Prepared by Bowdoin Library, BL, 25 January 2018 4
In-text citations
“Two or more works by the same author in the same year must be differentiated by the addition of a, b, and so forth (regardless
of whether they were authored, edited, compiled, or translated) and are listed alphabetically by title. Text citations consist of
author and year plus letter.” (CMOS 15.20) ◊ For additional examples of in-text citations, see examples throughout this guide.
(Doniger 1999, 65–66) [After attributed text. Most subsequent examples are given in this form.]
(Doniger 1999, 2017) [Citing additional work by same author published in a different year.]
(Doniger 1980a, 134) [Two works by same author, same year.]
(Doniger 1980b, 30-31) [Two works by same author, same year.]
(Doniger 1999, 92; 2017, 29) [Citing additional work by same author, with page numbers.]
(Doniger 1999, 92; Cowlishaw and Dunbar 2000, 43) [Citing additional work by another author(s).]
Doniger (1999, 65–66) [Embedded in the text.]
(Business Booms and Depressions 1943) [No author provided.]
Business Booms and Depressions since 1775: An Accurate Charting of the Past and Present Trend of Price
Inflation, Federal Debt, Business, National Income, Stocks and Bond Yields, with a Special Study of
Postwar Periods. 1943. Toledo, Ohio: The Century Press.
http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publications/bb/issue/5069/download/85250/1943chart_busibooms.pdf.
Doniger, Wendy. 1980a. Karma and Rebirth in Classical Indian Traditions. Berkeley: University of
California Press.
Doniger, Wendy. 1980b. Women, Androgynes, and Other Mythical Beasts. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.
Doniger, Wendy. 2017. The Ring of Truth and Other Myths of Sex and Jewelry. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Source: CMOS 15.20, 15.25, 15.30.
Discussion
This guide is based on The Chicago Manual of Style, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 17th ed., 2017. Main Ref Desk
Z253 .U69 2017. The complete Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is also available online for Bowdoin College users,
<https://cbbcat.net/record=b5055626~S19>. ◊ CMOS provides two basic documentation systems, Notes and Bibliography and
Author-Date. This guide covers the Author-Date system. Many of the examples and quoted text in this guide are taken from
Chapter 15 of CMOS. For cases not covered there, adapt examples from chapter 14 (CMOS 15.1-15.3, 15.32).
URLs. When citing an online source, include a URL, preferably (1) a DOI-based URL (beginning with “https://doi.org/”) or a
Handle-based URL (beginning with “https://hdl.handle.net/”); (2) otherwise, a URL labelled as persistent or stable or a permalink;
(3) otherwise, a standard URL. (CMOS 14.6, 14.8, 14.9) To create a URL from a DOI such as “doi:10.1086/679716”, append that
DOI to “https://doi.org/” to create a URL of the form “https://doi.org/10.1086/679716”. (CMOS 14.8) ◊ “For a source consulted
via a library or other commercial bibliographic database and available only through a subscription or library account, it may be
best to name the database in lieu of a URL. [...] A URL that leads to information about the source, if not full access to it, is safe to
use.” (CMOS 14.11) ◊ The domain name, e.g. https://books.google.com/, or name of the database may be substituted for a very
long URL for “formally published resources” such as Google Books. (CMOS 14.10)
Access dates. “Chicago does not [...] require access dates in its published citations of electronic sources unless no date of
publication or revision can be determined from the source.” (CMOS 14.12) Nevertheless, some publishers, disciplines, or
professors may require access dates.
Other best practices. “In many cases the contents of the print and electronic forms of the same publication are intended to be
identical. [...] In practice, because there is always the potential for differences, intentional or otherwise, authors should cite the
version consulted.” (CMOS 14.16) ◊ “As long as a consistent style is maintained within any one work, logical and defensible
variations on the style illustrated in this chapter and in chapter 15 are acceptable if agreed to by author and publisher.” (CMOS
14.4)
Other issues.
o More than ten authors, etc.: CMOS 14.76
o Editor, translator, or compiler in addition to author:
CMOS 15.9, 14.104
o Organization as author, CMOS 15.37
o Additional works by same author, CMOS 15.30
o Edition: CMOS 14.113ff, 15.40ff
o Series: CMOS 14.123ff
o No date of publication, CMOS 15.44, 15.50
o No place of publication: CMOS 14.132, 15.50
o No journal issue number, CMOS 15.48
o No journal volume number, CMOS 15.47
o Citation taken from secondary source: CMOS 15.56
o Formats for in-text citations and reference list: CMOS 2.24,
15.21-15.30
o Government and legal documents: CMOS 15.58-15.59
o Citation management tools: CMOS 14.5