Text Citation Styles and Manual Guides

In addition to the Chicago style citation, there’s about half a dozen other text citation styles and manual guides that an academic writer can potentially be asked to implement in his or her writing. Every citation style has its own unique approach and methodology. However, this excerpt is explicitly devoted to gaining more knowledge on a Chicago style paper.

Introduction to Citation Referencing style

For those who are not well versed with the Chicago style citation, it has 2 referencing approaches that are brought into play depending on the nature of the subject that the research topic falls under.

When writing about topics that fall under the precinct of History, Literature or Arts, the ‘Documentary-Note’ style is made use of. On the other hand, when delving into topics pertaining to Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Physical Sciences make use of the ‘Author-Date’ as the key Chicago style format.

However, the latter style, on the basis of its appearance & approach, is also referred to as the ‘Chicago style in-text citation’. We will explain this in detail in the subsequent lines.

Author-Date Approach

This approach cites references encapsulate within parenthesis that appear as part of the original text. The reference includes the author’s surname, date of publication and (if required) page number.

The parenthesis should be accommodated within the text in such a manner that it doesn’t hinder the thought flow. Complete details of the cited reference are provided towards the end; in an alphabetical order.

Example of Chicago Style for Author Date Approach

The Chicago style citation example for this approach appears as;

Colorblindness is still an unknown phenomenon to many. While people might think that colorblind people see the world as black & white, the critic (Templar 2004, 169) states that it appears to be as colorful as it really is; only that you can’t tell the colors apart.

The reference for the above citation would look like:-

Templar, Woody. 2004. My colorful colorblind world. Dayton, OH: Daytoyo Printing Press

Documentary-Note Approach

Unlike the previous method, the Documentary-Note approach can be implemented in two ways; with or without a bibliography. Both alternatives will have footnotes; the bibliography remains optional. The specifics of each alternative is detailed below:

The army, led by the general, rode through the city in the middle of the night and “wrecked havoc like there would be no tomorrow” (13); a sight never to be witnessed again.

* Notice the 13 in brackets. This is the citation

Chicago Style Example-Alternative 1: (With Bibliography)

13. Sanchez, 197

The Chicago style bibliography looks like;

Sanchez, Julio. Men of Conflict. California: Blue Prints Press, 1999

Chicago Style Example-Alternative 2 (Complete Citations, Without Any Bibliography)

13. Julio Sanchez, Men of Conflict (California: Blue Prints Press, 1999), 197