Chicago style edition and punctuation
The examples on this page use the recently released Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition.
Punctuation is important. Use the same punctuation and formatting as the order instructions and examples. Use 1 space after any punctuation mark.
The Chicago Manual of Style sets out 2 referencing systems: footnotes and a bibliography or an author-date system. This page outlines both methods for referencing sources in Chicago style.
Key points
Each source entry has 5 basic parts:
- Name of the author – write the first author's name in reverse order, family name first. Write organisational authors in full.
- Date of publication – publication, revision or last modified date.
- Title of specific web page – capitalise the first letter of all words over 3 letters long.
- Site details – site description and site owner or sponsor.
- URL or DOI – if there is a DOI, use this instead of the web address.
Artificial intelligence platforms
Note: Be very cautious citing sources generated by AI – sometimes it can create sources that do not exist. You should personally check all sources generated by AI tools.
Do not use AI tools in an assessment unless your course coordinator or lecturer has given you clear and explicit permission to do so. Using AI tools without permission is likely to result in an academic integrity investigation – being found guilty of an academic integrity breach can have serious consequences, such as failing the assessment or even the course.
The Chicago Manual of Style recommends simply acknowledging in your text that you have used an AI tool to generate content. For example, 'The haiku Koru was generated by ChatGPT.'
Content generated by AI platforms can only be accessed after logging in, so you generally do not include a reference in the bibliography or reference list. If the use of AI has not been included in your text, provide details in a footnote, even if you use the author-date system.
Example footnote
1Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, Feb. 7, 2024, https://chat.openai.com/chat.
2ChatGPT, response to “Create a Van Gogh style painting of a sunny day”, OpenAI, Feb. 7, 2024.
AI usage and detection
Find out how to use AI in an ethical way and how we detect AI usage.
Academic integrity student guide
Understand how you can meet our standards for honest, careful, ethical and responsible academic work at Massey.
Blogs
Author-date system
Reference list
Often, you can cite blogs and blog posts within the text without a reference list entry. Some lecturers prefer in-text and reference list citations, so it is always best to check. In an in-text citation for a blog or social media post, give the author and year. If available, include the title of the larger publication.
Order: Authors. Year. "Title of Post." Title of blog or post (source type). Title of larger publication, date details. URL.
Example in-text citation
(Saller 2020).
Example reference list
Carol Saller. 2020. “Formatting Text Messages in Fiction.” CMOS Shop Talk (blog), March 10. https://cmosshoptalk-com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/2020/03/10/formatting-text-messages-in-fiction/.
Comments on blogs
Cite comments on a blog post that are included in a reference list in the text only. Give the handle and date of the comment and the person cited in the reference list.
Example in-text citations
“Linda Branam” (on March 10, 2020), commenting on Saller (2020), noted that…
Footnote and bibliography system
Footnotes
Order: Authors, "Title of post," Title of the blog (blog), date of post, URL.
Example footnote
1Carol Saller, “Formatting Text Messages in Fiction,” CMOS Shop Talk (blog), March 10, 2020, https://cmosshoptalk-com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/2020/03/10/formatting-text-messages-in-fiction/.
Bibliography
Order: Authors. "Title of post." Title of the blog (blog), date of post. URL.
Example bibliography
Carol Saller. “Formatting Text Messages in Fiction.” CMOS Shop Talk (blog), March 10, 2020. https://cmosshoptalk-com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/2020/03/10/formatting-text-messages-in-fiction/.
Comments on blogs
Cite comments on a blog post either in a note or in the text only. Do not include comments in the bibliography.
Example footnote
2Wingnut, March 24, 2020, comment on Saller “Formatting Text Messages in Fiction.”
Social media
Note: You can still use Twitter as the host site, title and URL for content posted before the rebrand as X.
Author-date system
Reference list
For social media, such as X and Facebook posts, it may be enough to cite it in-text only. Provide a reference list entry if you refer to a post frequently.
Order: Name (@screen name or handle). Year. "Post title up to 280 characters." Host site, date of post. URL.
Include the screen name or handle if applicable.
The 280-character limit includes emojis of the post.
Example reference list
Massey University (@Massey_Uni_Lib). 2019. "Words of Wisdom." Twitter, November 6. https://twitter.com/Massey_Uni_Lib/status/1191901494468964352.
Massey University. 2019. "Who said it best in 2019? The quest is on for the 2019 Quote of the Year – and we need your help to find it!" Facebook, October 30. https://www.facebook.com/masseyuniversity/posts/10157173814842851.
Cite comments on social media postings using in-text citations. Don't include comments in a reference list.
Example in-text citation
A comment on Massey University (2019) by PC Tong (on October 30, 2019) suggests that...
Footnote and bibliography system
Footnotes
Generally, you will cite social media content like X or Facebook posts only as footnotes.
Order: Author or screen name or handle, "Title or text up to 280 characters," Title and type of post, date of post, URL.
The 280-character limit includes emojis of the post.
Example footnote
1Massey University (@Massey_Uni_Lib), "Words of Wisdom," Twitter (now X), November 6, 2019, https://twitter.com/Massey_Uni_Lib/status/1191901494468964352.
