Chicago Style 18th Edition: The Complete Guide (With Examples)

Chicago style is the go-to referencing style in history, the arts, theology, philosophy and many publishing contexts. It's known for its footnotes, but it actually offers two complete citation systems. This guide explains both, with examples based on the current Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, plus formatting rules for student papers and the key changes from the 17th edition.

Is the 18th Edition Current?

Yes. The 18th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style was published by the University of Chicago Press in September 2024, replacing the 17th edition from 2017. Some instructors still accept the 17th edition, so check your course requirements. Many students also use Turabian (Kate L. Turabian's A Manual for Writers), which adapts Chicago style for student papers.

Two Systems: Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date

Use whichever system your instructor requires. Most students using "Chicago style" are asked for notes-bibliography.

What Changed in the 18th Edition

• Multiple authors: up to six authors are listed in a bibliography entry; for more than six, list the first three followed by "et al." In notes, list up to two authors; for more than two, list the first followed by "et al."
• Place of publication is no longer required for books.
• Page ranges for chapters in edited books are no longer required in bibliography entries.
• Journal months or seasons can usually be omitted.
• Shortened notes are preferred over "ibid." for repeated citations.

Formatting a Chicago Student Paper

• Font: a readable font such as 12-point Times New Roman.
• Spacing: double-space the main text. Block quotations, notes and bibliography entries are usually single-spaced, with a blank line between entries.
• Margins: at least 1 inch.
• Page numbers: top right or bottom centre, consistently.
• Title page: many instructors require one, with the title centred about a third of the way down and your name, course and date lower on the page.
• Notes: footnotes at the bottom of each page or endnotes on a separate page titled "Notes".
• Bibliography: on a new page titled "Bibliography", alphabetical, with a 0.5 inch hanging indent.

Notes-Bibliography Examples

The examples below use invented sources for illustration.

Book

• Full note: 1. John Smith, Modern Workplaces, 2nd ed. (Example Press, 2023), 45.
• Shortened note: 2. Smith, Modern Workplaces, 50.
• Bibliography: Smith, John. Modern Workplaces. 2nd ed. Example Press, 2023.

Journal article

• Full note: 3. John Smith and Maria Lee, "Remote Work and Employee Wellbeing," Journal of Workplace Studies 12, no. 3 (2024): 50, https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
• Shortened note: 4. Smith and Lee, "Remote Work," 52.
• Bibliography: Smith, John, and Maria Lee. "Remote Work and Employee Wellbeing." Journal of Workplace Studies 12, no. 3 (2024): 45–67. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.

Three or more authors

• Note: 5. Anna Brown et al., Working Together (Example Press, 2025), 12.
• Bibliography: Brown, Anna, Carl Green, and David White. Working Together. Example Press, 2025.

Chapter in an edited book

• Note: 6. Maria Lee, "Supporting Remote Teams," in Leadership in Practice, ed. Anna Brown and Carl Green (Example Press, 2022), 105.
• Bibliography: Lee, Maria. "Supporting Remote Teams." In Leadership in Practice, edited by Anna Brown and Carl Green. Example Press, 2022.

Website

• Note: 7. "Five Tips for Remote Teams," Example Website, March 3, 2026, https://www.example.com/remote-tips.
• Bibliography: Example Website. "Five Tips for Remote Teams." March 3, 2026. https://www.example.com/remote-tips.

If a webpage has no publication or revision date, include an access date.

Author-Date Examples

• In-text: (Smith and Lee 2024, 50)
• Reference list (journal): Smith, John, and Maria Lee. 2024. "Remote Work and Employee Wellbeing." Journal of Workplace Studies 12 (3): 45–67. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx.
• Reference list (book): Smith, John. 2023. Modern Workplaces. 2nd ed. Example Press.

Key Rules for Notes

• Place the note number after punctuation, except dashes, and as a superscript in the text.
• Number notes consecutively through the paper.
• Give a full note the first time you cite a source, and shortened notes after that.
• Notes use commas and parentheses; bibliography entries use full stops.
• Authors appear first name first in notes and surname first in the bibliography.
• Use title case for titles in English.

Common Chicago Mistakes

• Mixing notes-bibliography and author-date in one paper.
• Using full notes every time instead of shortened notes.
• Placing note numbers before punctuation.
• Formatting bibliography entries like notes.
• Still including the place of publication when your instructor expects the 18th edition.
• Forgetting the hanging indent in the bibliography.

Chicago Formatting Checklist

• Correct system (NB or author-date) used consistently.
• Full first notes and shortened later notes.
• Superscript note numbers after punctuation.
• Bibliography on a new page, alphabetical, hanging indent.
• Title page and page numbers as your instructor requires.

For other styles, see our guides to APA 7, MLA 9, Harvard, IEEE and Vancouver, or the complete referencing guide.

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