CM/CMS Format for Sources
The Chicago Manual of Style follows two styles of
documentation: APA style (including
a labeled bibliography) and the
bibliographic note system (BNS) style. APA style is
explained in this site’s
APA section. The bibliographic note system style will be discussed
here.
If the BNS style is followed, no bibliography should be
appended to the paper. Bibliographic
information is provided in endnotes or
footnotes. Full bibliographic information is provided
only during the first
citation; subsequent citations of the same source may be shortened to
key words
following an author’s name.
Note: If an abbreviated form of the BNS style is
used, a bibliography should be appended
to the paper. Using the extended form
of the style is preferred.
Treatment of Elements
Space once after each period.
Render names by listing the first name of each author
first. Include and before the last author’s
name when listing multiple
authors.
Capitalize all important words in a title.
Italicize the title of long works, but place quotation marks around the titles of short works.
Omit articles from the titles of journals and
newspapers. List the city (and the state parenthetically)
of an unfamiliar
periodical.
Place all publication information in parentheses.
Provide full names of publishers. Place a colon
after the city of publication.
Do not abbreviate or remove university or press from the name of a
publishing company. Do not abbreviate the months of publication.
When listing page numbers, drop nonessential numbers.
For most notes, separate publication information from
page numbers using a comma. When creating
a note for a non-commercial journal,
separate publication information from page numbers using a colon.
Endnotes and Footnotes
Endnotes should be placed on a separate page under the
centered title “Notes.” The title should not
feature any special formatting.
Place the title one inch from the top of the page.
Footnotes are placed at the bottom of each page. In CMS
style, no line is needed to divide notes from
the text.
Do not mix endnotes and footnotes. Choose one form of notes to follow.
Always place a note’s number after a punctuation mark
closing a sentence. Numbers should be
rendered as superscript Arabic numerals.
Single-spaced lines are preferred both within and between notes.
The first line of each note is indented three-tenths of
an inch from the left margin. Following lines
are flush with the left margin.
Non-Electronic Sources
Books
Note: List page numbers if they are needed.
Book by a Single Author
1. Author, Title (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Book by Two or Three Authors
1. Author and Author, Title (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Book by More Than Three Authors
1. Author, Author, Author, and Author, Title (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Book by a Corporate Author
1. Name of the Group, Title (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Book by an Anonymous Author
1. Title (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Book with an Editor
1. Author, Title, ed. Name of the Editor (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Book with a Translator
1. Author, Title, trans. Name of the Translator (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Book with Volumes
1. Author, Title, vol. # of Title of the Series (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Anthology or Edited Book
1. Name of the Editor, ed., Title (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Excerpt from an Anthology
1. Author, “Title,” in Title, ed. Name of the Editor (City, State: Publisher, Year of Publication).
Afterword, Foreword, Introduction, or Preface
1. Author,
afterword/foreword/introduction/preface to Title, ed. Name of the Editor
(City, State:
Publisher, Year of Publication).
Unpublished Dissertation or Essay
1. Author, “Title” (Descriptive Label, Institution, Year Written), Pages Cited.
Articles
Non-Commercial Journal Article by a Single Author
1. Author, “Title of the Article,” Journal
Volume Number, Issue Number (Year of Publication):
Page Numbers.
Note: The abbreviation for number (no.) should be used before providing the number of the issue.
Commercial Journal Article by a Single Author
1. Author, “Title of the Article,” Journal, Full Publication Information, Page Numbers.
Newspaper Article by a Single Author
1. Author, “Title of the Article,” Title of
the Newspaper, Section #/Letter, Full Publication Date,
Edition.
Use the abbreviation sec. for section.
Use lower-case letters to render the edition.
Editorial, Letter to the Editor, or Review
1. Author, “Title of the Article,” editor/letter
to the editor, Title of the Newspaper, Section #/Letter,
Full Publication
Date, Edition.
2. Author, “Title of the Article,” review of
Title of the Work, by Author/Director/Performer of the
Work, Title of the
Newspaper, Section #/Letter, Full Publication Date, Edition.
Interviews
1. Interviewee, interview by Interviewer,
editorial/letter to the editor, Full Date of the Interview,
City, State.
Published and Unpublished Letters
1. Description of the Published Document
(including the author’s name), Full Date of Creation,
in Title of the
Collection, ed. Name of the Editor (City, State: Publisher, Year of
Publication), Page
Numbers.
2. Author, Recipient, Full Date of Creation.
Electronic Sources and Other Media
Film, Videotape, or DVD
1. Author/Director/Producer (or all three),
Title, DVD/VHS (Year of Release; City, State:
Production House, Year of
Release in DVD/VHS Format).
Note: Add the abbreviations for directed by
and produced by (dir. and prod.) following a comma after
the appropriate names when using this information.
Recording
1. Composer/Lyricist (or both), “Title,” on Album Title, Production Studio.
2. Composer/Lyricist (or both), “Title,” on Album Title, Performer, Production Studio.
3. Composer, Title, Orchestra, Conductor, Production Studio.
Software
1. Title, Version/Release #, Company, Company’s Location.
Note: The title of the software should not be italicized.
Note: Use the abbreviations for Version
and Release (Ver. and Rel.) following a comma after the
name of the software.
Source on a CD-ROM or DVD
1. Author, “Title,” Title of the Disk, CD/DVD, Publisher, Year of Publication.
Online Book
1. Author, Title (City, State: Online Publisher, Year Posted), URL.
Online Journal Article
1. Author, “Title,” Journal Volume Number,
Issue Number (Year Posted): Page Numbers
(if provided), URL.
Article from a Database
1. Author, “Title,” Journal Volume Number,
Issue Number (Year Posted): Page Numbers,
URL (accessed Access Date).
Article from an Internet Source
1. Author, “Title,” Title of the Site, Owner of the Site, URL (accessed Access Date).
E-Mail Message
1. Author, e-mail message to Recipient, Full Date of Sending.