In Chicago style, cite journal articles with author, title, journal, volume(issue), year, page range, and a DOI or URL; use Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date.
Chicago has two ways to cite peer-reviewed journal work: Notes and Bibliography, and Author-Date. Both are clear once you know what pieces go where. This guide lays out the patterns, shows clean examples, and flags quirks that trip writers when a DOI is missing or when there are many authors. You’ll see the footnote or endnote form first, then the matching bibliography entry. You’ll also see the in-text parenthetical form with its companion reference-list entry. Use the tables to pick the pattern that fits your source, then plug in your details. By the finish, you’ll have crisp citations that match what instructors and editors expect.
Citing A Peer-Reviewed Article In Chicago Style (Core Steps)
We’ll set out the two systems side by side. Pick the one your assignment or target journal asks for. If you’re not told, humanities fields often use Notes and Bibliography, while sciences and social sciences often use Author-Date.
Notes And Bibliography: Quick Pattern
Footnote or endnote first; bibliography at the end.
Footnote: Firstname Lastname, “Article Title,” Journal Title volume, no. issue (Year): page, DOI or URL.
Bibliography: Lastname, Firstname. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue (Year): page range. DOI or URL.
Author-Date: Quick Pattern
In-text: (Lastname Year, page).
Reference list: Lastname, Firstname. Year. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue (Month or Season): page range. DOI or URL.
Chicago Journal Article Patterns At A Glance
Use these templates and swap in your details.
| Situation | Notes/Bibliography Pattern | Author-Date Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Print article | Note: First Last, “Title,” Journal volume, no. issue (Year): page. | Ref: Last, First. Year. “Title.” Journal volume, no. issue: pages. |
| Online, with DOI | Note: First Last, “Title,” Journal volume, no. issue (Year): page, DOI. | Ref: Last, First. Year. “Title.” Journal volume, no. issue: pages. DOI. |
| Online, no DOI | Note: First Last, “Title,” Journal volume, no. issue (Year): page, URL. | Ref: Last, First. Year. “Title.” Journal volume, no. issue: pages. URL. |
| Advance online | Note: First Last, “Title,” Journal, Month Day, Year, DOI. | Ref: Last, First. Year. “Title.” Journal, Month Day. DOI. |
| Two–three authors | Note: First Last and Second Last, “Title,” Journal… | Ref: Last, First, and Second Last. Year. “Title.” Journal… |
| Four–ten authors | Note: First Last et al., “Title,” Journal… | Ref: List all authors in the reference list; use et al. in-text after the first author. |
| Eleven or more authors | Note: First Last et al., “Title,” Journal… | Ref: List the first seven, then et al. |
Solid Examples You Can Model
These examples follow the Chicago Quick Guide (Notes and Bibliography) and the matching Author-Date Quick Guide from the publisher of the manual.
Single Author, With DOI
Footnote: Hanna Pickard, “What Is Personality Disorder?,” Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology 18, no. 3 (2011): 182, https://doi.org/10.1353/ppp.2011.0040.
Bibliography: Pickard, Hanna. “What Is Personality Disorder?” Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology 18, no. 3 (2011): 181–84. https://doi.org/10.1353/ppp.2011.0040.
Author-Date in-text: (Pickard 2011, 182).
Reference list: Pickard, Hanna. 2011. “What Is Personality Disorder?” Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology 18, no. 3 (September): 181–84. https://doi.org/10.1353/ppp.2011.0040.
Article From A Database, No DOI
Footnote: Jack A. Goldstone, “Climate Lessons from History,” Historically Speaking 14, no. 5 (2013): 36, Project MUSE.
Bibliography: Goldstone, Jack A. “Climate Lessons from History.” Historically Speaking 14, no. 5 (2013): 35–37. Project MUSE.
Author-Date in-text: (Goldstone 2013, 36).
Reference list: Goldstone, Jack A. 2013. “Climate Lessons from History.” Historically Speaking 14, no. 5 (November): 35–37. Project MUSE.
Print Only, No Issue Number
Footnote: Joseph Barker, “Against ‘Vital Materialism’: The Passive Creation of Life in Deleuze,” Mosaic 48 (2015): 60.
Bibliography: Barker, Joseph. “Against ‘Vital Materialism’: The Passive Creation of Life in Deleuze.” Mosaic 48 (2015): 49–62.
Author-Date in-text: (Barker 2015, 60).
Reference list: Barker, Joseph. 2015. “Against ‘Vital Materialism’: The Passive Creation of Life in Deleuze.” Mosaic 48 (December): 49–62.
When To Use A DOI Or A URL
Use a DOI when you have it; it’s the most stable link. If there’s no DOI, use a clean URL for the journal page or the database landing page. Keep long tracking strings out of the link. If an article is a preprint or an advance online release, give the date in the citation and include the DOI. The Purdue OWL page on periodicals lines up with this practice.
