In-Text Citations & Reference List: Chicago Author-Date
The Chicago Author-Date system uses brief parenthetical citations in the text, which correspond to full entries in a reference list. Explore the tabs below for interactive guidance on both in-text citation formats and reference list construction.
In-Text Citations (Chicago/Turabian Author-Date)
In the Author-Date system, sources are cited in the text using parentheses that contain the author's last name and the year of publication. This brief citation corresponds to a full entry in the reference list.
Core Principles
- Basic Format: (García 2023)
- Including Page Numbers: (García 2023, 45) or (García 2023, 45–48)
- Placement: At the end of a clause or sentence, before the final punctuation. The author's name can also be integrated into the text.
- No Comma: There is no comma between the author's name and the year.
Parenthetical Example
Recent studies have shown a significant shift in urban development (García 2023).
Narrative Example
García (2023) argues that this shift is irreversible.
García (2023, 112) states, "The city's core has been permanently altered."
García (2023, 112) states, "The city's core has been permanently altered."
Handling Different Author Configurations
| Number of Authors | Rule | In-Text Citation Example |
|---|---|---|
| Two Authors | Use "and" to join last names | (García and Patel 2022, 16) |
| Three Authors | List all three last names | (García, Patel, and Chen 2021, 150) |
| Four+ Authors | First author's last name + "et al." | (García et al. 2020, 77) |
| No Author | Shortened title (quotes for articles, italics for books) | ("A New Plan for Chicago" 2019, 2) (Chicago Guidebook 2022, 18) |
| Organization | Treat org as author; abbreviate if well-known | (City of Chicago 2023) (AMA 2018) |
Special Cases
- Citing Multiple Sources: Separate with semicolons, e.g. (Chen 2021; García 2023; Patel 2022)
- Same Author, Same Year: Add a, b, c to the year, e.g. (García 2023a), (García 2023b)
- Citing Indirect Sources: Use "quoted in", e.g. (quoted in Patel 2022, 105)
- Citing Specific Parts: Use abbreviations, e.g. (García 2023, chap. 5), (Patel 2022, fig. 2.1)