2Massey University, "Who said it best in 2019? The quest is on for the 2019 Quote of the Year – and we need your help to find it!" Facebook, October 30, 2019, https://www.facebook.com/masseyuniversity/posts/10157173814842851.
3Massey University, "Words of Wisdom."
Bibliography
Order: Author or screen name or handle. "Title or text up to 280 characters of post." Title and type of post, date of post. URL.
The 280-character limit includes emojis of the post.
Example bibliography
Massey University. "Who said it best in 2019? The quest is on for the 2019 Quote of the Year – and we need your help to find it!" Facebook, October 30, 2019. https://www.facebook.com/masseyuniversity/posts/10157173814842851.
Video online
Footnote and bibliography system
Footnotes
Include some or all of the following as relevant.
Order: Authors or creators, "Title of work," information about the work, information about publisher including date, medium or format, poster name, length of the video and relevant supplementary information, URL.
Example footnote
1Beverly Biology, "Mitosis vs Meiosis," 4 May, 2014, YouTube, 15 min., 24 sec., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRcjB11hDCU
2Nick Cave, "The World Is My Skin," interview by Jonas Hjorth, Louisiana Channel, 2013, video, 4 min., 53 sec., https://vimeo.com/64135061
Bibliography
Include some or all of the following as relevant.
Order: Authors or creators, "Title of work," information about the work, information about publisher including date, medium or format, poster name, length of the video and relevant supplementary information. URL.
Example bibliography
Beverly Biology. "Mitosis vs Meiosis." 4 May, 2014, YouTube, 15 min., 24 sec. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRcjB11hDCU.
Cave, Nick. "The World Is My Skin." Interview by Jonas Hjorth. Louisiana Channel, 2013. Video, 4 min., 53 sec. https://vimeo.com/64135061.
Web page
Author-date system
Reference list
Web pages do not have page numbers. Include only the author name and date in the in-text citation.
In the reference list, give the year of publication after the author. Repeat the date in more detail – whether this is the date the site was last revised, updated or modified, or the date you accessed the page. Give the URL at the end of the reference.
Order: Authors. Year. "Title of specific web page." Title of site. Site owner or sponsor. Revisions, update, modification or access date. URL.
If applicable, give the site owner or sponsor.
Example reference list
Benson, Arnold, Ronald Kipp, Jackie Larson, and Alice Fusaro. 2018. "Potamopyrgus Antipodarum." United States Geological Survey. Last revised February 2, 2018. http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?SpeciesID=1008.
Cherry, Kendra. 2019. "Learned Optimism." Verywell Mind. Dotdash. Updated July 15, 2019, https://www.verywellmind.com/learned-optimism-4174101.
"Kaipara Art Awards." 2019. Mangawhaia Artists. Accessed October 19, 2019. http://www.mangawhaiartists.co.nz/kaipara-art-award-2019.html.
If there is no publication, revision or last modified date, 'put n.d.' (meaning 'no date') instead of the year in the reference list and in-text citation and give an access date.
Example
Alliance for Linguistic Diversity. n.d. "Balkan Romani." Endangered Languages Project. Accessed October 12, 2019. http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5342.
Footnote and bibliography system
Footnotes
Give an access date if there is no publication date, revision date or last modified date.
For frequently updated resources such as unfolding news stories, include a time stamp with a time zone.
Order: Authors, "Title of specific webpage," title of site, Site owner or sponsor, date with details, URL.
If applicable, give the site owner or sponsor.
Example footnote
1A. Benson, R. Kipp, J. Larson, and A. Fusaro, "Potamopyrgus Antipodarum," United States Geological Survey, last revised February 2, 2018, http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?SpeciesID=1008.
2Kendra Cherry, "Learned Optimism," Verywell Mind, Dotdash, updated July 15, 2019, https://www.verywellmind.com/learned-optimism-4174101.
3"Kaipara Art Awards, 2019," Mangawhaia Artists, accessed October 19, 2019, http://www.mangawhaiartists.co.nz/kaipara-art-award-2019.html.
Bibliography
Order: Authors. Year. "Title of specific web page." Title or description of site as a whole. Site owner or sponsor. Date with details. URL.
Example bibliography
Benson, A., R. Kipp, J. Larson, and A. Fusaro. "Potamopyrgus Antipodarum." United States Geological Survey. Last revised February 2, 2018. http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?SpeciesID=1008.
Cherry, Kendra. "Learned Optimism." Verywell Mind. Dotdash. Updated July 15, 2019. https://www.verywellmind.com/learned-optimism-4174101.
"Kaipara Art Awards, 2019." Mangawhaia Artists. Accessed October 19, 2019. http://www.mangawhaiartists.co.nz/kaipara-art-award-2019.html.
Referencing disclaimer
This page is a guide to proper referencing. Your course, department, school or institute may prescribe specific conventions. Their recommendations supersede these instructions. If your questions are not covered here, ask your course coordinator or ask on our Academic Q&A forum.
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