Name Order, Capitalization, And Page Ranges
In Notes and Bibliography, the footnote starts with Firstname Lastname, but the bibliography flips the name to Lastname, Firstname. In Author-Date, the reference list also flips the name. Capitalize the article title headline-style. Italicize the journal title. Give the full page range in the bibliography or reference entry; in the footnote or in-text citation, give the exact page cited.
Edge Cases You’ll Meet
Two to three authors. List all names in the order shown by the source. In a note: Firstname Lastname and Firstname Lastname. In Author-Date in-text: (First Author Lastname and Second Author Lastname Year, page).
Four to ten authors. The note may use et al. after the first author to keep it tight. The bibliography or reference list shows all names. In Author-Date in-text, use et al. after the first author.
Eleven or more authors. In the reference entry, list the first seven, then add et al. The note may use et al. as well.
Translated article. Add “translated by Name” after the title, if your source lists a translator.
Special issue. Add “special issue,” the issue title, and the editor, if given.
Supplements. Add “suppl.” with the number if the journal marks supplements that way.
No author. Start with the article title. In Author-Date in-text, use a short title and the year.
Article title with a colon. Keep the subtitle after the colon. Capitalize headline-style.
Edge Cases And Fixes
| Edge Case | What To Do | Example Snippet |
|---|---|---|
| Four authors | Use all four in the bibliography; use et al. in a note if long. | Note: First Last et al., “Title,” Journal… |
| Eleven authors | List first seven, then et al. in the reference entry. | Ref: Last, First, Second Author, …, Seventh Author, et al. |
| Advance online | Give the posting date and the DOI. | Ref: Last, First. Year. “Title.” Journal, March 14. DOI. |
| No DOI | Use a stable URL; trim trackers. | … pages. https://journal.org/article. |
| No author | Start with the title. In-text uses a short title. | (“Short Title” Year, page) |
| Translated | Add the translator after the title. | “Title,” translated by A. Translator, Journal… |
Formatting Checklist
Punctuation. Notes use commas before the year and a colon before the page. Bibliography and reference entries use periods between the main parts.
Italics and quotes. Journal titles are italic. Article titles sit in quotation marks.
Numbers. Give volume as a plain number. Add “no.” before the issue number. If the journal only uses volume, leave the issue out.
Page ranges. Use an en dash for spans: 181–84. Keep the full range in the bibliography or reference entry.
Capitalization. Use headline-style for titles in English. Keep the source’s own style for non-English titles if you are following that convention for your paper.
Build One From Scratch: A Walkthrough
Source data. Maria Lopez and David Kim, “Neural Pathways in Sleep,” Journal of Clinical Neurobiology 12, no. 2 (2024): 50–68, https://doi.org/10.5555/jcn.2024.2042.
Notes And Bibliography Build
Footnote. Maria Lopez and David Kim, “Neural Pathways in Sleep,” Journal of Clinical Neurobiology 12, no. 2 (2024): 55, https://doi.org/10.5555/jcn.2024.2042.
Bibliography. Lopez, Maria, and David Kim. “Neural Pathways in Sleep.” Journal of Clinical Neurobiology 12, no. 2 (2024): 50–68. https://doi.org/10.5555/jcn.2024.2042.
Author-Date Build
In-text. (Lopez and Kim 2024, 55).
Reference list. Lopez, Maria, and David Kim. 2024. “Neural Pathways in Sleep.” Journal of Clinical Neurobiology 12, no. 2 (April): 50–68. https://doi.org/10.5555/jcn.2024.2042.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Dropping the issue number when the journal uses it. If the journal shows a volume and an issue, include both.
Using a database permalink as a DOI. A DOI usually starts with 10. and is best written as a full https link.
Link clutter. Trim tracking bits like “?utm_…” from URLs.
Mismatched page numbers. Footnotes should show the exact page; the bibliography or reference entry shows the full range.
Name order flips. Notes start with Firstname Lastname; lists flip to Lastname, Firstname.
Case on titles. Keep headline-style for English titles; keep italics for journals.
Choosing Between The Two Chicago Systems
Follow the instructions you were given. If you need to choose, match the norm for the field you’re writing in. Literature, history, and the arts often expect Notes and Bibliography. Biology, psychology, and economics often expect Author-Date. If you switch systems mid-paper, fix it so one system is used throughout.
Quick Templates You Can Copy
Notes And Bibliography
Note. Firstname Lastname, “Article Title,” Journal Title volume, no. issue (Year): page, DOI or URL.
Short note. Lastname, “Short Title,” page.
Bibliography. Lastname, Firstname. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue (Year): page range. DOI or URL.
Author-Date
In-text. (Lastname Year, page).
Reference list. Lastname, Firstname. Year. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue (Month or Season): page range. DOI or URL.
Final Check Before You Submit
Scan each citation for the main parts in the right order: author, title, journal, volume, issue, year, pages, and a DOI or URL when online. Make sure italics and quotation marks are in the right places. Keep punctuation tight and consistent. Match your in-text or note page numbers to the spot you’re citing. Keep one system across the paper. If you want to see more live models straight from the source, the Chicago publisher’s quick guides linked above lay out the same patterns with fresh samples.