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Chicago Author-Date
The rules for the Chicago author-date system are similar to those of the Chicago notes and bibliography system. The main difference is the use of parenthetical in-text citations instead of referencing sources in footnotes or endnotes. In author-date style reference lists, the author is the first element and the year of publication comes second, hence the name, “author-date.” Because the two systems are so similar, the Chicago Manual of Style provides a smaller selection of examples of author-date style reference examples. When in doubt, Chicago recommends following the rules of the notes and bibliography system, but with the date of publication listed after the authors. (CMOS 15.1, CMOS 15.2, CMOS 15.3)
Where to place your in-text citations
When using author-date in-text citations, the citation should be placed before a punctuation mark, such as a comma or period (CMOS 15.25).To include a citation after a quotation, the same rules of punctuation apply; include the in-text citation following the quoted material and before the punctuation mark (CMOS 15.26).
1. Books and scores (one author or composer) (CMOS 15.9):in-text citation1
The standard in-text citation format for all sources using the author-date system consists of the author or composer’s last name in parentheses followed by the year of publication, with no punctuation between them. Page numbers should be added when quoting or paraphrasing part of a work by inserting a comma after the year, followed by the page number(s) (see examples below). Terms such as editor or translator are only included in the bibliography. If you are including more than one work in your citation, separate them by a semicolon (see CMOS 15.7)
[1] In Chicago Author-Date style, footnotes or endnotes may be used to elaborate on tangential points made in your main paragraphs. These notes should include the same in-text citation style as your body paragraphs (CMOS 15.31).
Sample Sentence:
In his insightful guide, Bellman provides advice for writing in several different genres of music scholarship (Bellman 1999).
Books and scores (one author or composer) (CMOS 15.9): reference list
Reference list entries contain much more information than in-text citations. The basic format for books and scores with one author or composer includes their name, the title of the book or score, and publication information. The reference list entry is very similar to a bibliography entry. The main difference is that the year of publication is the second element in the entry.
2. Two or more sources with the same author and date of publication (CMOS 15.20): in-text citation
If there are two or more sources with the same author and date of publication, a letter is added to the end of the year to differentiate the sources in the in-text citation.
(Last Name)
(Last Name)
Sample Sentences:
In World Music: A Very Short Introduction, Philip Bohlman considers world music in the context of globalization (Bohlman 2002b). In his article, “World Music at the ‘End of History’,” he looks closer at the “specific and special moments at which music undergoes an ontological shift,” often happening near the end of centuries (Bohlman 2002a, 2).
Two or more sources with the same author and date publication (CMOS 15.20): reference list
If there are two or more sources with the same author and date of publication, a letter is added to the end of the year. The entries are ordered alphabetically by title in the reference list.
Last Name,
First Name
letter
Issue
Number
Day
Season
range
Last Name,
First Name
letter
3.Books with two or three authors (CMOS 15.9): in-text citation
For books and scores with multiple authors, the last name of each author is listed in the in-text citation followed by the year of publication and page numbers if required.
(Last Name
(First Name)
(Last Name
(First Name)
(Last Name
(First Name)
(Last Name
(First Name)
(Last Name
(First Name)
Sample Sentence:
Depictions of death and dying are very common in opera (Hutcheon and Hutcheon 2004).
Books with two or three authors (CMOS 15.9): reference list
For books or scores with multiple authors, only the first author’s name is inverted in the bibliography (i.e. LastName, FirstName). The remaining authors are listed in order of their appearance on the book in the regular order (i.e. FirstName LastName).
Last name
First Name)
(Last name
First Name)
(First name
Last Name)
(Last name
First Name)
(First name
Last Name)
4.Books with four or more authors (CMOS 15.9 and CMOS 15.29): in-text citation
For books or scores with four or more authors, the in-text citation includes the last name of only the first author, followed by et al. to indicate that there are more authors. The year of publication follows and page numbers if required.
(Last name)
additional authors
Sample Sentence: Prelude to Music Education is an informative resource for students considering the profession of music education (Erwin et al. 2002).
Books with four or more authors (CMOS 15.9): references list
The reference list entry for books with four or more authors follows the same format as books with one to three authors: include all authors’ full names.
Last Name,
First Name
First Name
Last Name
First Name
Last Name
First Name
Last Name
5. Books with an author and translator(s) or editor(s) (CMOS 15.9): in-text citation
For books with a translator or editor in addition to an author, only the last name of the author appears in the in-text citation.
(Martin du Gard 2000)
Sample Sentence: Now available in translation, Lieutenant-Colonel de Maumort provides an insightful commentary on humanity, in the form of the fictional character Bertrand de Maumort’s memoire (Martin du Gard 2000).
Books with an author and translator(s) or editor(s) (CMOS 15.9): reference list
For books with a translator or editor in addition to an author, the statement, “Translated by [author name]” or “Edited by [author name]” appears following the title of the book.
Martin du Gard, Roger. 2000. Lieutenant-Colonel de Maumort. Translated by Luc Brébion and Timothy Crouse. New York: Alfred A. Knopf
(Last Name,
First Name.)
For books with an editor(s) in place of an author, only the last name of the editor(s) appears in the in-text citation.
(Last Name)
Last Name
Last Name
Sample sentence:
The collected essays in Rethinking Hanslick consider Hanslick and his aesthetics through a wide variety of critical lenses and in varying contexts (Grimes, Donovan, and Mars 2013).
Books with an editor(s) (CMOS 15.9 and CMOS 15.36): reference list
For books with an editor(s) in place of an author, the name of the editor(s) is treated the same way as an author. If there is one editor, the reference list entry begins with the name of the editor inverted followed by a comma and “ed.” If there are multiple editors, only the first editor’s name is inverted (i.e. LastName, FirstName). The remaining editors are listed in order of their appearance on the book in the regular order (i.e. FirstName LastName). After the names of editors, insert a comma followed by “eds.”
(Last Name,
First Name,)
(First Name
Last Name,)
(First Name
Last Name,)
Title
publisher
7. Chapter or composition in an edited book or anthology (CMOS 15.9): in-text citation
For a chapter or composition in an edited book or anthology, the in-text citation contains the last name of the author/composer of the chapter/composition followed by the year of publication and pages numbers if required.
Chapter/Composition
(Last Name)
Sample Sentence:
“As Vesta was,” contains many examples of word painting. For example, the words “descending” and “ascending” in the text of the madrigal are frequently paired with descending and ascending musical figures respectively, such as in mm. 7-8 and 12-22 (Weelkes 2010, 342-343).
Chapter in an edited book or anthology (CMOS 15.9): reference list
For a chapter or composition in an edited book or anthology, the reference list item should include both the title and author/composer of the specific chapter, and the title and editor of the collection or anthology. The chapter title is given in quotation marks followed by “In [title of the book or anthology]”. The title of the book or anthology is followed by a comma and a statement identifying the editor of the anthology or collection. The page range of the chapter is provided after the name of the editor.
(Last name,
First Name)
title
volume
number
range
(Last name,
First Name)
title
range