seventeen editions have prescribed writing and citation styles widely used in publishing.

Writing of any scientist or researcher is based on two important factors; either his/her own ideas and findings, or the words and writings of others.

According to science Ethics, every researcher must cite the name of those whose works have been referred in their papers, so that the readers can easily and quickly have access to the original references and can study and read them if necessary. The rules and different styles of citation differ according to the university major and specialty, the taste of publishers and authors, and the particular needs of a special work. Regardless of the citation style, the author of a research paper must include enough information in reference section to guide readers to sources that have been used.

Why Citation of Sources is Important?

Generally, it is much recommended for researchers and scientists to be meticulous about citing sources properly because of the good of the entire research community, in the one hand, and some other personal reasons, on the other hand. Here you can read some of the reasons why citation of sources is important while writing:

Citation is a fact-checking tool

Accuracy is an important factor in any writing, especially the scientific ones. Your audience looks up a reference for verification and accuracy check.

Citation makes you a better researcher

Good citation demonstrates that you have paid attention to details (page numbers, spelling, accuracy of facts) in your research and your work is able to identify patterns and establish connections.

Citation makes you a better writer

Citing specific sources avoids intellectual laziness, vague thinking, and sloppy writing as generalizations, clichés, and outright false claims. Proper citation leaves no question in your readers’ minds regarding your point.

Citation proves your scientific knowledge

When you cite sources you mean that you have read various sources and you are a well-informed scientist.

Citation builds your credibility as a scientist or scholar

A good bibliography establishes a writer‘s credibility as a scientist or scholar among peers in their field.

Citation enables better verification of your work

If you take the trouble to accurately cite your information and refer to all sources you have used in your research correctly, your paper will receive minimal criticism and positive feedback in the process of peer-reviewing.

Most common citation styles

There are many different citation styles, and the preferred style often depends on your discipline.

• MLA is commonly used in the humanities.
• APA is commonly used in psychology and education.
• Chicago A (notes and bibliography) is commonly used in history.
• Chicago B (author-date) is commonly used in the sciences.

Types of Chicago Citation

The Chicago style is mostly used in literature, business, history, and the fine arts. It specifically focuses on American English. Rules of grammar and punctuation common in American English are integrated into this style of citation. Chicago-style source citations come in two varieties:

Chicago A: notes and bibliography

Many researchers prefer using the notes and bibliography system in the humanities—including literature, history, and the arts. In this system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes.

According to Chicago Manual of Style, “Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography. The notes and bibliography system can accommodate a wide variety of sources, including unusual ones that don’t fit neatly into the author-date system.”

Chicago B: author-date

Author-date system is more common in the sciences and social sciences. In this system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each in-text citation matches up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided, according to Chicago Manual of Style.

Aside from the use of numbered notes versus parenthetical references in the text, the two systems share a similar style. Follow the links at the top of this page to see examples of some of the more common source types cited in both systems.