Chicago style, also known as Turabian style, is a widely used citation style for writing academic papers, particularly in the fields of history and the humanities. It is named after the University of Chicago Press, which published a manual of style called A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, which is commonly referred to as the "Chicago Manual."
To write in Chicago style, you will need to follow specific guidelines for formatting your paper, citing your sources, and creating a bibliography.
- Formatting your paper:
- Use a 12-point font, such as Times New Roman or Arial
- Double-space the text of your paper
- Use 1-inch margins on all sides
- Include a title page with the title of your paper, your name, and the course information
- Number all pages, including the title page, in the top right corner
- Use headings to organize your paper and make it easier to read
Citing your sources: Chicago style uses in-text citations and a separate bibliography at the end of the paper. In-text citations should include the author's last name and the page number where the information can be found. For example: (Smith 123). If you are citing a source with multiple authors, include all of the authors' last names. If you are citing a work with no author, use the title of the work.
Creating a bibliography: At the end of your paper, you will need to include a bibliography that lists all of the sources you used in your paper. The bibliography should be alphabetized by the author's last name. If there is no author, use the title of the work.
The format for a book in your bibliography should include the author's last name and first name, the title of the book, the place of publication, and the publisher. For example:
Smith, John. The History of Chicago. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2010.
The format for an article in a journal should include the author's last name and first name, the title of the article, the title of the journal, the volume and issue number, and the page numbers. For example:
Jones, Mary. "The Great Chicago Fire of 1871." Journal of American History, vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 123-145.
There are many other types of sources that you may need to cite in your paper, including websites, newspaper articles, and government documents. The Chicago Manual provides detailed guidelines for citing these and other types of sources.
By following these guidelines, you can write a well-organized and properly cited paper in Chicago style. It is important to correctly cite your sources in order to give credit to the original authors and to help your readers locate the sources you used.
