The following examples illustrate the author-date system. Each example of a reference list entry is accompanied by an example of a corresponding in-text citation. For more details and many more examples, see Chapter 15 of The Chicago Manual of Style.
The Chicago Manual of Style also has a very useful website with a page dedicated to the Author-Date system, as well as a general Q&A page which includes some citation topics.
When citing sources with more than one author, the first author's name is always listed as last name, first name while subsequent author names are listed first name, last name.
Oakley, Ann. 2003. Gender on Planet Earth. New York: New Press.
In Text
(Oakley 2003, 77)
Boxer, Marilyn J., and Jean H. Quataert. 2000. Connecting Spheres: European Women in a Globalizing World, 1500 to the Present. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
In Text
(Boxer and Quataert 2000, 69)
Berkman, Alexander, Henry Bauer, and Carl Nold. 2011. Prison Blossoms. New York: Simon & Schuster.
In Text
(Berkman, Bauer, and Nold 2011, 7-10)
Clayden, Marie, Dianne Fenner, Christine McAdam, and Christine Strauss. 2003. Making It Work: A Handbook for Reading, Writing, Language and Media. Toronto: Irwin Publishing.
In Text
(Clayden et al. 2003, 209)
For a book with four or more authors, include all the authors in the reference list entry. In the text, however, cite only the last name of the first-listed author, followed by et al.
AMA (American Medical Association). 1998. Essential Guide to Asthma. New York: Pocket Books.
In Text
(AMA 1998, 141)
To facilitate shorter in-text citations, the organization may be listed under an abbreviation.
American Heritage Dictionary for Learners of English. 2002. Boston: Houghton.
In Text
(American Heritage Dictionary for Learners of English 2002, 309)
The in-text citation may refer to a short form of the title.
(American Heritage Dictionary 2002, 309)
Hughes, Kenneth J., ed. 1990. Contemporary Manitoba Writers: New Critical Studies. Winnipeg: Turnstone Press.
In Text
(Hughes 1990, 77)
A book with an editor in place of an author includes the abbreviation ed. (editor; for more than one editor, use eds.). Note that in-text citation does not include ed.
Crozier, Lorna. 2001. “What Stays in the Family.” In Dropped Threads: What We Aren’t Told, edited by Carol Shields and Marjorie Anderson, 11-18. Toronto: Vintage Canada.
In Text
(Crozier 2001, 14)
Include the chapter author; the chapter title, in quotation marks; and the editor. Precede the title of the book with In. Note the location of the page range for the chapter in the reference list entry.
Kutscher, Martin L. 2017. Digital Kids: How to Balance Screen Time, and Why it Matters. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ProQuest EbookCentral.
In Text
(Kutscher 2017, 49)
When citing an e-book, include a URL or the name of the database the e-book was accessed in. For an e-book that does not have fixed page numbers, use a chapter number, section number or another reference marker.
The Blind Side. 2010. Directed by John Lee Hancock. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video. DVD.
In Text
(Blind Side 2010)
Horowitz, Vladimir. 1989. The Last Recording. Sony Classical SK 45818, 1990, compact disc.
In Text
(Horowitz 1989)
Klein, Joseph. 2011. “Recommendations for Care.” In NURS 2190: Nursing Philosophical Issues Course Pack, edited by Sarah Kaye, 11-24. Coquitlam: Douglas College Bookstore.
In Text
(Klein 2011)
Instructor's Name. Year. "Title of Course." Lecture, School Name, City, Province, Day of lecture.
Richards, Simon. 2023. "CYCC 1220: Relationship Building with Children and Youth" Lecture #5: Ethical Behaviour in the Classroom, Douglas College, Coquitlam, BC, February 21, 2023.
In Text
(Richards 2023)
Secondary sources should only be cited if you are unable to obtain the original.
Cite the original source in-text. Cite the secondary source (i.e., the article/book you read) in your reference list.
For example, if you read a work by Brennan (2021) in which Barron (1982) was cited, and you were unable to read Barron's work yourself, in-text cite Barron's work as the original source, followed by Brennan's work as the secondary source. Only Brennan's work appears in the reference list.
In Text
Barron (quoted in Brennan 2021) ...
Entry in Reference List:
Brennan, Karen. 2021. "How Kids Manage Self-Directed Programming Projects: Strategies and Structures." Journal of the Learning Sciences 30(4-5): 576-610. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2021.1936531.
