How to Cite a Book in Chicago Style

Books are fundamental sources in academic research, and citing them correctly is essential for credibility. Chicago style provides clear rules for citing books in both the Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date systems. This comprehensive guide walks you through the process step-by-step with practical examples.

Essential Information for Book Citations

Before creating your citation, gather these key elements:

• Author’s full name(s) (as shown on title page)
• Book title (complete and exact)
• Edition statement (if not first edition)
• Place of publication (city where published)
• Publisher name (as listed on copyright page)
• Publication year (from copyright page, not printing date)
• Page number(s) if citing a specific page

This information typically appears on the title page and copyright page of the book.

Notes-Bibliography System for Books

The Notes-Bibliography system uses footnotes or endnotes for citations with a corresponding bibliography.

Full Note Citation for Books

The first reference to a book includes complete publication information:

1. Author First Last, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Real-world example:

1. Jennifer Adams, The Modern Workplace: Evolution and Adaptation (Boston: Academic Press, 2023), 45.

Shortened Note Citation

Subsequent references use shortened form:

4. Adams, Modern Workplace, 52.

Use the author’s last name, a shortened title (usually the first significant word), and the page number.

Bibliography Entry

In your bibliography, entries appear alphabetically by author’s last name:

Adams, Jennifer. The Modern Workplace: Evolution and Adaptation. Boston: Academic Press, 2023.

Author-Date System for Books

Author-Date uses parenthetical in-text citations with a reference list.

In-Text Citation

(Author Year, page)
(Adams 2023, 45)

If the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, include only the year and page in parentheses:

Adams argues that organizational culture shapes workplace design (2023, 45).

Reference List Entry

Author Last, First. Year. Title of Book. Place: Publisher.

Real-world example:

Adams, Jennifer. 2023. The Modern Workplace: Evolution and Adaptation. Boston: Academic Press.

Books with Multiple Authors

When a book has more than one author, include all names in the full citation.

Notes-Bibliography with Multiple Authors

Full note:

1. Jennifer Adams and Michael Chen, Workplace Management in Global Contexts (New York: Business Publishers, 2023), 89.

Shortened note:

2. Adams and Chen, Workplace Management, 94.

Bibliography:

Adams, Jennifer, and Michael Chen. Workplace Management in Global Contexts. New York: Business Publishers, 2023.

Author-Date with Multiple Authors

In-text (for 2 or 3 authors):

(Adams and Chen 2023, 89)
(Adams, Chen, and Williams 2023, 94)

In-text (for 4+ authors, after first mention):

(Adams et al. 2023, 100)

Reference list:

Adams, Jennifer, and Michael Chen. 2023. Workplace Management in Global Contexts. New York: Business Publishers.

Edited Books and Collections

When citing an edited book (edited by one or more editors rather than having an author):

Notes-Bibliography

Full note:

1. Editor First Last, ed., Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Example:

1. Sarah Mitchell, ed., Advances in Educational Technology (London: University Press, 2023), 67.

Bibliography:

Mitchell, Sarah, ed. Advances in Educational Technology. London: University Press, 2023.

Author-Date

Reference list:

Mitchell, Sarah, ed. 2023. Advances in Educational Technology. London: University Press.

Books with Edition Numbers

If citing a book other than the first edition, include the edition statement.

Notes-Bibliography

1. Author First Last, Title of Book, 2nd ed. (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Example:

1. David Park, Research Methods in Psychology, 4th ed. (Los Angeles: Sage Publishers, 2024), 156.

Author-Date

Park, David. 2024. Research Methods in Psychology. 4th ed. Los Angeles: Sage Publishers.

Translated Books

Include the translator’s name when citing a translated work.

Notes-Bibliography

1. Original Author First Last, Title of Book, trans. Translator Name (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Example:

1. Maria García, The Global Economy, trans. James Wilson (Madrid: International Press, 2023), 123.

Author-Date

García, Maria. 2023. The Global Economy. Translated by James Wilson. Madrid: International Press.

Books with Publisher Series Information

Series information is optional in Chicago style but can be included for clarity.

