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Citing Sources: Chicago/ Turabian

Chicago Citation Style

Chicago Manual of Style

Chicago style citation is a set of guidelines that explain how to properly give credit to the books and other resources you use in your assignments. This guide is based on 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS).

This guide covers the most commonly used types of citations that FIT students need but for more examples you may want to look at the original Chicago Manual of Style. A print copy of the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style is available on the 5th floor of the library in the stacks area.

A quick online guide is available on the Chicago Manual of Style website

 

I'm Here for Turabian?

Citation TwinsAre you looking for a citation guide to Turabian style?  You've found it!  Chicago style and Turabian style citations are identical!  Any Chicago style reference in this guide can be used if your professor is requiring a Turabian style citation.

Why do people call them different things then?

Don't worry about it! Do you really need to know?

Yes!!! I want to know things!

Wow you are persistent!  Okay, okay.  The big difference between Chicago and Turabian is their audience for their handbooks. The Chicago Manual of Style handbook is about 1,000 pages, weighs almost 4 pounds and was created for people who work in publishing and writers looking to publish their work.  The Turabian handbook (officially called A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations : Chicago Style for Students and Researchers by Kate L. Turabian) is only about 400 pages and it was created specifically for students.  That means they focus less on publishing and more on how to research, how to write and how to format a paper for your professor. Read more in CMOS Shop Talk, a blog from the people at the Chicago Manual of Style.

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Notes Bibliography vs. Author-Date?

Notes Bibliography vs. Author Date

This guide focuses on Notes and Bibliography style citation since most professors at FIT only use that style. 

Notes and Bibliography Style

  • Used in art, history and literature.
  • Consists of footnotes and a bibliography at the end.

Author Date is another Chicago style citation option.

Author-Date Style

  • Used in the social sciences.
  • Consists of author, date and page number in parentheses within the sentence and a bibliography at the end.


Check your syllabus or talk to your professor to see which method is required in your class!

OneSearch Citation Shortcut

Did you know you can automatically do a citation in, OneSearch, our library search?

  1. When you see a book or article you would like to create a citation for, click the ellipsis (...) in the top right corner.MLA Citation

  2. You will see a citation button pop up underneath. Click "Citation" then click "Chicago/Turabian." as the format.  (Note that this is the Notes and Bibliography style of citation.) Copy and past the citation into your paper!

Citation Generator

 

*Remember to double-check each citation!  Did you notice there was a slight mistake in this one?  (There's an extra period after "Harold".) Citation generators can be helpful and save time but since they rely on algorithms they often have mistakes in them!  Check that all the author's names are correct and check for capitalization errors.

** Currently OneSearch only provides citations according to the 16th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.  It's pretty similar to the 17th edition but you may want to double-check it just to be sure.  A OneSearch update is forthcoming!

Need More Citation Help?

Confused student

Citations are tricky!  We've included examples in this guide to cover the most frequently asked questions but maybe you have one we didn't think of?  Or maybe you've read everything about citation and are still confused?  

 

Talk to a Librarian! 

Text: 646.759.9553

Email/Chat: Ask the Library 


For help with in-depth writing and proofreading you can contact the writing studio. (It's free!)

Looking for the guide to APA Citation or MLA Citation?