One Author
Tolmacz, Rami. 2008. “Concern and Empathy: Two Concepts or One.” American Journal of Psychoanalysis 68(3): 257-275. https://doi.org/10.1057/ajp.2008.22.
If no month or season specified (eg. Spring or November), the issue number (eg. (3) ) is placed in parentheses.
In Text
(Tolmacz 2008, 260)
Multiple Authors
Keng, Shao-Hsun, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem. 2017. “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income Inequality.” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring): 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.
In Text
(Keng, Lin, and Orazem 2017, 28)
If there are four or more authors, list up to ten in the reference list; more than ten authors, list the first seven in the reference list, followed by et al. In text, list only the first author followed by et al. For more information, see section 15.46-49 in the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed.
Sandage, Steven J. 2010. “Comparison of Two Group Interventions to Promote Forgiveness: Empathy as a Mediator of Change.” Journal of Mental Health Counseling 32(1): 35-57. Academic Search Complete.
In Text
(Sandage 2010, 43)
Akin, D., and L. M. Huang. 2019. “Perceptions of College Students with Disabilities.” Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability 32(1): 21-33. https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped/archived-jped/jped-volume-32.
In Text
(Akin and Huang 2019)
Tolmacz, Rami. 2008. “Concern and Empathy: Two Concepts or One.” American Journal of Psychoanalysis 68(3): 257-275.
In Text
(Tolmacz 2008, 260)
Bouman, Katie. 2016. “How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole.” Filmed November 2016 at TEDxBeaconStreet, Brookline, MA. Video, 12:51. https://www.ted.com/talks/katie_bouman_what_does_a_black_hole_look_like.
In Text
(Bouman 2016)
Google. 2017. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Last modified April 17, 2017. https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.
In Text
(Google 2017)
"It is often sufficient to simply describe web pages and other website content in the text...If a more formal citation is needed, it may be styled like the examples below."
ELP (Endangered Languages Project) n.d. “Balkan Romani.” https://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5342. Accessed April 26, 2023.
(ELP n.d.)
CivicPlus Content Management System. n.d. City of Ithaca, New York (website). Accessed April 6, 2016. http://www.cityofithaca.org/.
In Text
(CivicPlus n.d.)
"Chicago requires an access date in citations of websites and other sources consulted online only if no date of publication or revision can be determined from the source. In those cases - that is, when only an access date is used- record n.d. as the date of publication in the reference list entry and for the in-text citation. To avoid conflation with the name of the author, n.d. is always lower case." (Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed., section 15.50).
Posner, Richard. 2011. “Inequality in Income and Wealth.” The Becker-Posner Blog, January 30. http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/2011/01/inequality-in-income-and-wealthposner.html.
In Text
(Posner 2011)
"It is often sufficient to cite blog posts...entirely within the text." (Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed., section 15.51).
British Columbia. Ministry of Education and Child Care. 2022. Inclusive Education Resources. http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/ppandg.htm.
In Text
(British Columbia. Ministry of Education and Child Care 2022)
Canada. Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women 1991. Brief to the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women.
In Text
(Canada. Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women 1991)
Many instructors will not allow the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (i.e. ChatGPT, et cetera) in assignments. If you do use tools like this, it is important that you check with your instructors first and then that you include citations in your assignment.
The Chicago Manual of Style Online recently released some information about citing artificial intelligence tools.
Unlike other citation styles, Chicago requires you to "acknowledge the AI tool in your text" but not to credit it for the text. AI tools should be cited in a parenthetical in-text reference but not in a reference list. For example:
In Text
(ChatGPT, March 7, 2023)
Fumano, Dan. 2023. "The Promise and Limitations of Vancouver's Density Plan." Vancouver Sun, August 2, 2023. ProQuest.
In Text:
(Fumano 2023, A.1)
Page numbers can be cited in-text but are omitted from a reference list entry.
Khullar, Dhruv. 2023. "What a Heat Wave Does to Your Body." New Yorker, August 25, 2023. https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/what-a-heat-wave-does-to-your-body. Fumano, Dan. 2023. "The Promise and Limitations of Vancouver's Density Plan." Vancouver Sun, August 2, 2023. ProQuest.
In Text:
(Khullar 2023)
If you consulted the article online, include a URL or the name of the database.
Personal communications, including emails, text messages, and direct messages sent through social media, are cited in-text only.
In Text:
(Sam Gomez, Facebook message to author, August 27, 2023)