Citations for Historians
Generally use the Chicago Manual of Style - footnotes & bibliography citation style.
Chicago Manual of Style (18th Edition) by Call Number: ONLINE and Ready Reference Z253 .U69 2024ISBN: 9780226817972Publication Date: 2024Availability and more information from Catalyst...- Carleton History Department Mechanics of CitationThe Carleton History department guidelines are based on The Chicago Manual of Style, now in its 17th edition.
- Zotero
Save, organize, share, and cite your sources -- anything from scholarship to YouTube videos. Our guide has Carleton-specific instructions for installing and using Zotero with personal and lab computers, and for getting the most storage space possible.
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Remember to cite Translators!
See the Chicago rule 14.6: Editor or translator in addition to author; plus how to cite a specific volume, and a chapter in an edited volume.
Example: for the "Dutch Learning" section from the class reading, the footnote should be formatted like this (#1 is the first full citation, #2 is the shorter second citation):
1. Sugita Genpaku, "The beginnings of Dutch Learning," trans. Grant K. Goodman, in Sources of Japanese Tradition, eds. William Theodore de Bary et al., vol. 1, Part one: 1600 to 1868 (New York: Columbia University Press, 2006), 298.
2. Genpaku, "The beginnings of Dutch Learning," 1:299.
The names of translators of the relevant chapters in the anthology are given in the the title page, but you should also double-check the Table of Contents to match a translator's name to a specific chapter.
Chicago Quick Guide: Notes & Bibliography!
- Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide: Notes & Bibliography
Compiled and published by the Chicago Manual of Style (for footnotes and endnote; humanities). Contains examples for how to cite: Book; Chapter or other part of an edited book; Translated book; E-book; Journal article; News or magazine article; Book review; Interview; Personal communication; Thesis or dissertation; Web page; Social media content; Video or podcast. - Chicago Manual of Style: Complete Citation Examples (chapter 14)Examples for how to format citations using Chicago for all sorts of primary and secondary sources!
- Chicago Manual of Style: Annotated bibliography exampleRemember that your annotated bibliographies are not simply lists. They are creative, rhetorical devices that map out the scholarly conversation on a topic.
Video examples of Chicago Manual of Style
- General guidelines for Chicago citations (Credo Video)
A 4-minute video that will take you through the basics of footnotes, bibliographies, and how to cite a book.
More Videos on Chicago
Archival material & FAQ
Elements to include (Rule)
Author (if applicable) / Title of the item / date of the item / item number (if applicable) / series title (if applicable) / series number (if applicable) / name of the collection (if applicable) / collection number (if applicable) / name of the depository or archive / location of depository (if applicable) / URL or DOI or name of database (if applicable)
Footnotes: Format (Rule, Examples)
"In a note, the main element of a manuscript citation is usually a specific item (a letter, a memorandum, or whatever) and is thus cited first. In a bibliography, the main element is usually either the collection...,the author(s)..., or the depository. ”
Bibliography: Format (Rule & Examples)
In a bibliography: "Entries are usually listed under the name of the collection or under the author(s) of the items contained therein...If only one item from a collection has been mentioned in text or in a note and is considered important enough to include in a bibliography, the entry will begin with the item."
Frequently Asked Difficult Questions
- Citing republished/bound primary sources (14.160: Citations taken from secondary sources)When possible, always find and cite the original. If this is absolutely impossible, you may need to cite a primary source that is republished in a secondary source.
- On anonymous works (13.81: No listed author (anonymous works))Guidance about when to use "Anonymous", and when to put in an inferred author's name.
- See for more info: Citing Records in the National Archives of the United StatesNeed more examples or helpful information? The Chicago Manual of Style also recommends looking at this "pamphlet" produced by the National Archives on citing archival material.
- Include a URL, but don't do full "website" format (13.6: Uniform resource locators (URLs))If it's a letter that was digitized and put online, cite it as a letter with a URL at the end; don't cite it like a website just because it's online. Don't include a URL for a finding aid; just for a digitized version of the item itself.
- Messy database URL? Just include the database name (14.72: URLs for journal articles)For databases that don't have short URLs for articles, just include the database name in place of the URL.