Notes-Bibliography with Series

1. Author First Last, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), Series Name.

Author-Date with Series

Author Last, First. Year. Title of Book. Place: Publisher. Series Name.

E-Books and Online Books

For e-books and books accessed online, include the URL or DOI.

Notes-Bibliography E-Book

1. Author First Last, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page, https://example.com/ebook.

Author-Date E-Book

Last, First. Year. Title of Book. Place: Publisher. https://example.com/ebook.

When citing a specific location in an e-book without page numbers, use chapter numbers or section titles:

1. Author First Last, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), chap. 3.

Books Without an Author

When no author is listed, begin the citation with the book title.

Notes-Bibliography

1. Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page.

Example:

1. Statistical Abstracts of the United States (Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office, 2023), 456.

Author-Date

Title of Book. Year. Place: Publisher.

Example:
Statistical Abstracts of the United States. 2023. Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office.

Step-by-Step Citation Process

Step 1: Locate the title page and copyright page to gather all required information.

Step 2: Determine if the book has one author, multiple authors, or editors.

Step 3: Note the edition statement (if applicable) and publication details.

Step 4: Choose your system (Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date) and follow the appropriate format.

Step 5: Check capitalization, italics, and punctuation against this guide.

Step 6: If citing an e-book or online source, include the URL or DOI.

Step 7: Verify consistency with other citations in your paper.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using incorrect place of publication (not the printer’s location)
2. Omitting the publisher name entirely
3. Including printing date instead of publication/copyright date
4. Forgetting to italicize the book title
5. Using mismatched author name order between citations and bibliography
6. Including unnecessary edition information for first editions
7. Inconsistent abbreviation of publisher names

Using Citation Generators for Books

Citation managers and generators simplify book citation:

• Zotero: Add books by ISBN or import from library catalogs
• EasyBib: Search by ISBN or title for quick Chicago formatting
• Mendeley: Organize books and generate citations automatically
• CitationMachine: Enter book details for instant Chicago formatting

Always verify that auto-generated citations include complete and accurate information, especially for self-published or older books.

Practice Examples

Example 1: Standard Book with Single Author

Notes-Bibliography:

1. Elizabeth Thompson, Digital Transformation in Education (New York: Education Press, 2023), 87.

Bibliography:
Thompson, Elizabeth. Digital Transformation in Education. New York: Education Press, 2023.

Author-Date:

(Thompson 2023, 87)

Thompson, Elizabeth. 2023. Digital Transformation in Education. New York: Education Press.

Example 2: Book with Two Authors and Edition Number

Notes-Bibliography:

1. Michael Johnson and Patricia Lee, Organizational Psychology, 3rd ed. (Chicago: Business Studies Press, 2024), 145.

Bibliography:
Johnson, Michael, and Patricia Lee. Organizational Psychology. 3rd ed. Chicago: Business Studies Press, 2024.

Author-Date:

(Johnson and Lee 2024, 145)

Johnson, Michael, and Patricia Lee. 2024. Organizational Psychology. 3rd ed. Chicago: Business Studies Press.

Example 3: Edited Book

Notes-Bibliography:

1. Robert Williams, ed., Global Climate Solutions (Stanford: University Press, 2024), 203.

Bibliography:
Williams, Robert, ed. Global Climate Solutions. Stanford: University Press, 2024.

Author-Date:

(Williams 2024, 203)

Williams, Robert, ed. 2024. Global Climate Solutions. Stanford: University Press.

Example 4: Translated Book

Notes-Bibliography:

1. Antonio Rossi, The Future of European Politics, trans. Helen Mitchell (Rome: International Publishers, 2023), 76.

Author-Date:

(Rossi 2023, 76)

Rossi, Antonio. 2023. The Future of European Politics. Translated by Helen Mitchell. Rome: International Publishers.

Citing Books with Confidence

Books remain essential sources for academic research across disciplines. By mastering Chicago book citations, you demonstrate scholarly rigor and enable readers to locate and verify your sources. Whether citing a contemporary business book or a classic literary work, these guidelines ensure your citations are accurate and complete.

Consistency throughout your paper—using either Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date—reflects professional academic work. Use our citation generator tool to verify your book citations, and consult our other guides for chapters, edited collections, and other book-related sources.