The best examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples (that actually help you write)

Before memorizing rules, it’s far easier to study real examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples and copy the structure. Think of it like learning a new recipe: you want to see the finished dish before you start chopping onions.

In Chicago style, you’ll typically see two major setups:

• Notes and Bibliography (common in history, theology, art history, and many humanities fields)
• Author-Date (common in social sciences, some sciences, and interdisciplinary research)

Good sample papers show you how these systems look in real life: the title page, page numbers, headings, footnotes or in-text citations, and bibliography or reference list.

Classic example of a Chicago notes-and-bibliography research paper

Imagine a college history paper titled “Industrialization and Urban Poverty in Chicago, 1870–1910.” This is the kind of assignment where professors almost always expect Chicago’s notes-and-bibliography format.

Here’s how this example of a Chicago style sample research paper would typically be set up:

• Title page: Centered title in headline-style capitalization, your name, course, instructor, and date, all double-spaced.
• Main text: Begins on page 1 (or page 2 if your instructor wants the title page counted separately), with page numbers in the top right corner.
• Footnotes: Each time you quote a primary source or a historian, a superscript number appears in the text, and the full citation appears at the bottom of the page.
• Bibliography: A separate page at the end, with sources listed alphabetically by author’s last name.

A paragraph from this kind of paper might look like this:

As industrial jobs drew thousands of migrants to Chicago, overcrowded tenements became the defining feature of working-class life. Housing inspectors reported that “in some districts, eight or ten persons occupy a single room,” a pattern that reformers linked directly to rising disease rates.¹

The footnote at the bottom of the page would show the full citation the first time you use the source:

¹ Robert Hunter, Poverty (New York: Macmillan, 1904), 87.

Later notes to the same source would be shortened:

⁷ Hunter, Poverty, 112.

The bibliography at the end would list the book like this:

Hunter, Robert. Poverty. New York: Macmillan, 1904.

This is one of the best examples of how Chicago’s notes-and-bibliography system keeps the main text readable while still giving full credit at the bottom of the page.

Literature and humanities: examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples with long quotations

Now picture an English literature paper titled “Gender and Power in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.” This is another area where examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples are incredibly helpful, especially for handling long quotations.

You might see something like this:

Lady Macbeth’s invocation of darkness marks a turning point in the play’s moral universe:

Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty.²

Here, gender is not merely a social role but a spiritual barrier to the exercise of power.

The long quotation is indented, double-spaced, and does not use quotation marks. The footnote at the bottom might read:

² William Shakespeare, Macbeth, ed. Stephen Orgel (New York: Penguin, 2000), 1.5.38–41.

The bibliography would then include:

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Edited by Stephen Orgel. New York: Penguin, 2000.

When you look at real examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples from literature courses, you’ll notice the same pattern: block quotes for long passages, footnotes for commentary and citation, and a clean, alphabetized bibliography.

Social science and STEM: example of a Chicago author-date paper

Shift gears to a sociology or public health assignment: “Social Media Use and Adolescent Sleep Patterns in the United States.” Here, instructors often prefer the author-date version of Chicago style because it feels more like APA.

In this example of a Chicago style sample research paper using author-date, the structure looks different:

• No footnotes for citations: Instead, you see in-text citations like (Smith 2023, 45).
• Reference list instead of “Bibliography,” labeled “References.”
• Publication year moves up next to the author’s name in the reference list.

A sample paragraph might read:

Recent surveys suggest that U.S. teenagers who report using social media after 10:00 p.m. sleep nearly an hour less on school nights than peers who log off earlier (Johnson and Lee 2024, 312). This pattern is consistent with earlier findings on screen exposure and delayed sleep onset among adolescents (National Institutes of Health 2022).

The reference list would include entries like:

Johnson, Maria, and Daniel Lee. 2024. “Late-Night Social Media Use and Sleep Duration in U.S. Adolescents.” Journal of Adolescent Health 75 (3): 305–320.

National Institutes of Health. 2022. “Adolescent Sleep and Screen Time.” Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

You can see how this example of Chicago style sample research paper keeps the page free of footnotes but still follows Chicago rules. For more on how author-date works, the official Chicago Manual of Style Online (often available through university libraries) is a reliable reference.

Where to find the best examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples (2024–2025)

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Many universities publish real examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples that you can safely model. A few reliable places to look:

• Online Writing Labs (OWLs) at major universities. Purdue University’s OWL has long been a standard for citation help and often includes Chicago-style guidance and sample citations: https://owl.purdue.edu
• University libraries that post PDF sample papers with Chicago formatting. These often show a full paper: title page, body, footnotes, and bibliography.
• History and humanities departments that share student paper examples (sometimes anonymized) to show what an A-level Chicago-style paper looks like.

You can also compare how Chicago interacts with current research by looking at recent articles from reputable institutions. For example, if you’re writing about health topics, browsing publications from the National Institutes of Health (https://www.nih.gov) or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov) will show you how professional researchers handle citation and evidence, even if they use slightly different styles.

