Chicago Style: Author-Date Version

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Chicago Manual of Style Explained

The Chicago Manual of Style refers to how an essay is formatted. This style is commonly the preferred method of format and citation used in social science classes. This page will focus on the "Author-Date" version of Chicago Style. This style calls for:

• Citing any in-text citation by including the author's name, then the year and page numbers if available. Example: Smith (2018, 22).

• An end-of-paper references list of all in-text citations

Watch our quick video explanation

Chicago Formatting Template

Stress less! Open the template in new window to see notes and explanations. Click file > make a copy to use.

Basic Format of a Chicago Style Paper

Essays written in the Chicago Style should follow these characteristics:

Paper: White paper, 8 1/2 x 11 inches

Margins: 1 inch (top, bottom, left, and right) ; 1 inch = 2.5 cm

Text Formatting:

• Font: Times New Roman (this is the most accepted font, though other easily readable 12-point fonts may be acceptable--check with your instructor if unsure)

• Size: 12 point

• Do not justify the text; instead, align along the left margin

• indent all paragraphs one half-inch from the margin, using the Tab button

• Double-space the entire research paper, including lines separating different paragraphs (make sure not to add an extra space between paragraphs)

Page Numbers: Include a page number in the upper right of every page.

Title: Every Chicago Style essay should have a title, which should be centered and appear on a page of its own. Beneath that, add your name, class name, and date. (See the formatting sample above.)

In-text citation: any sources used should include the author's name, then the year and page numbers if available. Example: Smith (2018, 22).

References list: This lists all in-text citations used throughout the paper