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Chicago Style: Basics

This guide is intended to help you learn what Chicago Style is and includes. This guide will help you cite sources and avoid plagiarism. The guide also includes examples of Chicago style and lead you to resources that can help you cite sources.

Hanging Indent

The bibliography entry text should be left-justified; if an entry is more than one line, indent the subsequent line(s) half an inch from the left margin. For more information, please see the CMOS 2.24: Format for bibliographies and reference lists.

NOTE: The library's webpage doesn't show the hanging indent in our examples. 

Webpage

Webpage

Reference List Format:

Owner/Publisher. Year. "Title of Page." Title of Site. Accessed date. URL.

OR

Owner/Publisher. n.d. "Title of Page." Title of Site. Accessed date. URL.

OR

Owner/Publisher. Year. "Title of Page." Title of Site. Last modified date. URL.

For Example:

Southern New Hampshire University. 2018. "Leadership & History." About Us. Accessed January 3, 2018. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/leadership-and-history.

Corresponding In-Text Citation:

(Southern New Hampshire University 2018)

See note ¹

 

Blogs

Blog Post

Reference List Format:

AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstName. Year. “Title of Post.” Title of Blog (blog), Larger Publication. Date. URL.

For Example:

Nye, Bill. 2016. “Dinosaurs & Space - and Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Planets: These are a Few of Our Favorite Thing." Your Place in Space (blog), The Planetary Society. March 15, 2016. http://www.planetary.org/blogs/bill-nye/20160315-dinosaurs-space-and-favorite-things.html.

OR

livius. 2017. “Rock Art may be 1st Depiction of Leashed Dogs.” The History Blog (blog). December 15, 2017. http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/49886.

Corresponding In-Text Citation:

(Nye 2016)

See note ²

 

Social Media

Tweet

Reference List Format:

LastName, FirstName (@handle). Year. “Tweet.” Twitter, Date, time. URL.

OR

Organization (@handle). Year. “Tweet.” Twitter, Date, time. URL.

For Example:

SNHU Shapiro Library (@SNHULibrary). 2017. “To help get you through finals, the library will be open 24 hours starting tonight through Friday morning providing partial access to the first floor for quiet study space and printing.  Enjoy a hot beverage on us, too! #heretohelp #getyourstudyon @SNHUOnCampus.” Twitter, December 17, 2017, 10:11 p.m., https://twitter.com/SNHULibrary/status/942577908752805888.

Corresponding In-Text Citation:

(SNHU Shapiro Library 2017)

 

Facebook

Reference List Format:

AuthorLastName, AuthorFirstName. Year. “Post (up to 160 characters)." Facebook, Date. URL.

OR

Organization. Year. “Post (up to 160 characters)." Facebook, Date. URL.

For Example:

Shapiro Library @ SNHU. 2017. “Have you heard?! Service dogs are coming to the library THIS FRIDAY, December 15th, for finals stress relief! 12:30 - 2 pm in the fireplace area of the library And...they're Great Danes!” Facebook, December 11, 2017. https://www.facebook.com/ShapiroLibrary/posts/10155874451914089.

Corresponding In-Text Citation:

(Shapiro Library @ SNHU 2017)

See note ³

 

¹ If the website does not have a publication date or revision, you must include a date of access. See 15.50: Websites and access dates in author-date format for more information. 

² If the blog is a part of a larger publication, include the name of the larger publication.

³ See 15.52: Citing social media content in author-date format for more information.