Formatting Details

• For the first (or only) author, include the author's name in inverted order.  If the middle initial is known, include it and follow it with a period, e.g. "Last, First M."  [Example]

• For two authors, list the authors in the order in which they appear on the title page.  Format names as above and separate names with "and." [Example]

• For three authors, list them in the order in which they appear on the title page. Format names as above, follow the first and second names with a comma, and precede the last with "and." [Example] [Example]

• For more than three authors, list only the first author, followed by "et al." (with the ending period). [Example]

• If the author's name appears in the title (such as an autobiography, collected works book, etc.), omit this part and begin the note with the title.  [Example]

• If the author's name is known, but not given on the title page, enclose it in brackets. [Example]

• If the work is anonymous, omit this part and begin the note with the title. [Example]

• If no author is listed on the title page, but instead editor(s), compiler(s), or translator(s), list the editor(s), compiler(s), or translator(s) here instead.  Follow the name(s) with a comma, and "ed." or "eds." for editor(s), "trans." for translators, and "comp." or "comps." for compiler(s). [Example]  [Example]  [Example]

• Italicize the title of the book. [Example]
• If there is a title within the title, either do not italicize or underline the shorter title or enclose it within quotation marks.  [Example]  [Example]
• If there is a subtitle, separate it from the main title with a colon and a space. 
• If there is an ampersand in the title, spell it out as "and."
• Click here for notes on capitalization.

• If the book has both author(s) and editor(s), include the name of the editor(s), preceded by "ed." (meaning "edited by" and thus never "eds.")  [Example]
• If the book is a translation, write "trans." followed by the name of the translator(s). [Example]
• If the book has both author(s) and compiled(s), include the name of the compilers(s), preceded by "comp."

• For an edition other than the first, include the number of the edition followed by "ed." [Example]
• Use a digit for the edition number, as in "5th. ed." or "3rd. ed." or "10th ed."
• If the edition is given as "Revised Edition," write "rev. ed." here.  [Example]

• If you use only one volume of a series, include "vol. n of" and the name of the series.  If the series is not named, simply write "vol. n."  [Example]  [Example]
• If the book is a multivolume work, include the number of volumes, followed by "vols." [Example]

• Precede this part with an opening parenthesis.  All of the publication information is given within parentheses. 
• Include the city of publication.  [Example]
• If the city is not well-known or could be confused with another city, follow the city name with a comma, a space, and the state or country.  There are two sets of accepted state abbreviations in Chicago style; one is the postal state abbreviations (two capital letters, no periods.)  [Example]
• If the place of publication is not given (and you cannot find it after a serious attempt), write "n.p." here.  [Example]
• The publication place is usually found on the title page of the book.  If there are several listed, give only the first city. 

• Include the publisher's name.  [Example]
• You may abbreviate University Press as "Univ. Press" as long as you do so consistently.  
• If the publisher is not given, write "n.p." here. (Only one "n.p." is used for both an unknown publisher and place).
• The publisher is usually found on the title page of the book.  

• Include the four-digit year of publication. If a range is given, use the range with a hyphen between years. [Example]
• If the date of publication is not given, write "n.d." here.
• The publication place is usually found on the back the title page of the book.  

• If you are citing a specific part of the book, include the page number(s).  If a range is given, use the range with a hyphen (or en-dash) between pages.   [Example]
• You only need to give the last two digits, unless more are necessary, i.e. 205-12 but 295-303.