You Found an EU Doc, Now How Do You Make Chicago Not Cry?
Let's face it, wading through legalese and bureaucratic jargon is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But fear not, intrepid researcher, for you've stumbled upon a treasure trove of information: a shiny EU document.
The problem? Citing it in Chicago style. Now, Chicago can be a bit of a stickler for the rules, and those EU folks have a way with acronyms that would make alphabet soup jealous. But fret no more, because this guide will turn you from a citation chump to a Chicago champion!
In the Text: Quick & Dirty
Imagine you're having a lively debate about trade regulations with your friends (because, let's be honest, who doesn't?). You want to reference that awesome EU document you found. Here's the secret sauce:
- Superscript Hero: Pop a little superscript number (like this: ¹) after the info you're citing. Easy peasy.
Footnotes: Unveiling the Mystery
Now, let's unveil the magic behind the curtain (or should we say, the footnote?). This is where you get to play detective and unearth the details of your EU document. Here's what you need to crack the code:
- The Author: This could be a whole European Union body, a specific directorate, or even a mysterious "European Commission." Find the culprit and list them first.
- Title, Glorious Title! Slap on the title of the document, complete with all its punctuation and fancy capitalization.
Hold on a sec! EU documents often come with numbers and letters that look like they belong on a spaceship control panel. Don't panic! These are identifiers, and some are super important for Chicago. Here's the breakdown:
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Official Journal (O.J.) This is the EU's publishing platform, kind of like their fancy newsletter. If your document comes from here, you'll need to include the year, volume number in parentheses, specific issue number with a capital "C" (e.g., C 384), and finally, the page numbers.
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Document Numbers Some EU documents have their own unique ID number. Include this after the title, separated by a comma.
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Publication Details: City, publisher (usually "European Union"), and year are your standard Chicago crew.
Here's an example to tie it all together:
¹. European Commission, "Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A New Trade Strategy for a Stronger Europe" (COM(2021) 70 final), Brussels, 2021.
That's It! You're a Chicago Citation Master!
Now, go forth and conquer your research paper! Remember, with a little detective work and this guide, you can turn those EU documents from bureaucratic beasts into perfectly cited Chicago prey. Just don't tell the bureaucrats you outsmarted them, they might send in the regulations battalion!