3 Practical Examples of Chicago Style Footnote

Learn how to properly cite sources with these Chicago style footnote examples.
By Jamie

Understanding Chicago Style Footnotes

Chicago style footnotes are essential for providing credit to sources in academic writing. They allow readers to locate the original sources of information and support the integrity of your work. Below are three practical examples of Chicago style footnotes that illustrate how to properly cite various types of sources.

Example 1: Book Citation

Context

This example demonstrates how to cite a book in Chicago style. Books are a common source in research papers, and it’s crucial to credit the authors correctly.

The proper citation for a book includes the author’s name, the title of the book in italics, the place of publication, the name of the publisher, and the year of publication.

In a footnote, the citation would appear as follows:

  1. John Smith, The History of Modern Science (New York: Academic Press, 2020).

Notes

When citing a specific chapter or page in a book, include that information in the citation, such as:

  1. John Smith, The History of Modern Science, 45.

Example 2: Journal Article Citation

Context

In research papers, citing journal articles is vital as they often contain peer-reviewed research. This example shows how to cite a journal article in Chicago style footnotes.

A journal article citation requires the author’s name, the title of the article in quotation marks, the title of the journal in italics, volume number, issue number, and year of publication, along with page numbers.

The footnote citation would be:

  1. Jane Doe, “Exploring Quantum Mechanics: A New Perspective,” Journal of Physics 15, no. 3 (2022): 123-145.

Notes

If you are referencing a specific page within the article, it should be noted as follows:

  1. Jane Doe, “Exploring Quantum Mechanics: A New Perspective,” 130.

Example 3: Website Citation

Context

Citing online sources is increasingly important in academic writing. This example illustrates how to properly cite a website in Chicago style footnotes.

To cite a website, include the author’s name, the title of the page or article in quotation marks, the website name in italics, the publication date, and the URL.

The footnote citation would look like this:

  1. Alex Johnson, “The Future of Renewable Energy,” Green Tech (March 5, 2023), http://www.greentech.com/future-of-renewable-energy.

Notes

If no publication date is available, you may use the date you accessed the website:

  1. Alex Johnson, “The Future of Renewable Energy,” Green Tech, accessed October 10, 2023, http://www.greentech.com/future-of-renewable-energy.