Chicago Style

The Chicago Manual of Style contains a set of guidelines developed by the University of Chicago covering document preparation and publication, issues of editorial style such as grammar, and documentation and citation practices. There are two systems of Chicago style documentation and citation: (1) the Notes-Bibliography system, which is often used in the humanities (literature, philosophy, religion, etc.), and (2) the Author-Date system, which is often used in the social sciences (economics, political science, sociology, etc.). Chicago style that has been modified for students is known as Turabian style.

Communication research most often relies on American Psychological Association (APA) style to format documents and cite sources; however, it is important that scholars become well versed in a variety of documentation and citation styles in the event that a particular audience requires an author to use an alternative style, such as Chicago. The ability to skillfully execute stylistic as well as documentation and citation guidelines will facilitate the critical interpretation of a scholar’s work as well as build his or her credibility as a competent communication researcher.

To assist in the understanding and application of Chicago style for publication, this entry includes the following sections: General Chicago Style Guidelines, Notes-Bibliography: The Basic Format, Author-Date: The Basic Format, Electronic Sources, and Further Readings. Information provided here is based on the 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style and the eighth edition of Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers.