Citing Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

1. An article from a print dictionary or encyclopedia

Citations to well-known dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other major reference works, are normally cited in notes rather than in bibliographies (CMS 14.232). For reference works with substantial, authored entries it is appropriate to cite the entries by their author, much like contributions to a multi-author book. (See CMS 14.234 and CMS 14.107).

Footnote/Endnote:

Format:

• ¹ Author First Name, Last Name, “Section Title.” in Volume Title in Italics, Volume number of Series Title, Editor(s) First Name Last Name (City of publication: Name of publisher, Year published), Page number

Examples:

• ¹ Mary Ellen Snodgrass, "Bannochie, Iris (1914-September 1988)," in Caribbean Women and Their Art: An Encyclopedia, ed. Mary Ellen Snodgradd (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020), 23.
• ² Jim Chopyak, "Brunei," in Asia and Oceania, vol. 5 of Continuum encyclopedia of popular music of the world ed. John Shepherd, David Horn, and Dave Laing (New York: Bloomsbury, 2003), 166-67.
• ³ Stephen Walsh, "Stravinsky, Igor (Fyodorovich)," in Grove Music Online, ed. Deanne Root et al. (Oxford University Press, 2007-), accessed September 16, 2017,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/.

Bibliography:

Format:

• Author Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." In Title in Italics, edited by First Name Last Name, Page numbers. City of publication: Name of publisher, Year. 

Examples:

• Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. "Bannochie, Iris (1914-September 1988)." In Caribbean Women and Their Art : An Encyclopedia, edited by Mary Ellen Snodgrass. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.

• Chopyak, Jim. "Brunei." In Asia and Oceania, 166-67. Vol. 5 of Continuum encyclopedia of popular music of the world, edited by John Shepherd, David Horn, and Dave Laing. New York: Bloomsbury, 2003.

---

2. An article from an online dictionary or encyclopedia

Note that in some cases, as with well-known sources like Grove Music Online, it may be appropriate to shorten particularly unwieldy URLs to after the first forward slash (i.e. the slash that follows a domain extension such as .com). (See CMS 14.10). 

Footnote/Endnote:

Format:

• ¹ Author First Name Last Name. “Section Title.” In Title of dictionary or encyclopedia. Name of Publisher, Year Published-. Access Date. URL or shortened URL. 

Example:

• ¹ Stephen Walsh, "Stravinsky, Igor (Fyodorovich)," In Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, 2007-, Accessed September 16, 2015, https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000052818?_start=1&pos=1&q=stravinsky&search=quick&source=omo_gmo#firsthit.
• ¹ Stephen Walsh, "Stravinsky, Igor (Fyodorovich)," In Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, 2007-, Accessed September 16, 2015, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/.

Bibliography:

Format:

• Author Last Name, First Name. “Entry Title.” In Name of Dictionary/Encyclopedia in Italics. Name of Publisher, Year published-. Access Date. URL or shortened URL. 

Example:

• Walsh, Stephen. "Stravinsky, Igor (Fyodorovich)." In Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press, 2007-. Accessed September 16, 2015.http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/.