Chicago Style Format for papers |

Here are the requirements and examples of the Chicago style format for papers:

 

1. 1. Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

1. 1. Font: Times New Roman 12pt or similar.

1. 1. Line Spacing: Double spaced, including the footnotes and bibliography.

1. 1. Page numbers: Arabic numerals centered at the bottom of the page.

1. 1. Title Page: The title should be centered, about a third of the way down the page. The author’s name, the instructor’s name, the course title, and the date should be listed below the title, centered and double-spaced.

1. 1. Headings: Use headline-style capitalization. Level one headings should be centered, bold, and in title case. Level two headings should be flush left, bold, and in title case. Level three headings should be indented, bold, and in sentence case.

1. 1. In-text citations: In-text citations are usually included in parentheses, with the author’s last name and the publication year, e.g., (Smith 2010). If the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, only the publication year is required in the citation, e.g., According to Smith (2010),….

1. 1. Footnotes: Footnotes are used to provide additional information that is not included in the main text. Footnotes should be numbered consecutively and placed at the bottom of the page.

1. 1. Bibliography: A bibliography should be included at the end of the paper, listing all the sources used. The sources should be listed alphabetically by the author’s last name.

General format

 

1. 1. Page layout:

 

• • Use standard letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches)

• • Use 1-inch margins on all sides of the document

• • Use a readable font, such as Times New Roman, in 12-point size

• • Double-space the entire document, including the bibliography

 

2. 2. Title page:

 

• • Include a title page with the title of the paper, your name, course name, instructor’s name, and submission date

• • Center the title about one-third of the way down the page

• • Do not include a page number on the title page

 

3. 3. Section headings:

 

• • Use section headings to organize the paper’s content

• • Center the heading and use headline-style capitalization (capitalize the first letter of each major word)

• • Use different levels of headings to indicate the relative importance of the content

 

4. 4. In-text citations:

 

• • Use footnotes or endnotes to cite sources

• • Number the notes consecutively throughout the paper, starting with 1 for the first note

• • Include the author’s name, title of the work, publication information, and page number (if applicable) in the note

 

5. 5. Bibliography:

 

• • Include a bibliography at the end of the paper listing all the sources used in alphabetical order by the author’s last name

• • Use hanging indents (the first line is flush with the left margin, and subsequent lines are indented) to format the entries

• • Include the author’s name, title of the work, publication information, and page number (if applicable) in the entry

• • For books, include the publisher’s name and the year of publication.

tittle page

In Chicago style, the title page should include the following information:

 

1. 1. The title of the paper: The title should be centered about one-third of the way down the page, and it should be written in title case (capitalizing the first letter of each major word).

1. 1. Your name: Your full name should be centered below the title.

1. 1. Course information: Include the course name or number, and the name of the instructor below your name.

1. 1. Date of submission: The date of submission should be included at the bottom of the page, centered.

block quotes

In Chicago style, block quotes are used for long quotations that are more than 100 words. Here’s how to format a block quote in Chicago style:

 

1. 1. Indent the entire quote: Start the quote on a new line, and indent the entire quote using the tab key or by pressing the space bar five times.

1. 1. Do not use quotation marks: Unlike short quotes, block quotes do not require quotation marks.

1. 1. Use single spacing: Single-space the entire block quote, but leave a blank line before and after the quote.

1. 1. Use a smaller font size: Use a font size smaller than the rest of the text, such as 10-point or 11-point.

1. 1. Include a citation: At the end of the quote, include a citation in a footnote or endnote.

Numbers and Acronyms

In Chicago style, there are specific guidelines for formatting numbers and acronyms.

Numbers:

 

1. 1. For whole numbers from one to one hundred, spell out the number (e.g., “twenty-two”).

1. 1. Use numerals for numbers over one hundred (e.g., “102”).

1. 1. Use numerals for decimals (e.g., “3.14”).

1. 1. Use numerals for percentages (e.g., “20%”).

1. 1. Use numerals for dates (e.g., “May 12, 2022”).

Acronyms:

 

1. 1. Spell out the full name of an organization, group, or agency the first time it appears in the text, followed by the acronym in parentheses (e.g., “The World Health Organization (WHO)”).

1. 1. Use the acronym in subsequent references (e.g., “The WHO recommends…”).

1. 1. Use periods in acronyms (e.g., “U.S.” for United States).

1. 1. Do not use an article before an acronym, unless it is part of the name (e.g., “NASA” rather than “the NASA”).

In-text citations and notes

It’s important to note that specific disciplines or instructors may have different guidelines for formatting numbers and acronyms, so it’s always a good idea to check the guidelines provided for your specific assignment.

In Chicago style, there are two main ways to provide in-text citations: footnotes and endnotes. Here’s how to format in-text citations and notes in Chicago style:

 

1. 1. Footnotes and endnotes:

 

• • Footnotes are placed at the bottom of the page, while endnotes are placed at the end of the document.

• • Use superscript numbers to indicate the note reference within the text.

• • Include the author’s name, title of the work, publication information, and page number (if applicable) in the note.

• • Separate each element with commas and end the citation with a period.

 

2. 2. Shortened citations:

 

• • After the first citation of a source, use a shortened citation for subsequent citations.

• • Include the author’s last name, a shortened version of the title, and the page number in the shortened citation.

 

3. 3. Parenthetical citations:

 

• • Use parenthetical citations within the text if you prefer to provide the citation information in the text instead of a note.

• • Include the author’s last name, publication year, and page number (if applicable) in the parentheses.

It’s important to note that specific disciplines or instructors may have different guidelines for in-text citations and notes, so it’s always a good idea to check the guidelines provided for your specific assignment.

Bibliography or reference list

The Chicago style is a widely used citation and referencing system in academic writing, particularly in the fields of history, literature, and the arts. The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) is the authoritative source for information on the Chicago style.

There are two ways to cite sources using the Chicago style: the notes and bibliography system and the author-date system. The notes and bibliography system uses footnotes or endnotes to provide the full citation information for a source, with a corresponding bibliography at the end of the document. The author-date system, on the other hand, uses in-text citations with a corresponding reference list at the end of the document.

In this post, we will focus on the notes and bibliography system.

Bibliography/Reference List Formatting:

The Chicago style bibliography or reference list should be included at the end of the document and arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name. If there is no author, list the title first.

The basic format for a book in the bibliography is as follows:

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

For example:

Smith, John. The History of Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005.

The basic format for a journal article in the bibliography is as follows:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume Number, Issue Number (Year of Publication): Page Numbers.

For example:

Jones, Mary. “The Role of Women in the Chicago Labor Movement.” Journal of American History 87, no. 2 (2000): 465-478.

For electronic sources, the basic format is as follows:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Webpage.” Name of Website. Date published or last modified. URL.

For example:

Johnson, Tom. “Chicago Politics Today.” Chicago Tribune. August 15, 2022.