The Chicago Two-Source Tango: Avoiding Footnote Footloose-and-Fancy-Free
Ah, Chicago. The land of footnotes and parenthetical citations, where referencing your sources is as essential as remembering that deep dish pizza is the only true pizza (fight me, New Yorkers). But what happens when you need to weave the wisdom of two brilliant minds into your academic prose? How do you avoid a citation snafu and keep your footnotes from doing the funky chicken at the bottom of the page?
Fear not, fellow scholar, for this guide will be your John Travolta to Olivia Newton-John in the bibliography boogie. We'll be learning the smooth moves of citing two sources in one Chicago sentence.
Step 1: The In-Text Introduction (The Authorly Arrival)
Imagine your sentence as a swanky soiree. First, you gotta introduce your guests – the authors, that is. Here's where the fun part starts. You can choose between two options, depending on the flow of your writing:
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The Last Name Lindy Hop: Simply drop the last names of both authors within the sentence, separated by a comma and a magic conjunction (a.k.a. "and").
For example: Studies have shown that social media use can lead to increased feelings of isolation (Smith, 2023; Jones, 2024).
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The Year of the Citation Cha-Cha: Feeling a little more subtle? You can use the year of publication for each source, separated by a comma and tucked neatly inside parentheses.
For example: Recent research suggests a link between social media and loneliness (2023, 2024).
Remember: Alphabetize the authors by last name (if both sources have the same last name, you'll need to add their initials for clarity) in both these moves.
Step 2: The Footnote Fandango (The Big Reveal)
Now, down to the basement (or wherever footnotes live in your document). Here's where you formally introduce your sources with a full bibliographical flourish. But since it's a two-source tango, things get a little spicy.
Don't make the rookie mistake of having two separate footnotes! Instead, you gotta combine them into one dynamic duo, separated by a semicolon (;).
Here's what your snazzy footnote might look like:
- Smith, John. Social Media and the Lonely Heart. Lonely Press, 2023.
- Jones, Sarah. Unfriending Myself: How Social Media Made Me Miserable. Sadboi Books, 2024.
That's it, folks! Now you can confidently cite two sources in a Chicago sentence and keep your footnotes in perfect rhythm. So go forth, scholars, and strut your citation skills with the confidence of a champion ballroom dancer. Just remember, when it comes to Chicago citations, two's company, and a footnote free-for-all is a party foul.
