Chicago 17th edition referencing
History, art history and some social sciences.
Short answer
What is Chicago 17 referencing?
Chicago 17 offers two systems. Notes–bibliography uses numbered footnotes plus a bibliography and is standard in history and the arts. Author–date uses parenthetical citations and is used in the sciences. Check which one your department requires before you start — converting between them afterwards is tedious.
Worked examples
Chicago 17 for every source type
Each example below is produced by the same engine that powers our free generator.
book
Full guide →Reference list entry
Bolton, Gillie. Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development. 5th ed. London: SAGE Publications, 2018.
In-text
(Bolton 2018)
journal article
Full guide →Reference list entry
Thomas, Liz, and Michael Hill. "Belonging and Continuation Among First-Generation Undergraduates." Studies in Higher Education 49, no. 3 (2024): 412-428. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2298471.
In-text
(Thomas 2024, 412)
web page
Full guide →Reference list entry
Agency, Quality Assurance. "Academic Integrity Charter for Uk Higher Education." QAA. 2025. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://www.qaa.ac.uk/academic-integrity.
In-text
(Agency 2025)
book chapter
Full guide →Reference list entry
Moon, Jennifer. "Reflection in Higher Education Learning." In Handbook of Reflective Practice, 45-62. Abingdon: Routledge, 2013.
In-text
(Moon 2013, 45)
report
Full guide →Reference list entry
Students, Office for. Student Outcomes and Teaching Excellence. Office for Students, 2025.
In-text
(Students 2025)
Watch out for
Chicago 17 quirks that cost marks
- Two distinct systems — notes–bibliography and author–date. They are not interchangeable.
- Footnotes use commas where the bibliography uses full stops.
- First footnote is full; later references to the same source are shortened.
- Bibliography entries invert only the first author's name.
Chicago 17 — FAQs
- What is Chicago 17 referencing?
- Chicago 17 offers two systems. Notes–bibliography uses numbered footnotes plus a bibliography and is standard in history and the arts. Author–date uses parenthetical citations and is used in the sciences. Check which one your department requires before you start — converting between them afterwards is tedious.
- Who uses Chicago 17?
- History, art history and some social sciences. It is most common in United States, Canada, UK. Always confirm against your own module handbook, because departments within one university often differ.
- Is Chicago 17 an author–date or numeric system?
- Chicago 17 is a footnote system: citations appear as numbered notes at the foot of the page, with a separate bibliography at the end.