Chicago style is used across history, arts, humanities, and some social sciences. It has two distinct systems: Notes-Bibliography (NB), preferred in arts and humanities, uses footnotes and a bibliography. Author-Date (AD), preferred in physical and social sciences, uses in-text (Author Year) citations and a reference list. This generator supports both systems — select the one your institution or journal requires.
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Chicago Style — Complete Guide
Chicago vs Chicago Author-Date — which to use?
Chicago Notes-Bibliography (NB) is used in history, art history, literature, and religious studies. Citations appear as numbered footnotes at the bottom of each page, and a full bibliography appears at the end. Chicago Author-Date (AD) is used in physical sciences, social sciences, and economics. Citations appear inline as (Author Year, page): (Kumar 2024, 145). Both systems follow the same Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition rules — they just present citations differently.
If your institution does not specify, ask your supervisor. Historians almost always use NB; economists almost always use AD. Interdisciplinary work often specifies the system in the journal's author guidelines.
Chicago footnote format — examples
First full citation in a footnote:
Subsequent shortened citation (ibid. or short form):
Chicago bibliography format — examples
In the bibliography, the first author's name is inverted (Last, First), and the year moves to the end:
Book bibliography entry:
How to cite a website in Chicago style
Bibliography: World Health Organization. "Global Tuberculosis Report 2023." WHO. November 7, 2023. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240083851.
How to cite an archival source in Chicago style
Archival citations describe the specific document, then the collection, then the archive. Chicago uses a specific hierarchy: document title, date, box/folder details, collection name, repository name, city.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Chicago NB and Chicago AD?
Notes-Bibliography uses footnotes numbered in the text and a full bibliography at the end — preferred in humanities. Author-Date uses (Author Year) in-text citations and a reference list — preferred in sciences. Both follow Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition rules.
When do I use ibid. in Chicago footnotes?
Use "Ibid." when citing the exact same source in two consecutive footnotes. If the page number differs, write "Ibid., 145." Avoid ibid. if any other footnote appears between the two citations — use the shortened author-title form instead.
Does Chicago require a bibliography if I already have footnotes?
In Notes-Bibliography style, a full bibliography is expected at the end of any full academic work (thesis, dissertation, book chapter, or journal article). Short essays or course papers sometimes waive the bibliography if all sources appear in full footnotes — check your institution's guidelines.
How does Chicago handle sources with no author?
Cite by title. In a footnote: "Global Tuberculosis Report 2023," WHO, 2023. In the bibliography, alphabetise by the first significant word of the title. Do not use "Anonymous" unless the source explicitly credits the author as "Anonymous."
Can ScholarFlow format my bibliography in Chicago style?
Yes. ScholarFlow supports both Chicago NB and Chicago AD (Author-Date). Upload your bibliography and ScholarFlow converts all entries to the correct Chicago format, handling footnote vs bibliography differences automatically.
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