In 2024–2025, many instructors are also encouraging students to use citation managers like Zotero or EndNote. These tools can output Chicago style automatically, but they still rely on you understanding what a correct example of Chicago style looks like—otherwise, you won’t catch mistakes.

Anatomy of a strong Chicago-style title page and first page

When you study examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples, pay close attention to the front of the paper. Professors notice formatting before they read a single sentence.

A clean Chicago-style title page usually includes:

• Title, centered one-third of the way down the page
• Your name
• Course name and number
• Instructor’s name
• Date

All of this is double-spaced, in a standard font like 12-point Times New Roman.

On the first page of text, most examples include:

• The title again, centered at the top of the page (no bold, no underline)
• The text starting a few lines below
• Page number in the top right corner (and sometimes your last name, if your instructor requests it)

If you compare three or four real examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples from different universities, you’ll see minor variations—some instructors like a running header, some don’t—but the core layout stays the same.

Six more concrete topic examples to model your own paper

Sometimes it helps to see how Chicago style might look across different subjects. Here are several examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples you could easily imagine in a real classroom:

• A U.S. history paper: “The New Deal and Rural Electrification in the American South.” Uses notes-and-bibliography with heavy reliance on government documents and archival letters.
• A religious studies paper: “Interpreting the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Contemporary Ethics.” Uses footnotes not just for sources but also for side comments and alternative interpretations.
• An art history paper: “Color, Light, and Urban Space in the Paintings of Edward Hopper.” Includes images cited in notes and a bibliography with museum catalogs.
• A political science paper: “Voting Behavior and Economic Anxiety in Rust Belt States, 2000–2024.” Likely uses author-date, with plenty of recent journal articles and think-tank reports.
• A public health paper: “Vaccine Hesitancy Narratives on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Uses author-date, drawing on sources from the CDC, NIH, and peer-reviewed medical journals.
• An education paper: “The Impact of 1:1 Laptop Programs on Middle School Writing Achievement.” Also author-date, with data tables and references to recent studies from universities like Harvard (https://www.harvard.edu) and other research institutions.

Each of these topics can be turned into a model paper. When you search your library or writing center for best examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples, look for ones that match your subject area and citation system.

Common patterns you’ll see across good Chicago-style examples

When you lay several examples side by side, some patterns jump out:

• Consistent margins and spacing: One-inch margins, double-spaced text, and a readable font.
• Headings used sparingly and logically: Chicago allows headings, but they’re usually simple—no rainbow of fonts and colors.
• Clear separation between body text and notes: Footnotes are smaller and single-spaced, with a blank line between notes.
• Bibliography or references page with hanging indents: The first line of each entry is flush left; the rest are indented.

These patterns matter because they make your paper look like the real examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples your instructor is used to grading. It’s not just about citations; it’s about the overall look and feel.

How to use examples without copying them

Examples are meant to guide you, not tempt you into plagiarism. When you study examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples, focus on:

• Structure: How the paper moves from introduction to conclusion.
• Citation placement: Where footnotes or in-text citations appear.
• Formatting: Title page, headings, spacing, and bibliography layout.

Then, apply that structure to your own topic, sources, and wording. If you’re ever unsure whether you’re following Chicago correctly, compare your paper to a trusted example from a university writing center or library site.

FAQ about Chicago style sample research paper examples

Q: Where can I find free examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples online?
You can usually find them on university writing center pages, library guides, or online writing labs. Search for phrases like “Chicago style sample paper PDF” along with a university name. Sites like Purdue OWL and many .edu domains offer reliable samples.

Q: Is there a difference between an example of a Chicago notes-and-bibliography paper and an author-date paper?
Yes. Notes-and-bibliography papers use footnotes or endnotes plus a bibliography. Author-date papers use in-text citations with the year in parentheses and a reference list at the end. Good examples will clearly label which system they’re using.

Q: Can I mix footnotes and author-date in the same paper if I see that in some examples?
Generally, no. Chicago expects you to choose one system and stick with it, unless your instructor gives very specific instructions. Some advanced scholars blend systems for special reasons, but student papers should follow one consistent pattern.

Q: Are older examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples still valid in 2024–2025?
Most formatting basics—margins, spacing, footnotes, bibliography—haven’t changed much. However, newer examples may show updated ways of citing online sources, social media, or datasets. When in doubt, check your example against a current Chicago Manual of Style guide from a library or trusted .edu site.

Q: Do all Chicago-style papers need a title page?
Not always. Some instructors prefer the title at the top of the first page instead of a separate title page. Many examples of Chicago style sample research paper examples online will show both options. Follow the version that matches your assignment guidelines.

If you treat these examples as templates—rather than mysterious artifacts—you’ll find that Chicago style is less scary than it looks. Study a few strong models, match their structure, and your paper will start to look like it belongs in the same stack as the best examples your professor has ever graded.