The Chicago Manual of Style is often used to document sources for papers in the humanities (eg. history, fine arts, and political science). This guide is based on The Chicago Manual of Style (18th ed.), published in 2024.

Read more about What’s New in the 18th Edition!

In all types of research and scholarly writing, it is important to cite your sources in order to:

• Help readers identify and locate the source you used.

Readers may want to locate the source you have cited, to verify the information or to learn more about the topic. A proper citation includes all of the information for readers to locate the source.

• Provide evidence that your position is well-researched.

Scholarly writing is grounded in research. Citations strengthen your argument by demonstrating that your position is thoroughly researched.

• Give credit to the author of ideas which are not your own, and thereby avoid plagiarism.

Giving proper credit to those whose ideas, words, and thoughts you use is not only respectful to those authors, but also helps you avoid plagiarism.

Citation Generators

There are a variety of citation generators that can help quickly generate citations for sources. Remember to double-check citations for accuracy.

Citation Managers