Lost in Citationville? How to Navigate Chicago-Style Maps (Without Getting Mugged by Punctuation)
Ah, Chicago. City of wind, deep dish pizza, and...confusing citation styles? Yes, even the Windy City can't escape the academic jungle gym of referencing. But fear not, intrepid researcher, for we're here to decode the mystery of citing maps in Chicago style. Because hey, who wants their professor to think you got your info from a napkin scribbled on by a drunk cartographer?
First Things First: Where'd You Find This Map, Indiana Jones?
There are two main scenarios: Map Found in a Book (Fancy!) or Map Found Lurking on the Web (The Wild West!).
- Map Found in a Book: This one's a breeze. Imagine Indiana Jones cracking his whip and unearthing a dusty atlas. Here's the format:
Map Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Map," Scale [if given], in Title of Book: Subtitle if Any, Edition (if not the first), by Book Author's Last Name (Place of publication: Publisher, Year), Page number.
For example:
Robinson, Arthur. "Chicago City Limits," 1:25,000, in The Windy City: A History, 2nd ed., by Jane Doe (Chicago: Windy City Press, 2023), 123.
- Map Found on the Web: Ah, the internet. A treasure trove of information, but also a land filled with questionable pop-up ads. Here's how to cite a map you snagged from the vast digital unknown:
Map Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Map," Scale [if given], "Title of Website," Publication Date, accessed Access Date, URL.
For example:
City of Chicago Department of Planning. "Chicago Neighborhoods," n.d., https://data.cityofchicago.org/, accessed May 7, 2024, [invalid URL removed].
Pro Tip: If you can't find the author or publication date, that's okay. Just include a note like "Author unknown" or "Publication date unavailable." Honesty is the best policy (unless you're Indiana Jones dodging booby traps).
That Scale Though: Big or Small Time Mapper?
The scale of a map tells you how much real-world ground is represented by one unit on the map. Think of it like a cartographic ruler. Including the scale in your citation is like bragging about how awesome your ruler is (because clearly, in this academic game, knowledge is power...and a ruler that measures the distance from Al Capone's hideout to the nearest pizzeria).
Don't Get Punctuation-ally Mugged!
Chicago style can be a bit finicky with punctuation, so here's a quick cheat sheet:
- Commas: Separate author names, titles, and publication info with commas.
- Colons: Separate the title and subtitle of a book and the publisher information.
- Periods: End each piece of information with a period (except for URLs, which don't need one).
- Quotes: Enclose the title of the map and website in quotes.
Remember: Following these guidelines will ensure your citations are smooth sailing, and you won't end up with a red penciled message from your professor that reads, "Chicago? More like Chic-wrong-o!"
So there you have it! Now you can confidently navigate the treacherous waters of Chicago-style map citations. Just remember, a little research goes a long way, and who knows, you might even impress your classmates with your newfound cartographic citation skills. Just try not to go all "National Treasure" on them and steal all the good library resources.
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