Format & Examples of Chicago Website Citations

Citing websites in Chicago style might sound like a challenging task. But don’t worry. It’s easier than it looks.

If you’re working on an essay, research paper, or any other academic paper, understanding how to cite sources properly is super important. It helps your work look professional & gives credit to the authors whose ideas you’re using.

Let’s break it down step by step.

Why Proper Citation Matters

When you write an assignment or report, you sometimes use ideas or information from books, websites, or other people's work. It’s important to give credit to the original author.

Why?

• It shows your educators that you’ve done extensive research & are not taking someone else's work as your own.

• When you give credit, you show that your work is based on real information & that you know how to find good sources.

• If someone wants to learn more about what you wrote, they can easily find the books & websites you used.

In the Chicago style, there are different ways to give credit to other people's work. Two popular ways are:

Notes & Bibliography

This is often used in history & art classes.

Author-Date

This is often used in science classes.

We'll mainly talk about the Notes & Bibliography system today & briefly mention the Author-Date system.

Are you ready to learn more?

Let's begin!

Chicago Website Citations Style Format

Imagine you're writing an article & you want to use information from a website. Chicago Style has two special ways to show where you got that information. These are:

1. Chicago Style Footnote

In Chicago style, footnotes start with a number, like 9, that matches the number next to the quote or idea in the main text. This number helps readers easily find the source of the information.

So, when you see a number in the text, just look at the same number in the footnote to learn more about the source. This makes it super easy for readers to track the origins of the ideas you are sharing.

The first footnote for each source gives all the details. And if you use the same source again, the footnote can be shorter, just mentioning the author’s name & title.

Remember, footnotes are formatted with a small space (½ inch) at the beginning of the first line. This simple system makes everything neat & organized.

Basic Format of Chicago Style Footnote

Full Note (First Reference)

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of the Work. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication, Page Number(s).

Shortened Note (Subsequent References)

Author's Last Name, Shortened Title, Page Number(s).

Example of the Chicago Style Footnote for a Website

Take a look at this example of Chicago style footnote that we’ve picked from Wikipedia’s source.

In Source:

Writing processes are very individualized and task-specific; they frequently incorporate activities such as talking, drawing, reading, browsing, and other activities that are not typically associated with writing.[2]

Full Footnote:

2. Clayson, Ashley. "Distributed Cognition and Embodiment in Text Planning: A Situated Study of Collaborative Writing in the Workplace." Written Communication 35, no. 2 (2018): 155–81. doi: 10.1177/0741088317753348.

For the next footnotes, follow these steps:

• Use only the author's last name & a shortened version of the article or book title.

• If you can find page numbers (like in a PDF), include the page where you found the information.

• Put commas between the author's name, the shortened title, & the page number.

2. Chicago Style Bibliography Entries

In Chicago style bibliography, you need to make a list of all the websites you used at the very end of your report. This list helps people find the original source if they want to learn more.

What to include in the bibliography entries for websites?

• Author’s name

• Title of the webpage or article in quotation marks.

• Website name.

• Date of publication

• Website’s URL

This helps others know where you got your information.

Basic Format of Chicago Style Bibliography

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Work. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication, URL.

Example of the Chicago Bibliography Entry for a Website

Neil Patel, “7 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Writing Skills for Your Blog,” Forbes, July 28, 2016, https://www.forbes.com/councils/theyec/2020/08/06/four-simple-tips-for-writing-effective-blog-posts/

Special Cases to Handle

Sometimes, finding information on websites can be a bit confusing. Here are some tips to help you out:

1. No Author’s Name

If you can't find the name of the person who wrote the information, don’t worry. Start with the title of the page.

Footnote

“Top 10 Volcanoes to Visit,” Volcano Explorer, accessed July 15, 2024, https://www.volcanoexplorer.com/top-10-volcanoes.

Bibliography

“Top 10 Volcanoes to Visit.” Volcano Explorer. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.volcanoexplorer.com/top-10-volcanoes.

2. No Publication Date

If there's no publication date on the website, write down the date you visited that source instead.

Footnote

Rachel Green, “Guide to Forest Habitats,” EcoWatch, accessed May 20, 2024, https://www.ecowatch.com/forest-habitats-guide.

Bibliography

Green, Rachel. “Guide to Forest Habitats.” EcoWatch. Accessed May 20, 2024. https://www.ecowatch.com/forest-habitats-guide.

3. No Title

If the website doesn't have a title, try giving it a short name that describes what it's about.

Here are some examples:

Footnote

John Smith’s blog, entry posted March 3, 2024, accessed July 10, 2024, https://www.johnsmithblog.com.

Bibliography

John Smith’s blog. Entry posted March 3, 2024. Accessed July 10, 2024. https://www.johnsmithblog.com.

How to Cite Websites in the Author-Date System?

The author-date system is a little bit different. Instead of footnotes, you use in-text citations. The bibliography is called “References.”

In-Text Citation Examples

• Parenthetical: (Parker 2023)

• Narrative: Parker (2023) explains…

Reference Example

Parker, Sarah. 2023. “How Bees Communicate.” National Geographic. April 12. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-bees-communicate.

Quick Tips for Finding Citation Details

Author

Look at the top or bottom of the page to see who the writer is.

Title

Find the name of the story, article, or page.

Date

Check the published or last-updated date.

URL

Copy the web address from your browser. If you read it from a PDF, look for the information on its first page. Or, look for the information on the website where you got the PDF.

The Bottom Line

Citing websites in Chicago style made simpler & easier! In this guide, we’ve shared valuable information & some practical examples to help you cite websites in Chicago style like a pro. It might seem tricky at first, but you’ll get used to it with the passage of time. When you cite sources accurately, your work will shine. Now go ahead & cite sources in Chicago.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the main citation systems in Chicago style?

Chicago style offers two main systems:

• Notes and Bibliography – Commonly used in history & arts.

• Author-Date – Often used in science subjects.

2. What information do you need for a bibliography entry in Chicago style?

A Chicago bibliography entry for a website should include:

• The author’s name.

• The title of the page or article in quotation marks.

• The website name.

• The publication date.

• The URL (web address).

If some details are missing (like the author or date), you can adjust the entry with the available information.

3. What should you do if a website has no author, title, or date?

Here’s how to handle missing details:

• No Author: Start with the title of the webpage.

• No Title: Create a short descriptive title.

• No Date: Use the date you accessed the website instead.