Chicago Style: A Humorous Guide to Citing Sources
So, you've been tasked with writing a paper in Chicago style. Fear not, dear scholar! While it may seem daunting at first, with a little humor and a lot of caffeine, you'll be citing like a pro in no time.
The Basics: What is Chicago Style?
Chicago style, also known as Turabian, is a writing style that is commonly used in the humanities. It's characterized by its footnotes and bibliography. Think of it as a fancy dinner party where you introduce your sources with a footnote, and then list them all in a bibliography at the end.
Footnotes: The Mini Biographies of Your Sources
Footnotes are like little sidekicks to your main text. They provide additional information about your sources, such as the author, title, and publication details. To insert a footnote, simply click on the "Insert Footnote" button in your word processor. A little superscript number will appear in your text, and a corresponding footnote will appear at the bottom of the page.
Here's a quick example of a footnote:
This is a sentence with a footnote.1
- John Doe, The Ultimate Guide to Everything (New York: Acme Press, 2023), p. 42.
The Bibliography: The Who's Who of Your Sources
The bibliography is like the guest list for your paper. It lists all of the sources you cited in your paper, in alphabetical order. Each entry should include the author's name, the title of the source, the publication information, and the page numbers.
Here's a quick example of a bibliography entry:
Doe, John. The Ultimate Guide to Everything. New York: Acme Press, 2023.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to Cite Everything: Don't plagiarize! Cite all of your sources, even if you only used a few words or ideas.
- Using Too Many Direct Quotes: While direct quotes can be effective, too many can make your paper seem choppy and unoriginal.
- Not Proofreading Your Citations: Typos and errors in your citations can make your paper look sloppy and unprofessional.
How to Cite Different Types of Sources
- Books: Author, Title (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Page Number.
- Articles: Author, "Title," Journal Title Volume Number, Issue Number (Year): Page Numbers.
- Websites: Author (if available), "Title," Website Title, URL, Accessed Date.
5 Common "How To" Questions About Chicago Style
- How to cite a direct quote: Enclose the quote in quotation marks and provide the page number in parentheses.
- How to cite a paraphrase: Provide the author's last name and the page number in parentheses.
- How to cite a work with multiple authors: List all authors in the first citation, and use "et al." in subsequent citations.
- How to cite an electronic source: Include the author, title, website title, URL, and access date.
- How to format a bibliography: List sources alphabetically by author's last name, and use hanging indents.
Remember, the key to successful Chicago style citation is to be consistent and accurate. With a little practice, you'll be citing like a pro in no time!
