Dating can be a bit confusing, but if you follow it step by step, you will master it. The Chicago manual of style uses footnotes for citations. This means that you will have to use word processing software to insert a footer at the end of the sentence where you want to add a quote. This will create a corresponding number at the bottom of the page for you to write the quote.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Cite a web page from a website
Step 1. Begin by typing the name of the author of the footer
Write the author's first and last name, followed by a comma. As it is a footnote, it is not necessary to order it alphabetically according to the author's last name, so it is not necessary to reverse the order as you would in a bibliographic note.
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For example, the start of the appointment might look like the following:
Rachel Hendricks,
- If you don't know the name of the author, start with the title of the web page.
Step 2. Now include the title of the web page
Put it in quotation marks and use a comma before the closing of the quotation marks. Use the title of the page you are on, not the name of the entire website.
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For example, the quote could follow this example:
Rachel Hendricks, "The Secret Life of Cats,"
Step 3. Next, enter the name of the website or organization
Do not use italics or quotation marks to write the name of the website. The only exception to this rule is to use italics in case the website has a print edition that is known and published first, such as the “Chicago Tribune”. Capitalize the most important words, avoiding conjunctions, articles or prepositions unless they are at the beginning or end of the title.
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For example, you could write as follows:
Rachel Hendricks, "The Secret Life of Cats," The Definitive Web Site about Cats,
Step 4. Include the date of publication and the date of access
If possible, include a publication date for the website. You could find it at the top near the title or at the bottom of the page. If it's not there, leave it blank. Write the date you accessed the website in any way.
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For example, the quote might look like this:
Rachel Hendricks, "The Secret Life of Cats," The Definitive Web Site on Cats, June 28, 2018, accessed June 30, 2018,
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If the web page does not have a publication date, write the following:
Rachel Hendricks, "The Secret Life of Cats," The Definitive Web Site on Cats, accessed June 30, 2018,
Step 5. Enter the URL and then a comma
The URL is the web address where you found the page. Include the full address, along with "http" at the beginning.
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Now the quote will look like this:
Rachel Hendricks, "The Secret Life of Cats," The Definitive Web Site about Cats, June 28, 2018, accessed June 30, 2018,
Step 6. Include a section, chapter, or paragraph number if necessary
Most websites do not have page numbers, so it can be difficult for the reader to find the section you are referring to. Adding a section, chapter or paragraph number at the end will make it easier, but it is not a requirement.
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For example, you could write the following:
Rachel Hendricks, "The Secret Life of Cats," The Ultimate Cats Website, June 28, 2018, accessed June 30, 2018, https://www.theultimatewebsiteaboutcats.com/the_secret_life_of_cats/june_28_2018, section 3
- Put a period at the end of the quote, whether you end with the URL or with a section, chapter, or paragraph number.
Step 7. Change the citation to a shorter form after citing it once
You will use the long quote as a footnote the first time you quote it. Then you can use a shortened form that includes only the author's last name and the section, paragraph, or chapter number, if applicable. If you use more than one work by the same author, include an abbreviated form of the title.
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For example, you can write the following:
Hendricks, section 3
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If you use more than one work by the same author, you must write the following:
Hendricks, "The Secret Life of Cats," section 3
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If you include authors with the same last name, include their names as well:
Hendricks, Rachel, section 3
Step 8. Create a bibliographic entry
Basically, the bibliographic entry is the same as the long footer, except that you reverse the author's first name, writing the last name first. It also changes most commas to periods and omits the chapter, section, or paragraph designation.
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For example, the bibliographic entry should look like this:
Hendricks, Rachel. "The Secret Life of Cats." The definitive Website on Cats. June 28, 2018. Accessed June 30, 2018
Method 2 of 3: Make an appointment for an e-book or online
Step 1. Include the author's name in the footer
Basically, you should cite an ebook in the same way that you would a physical one, although you will add a marker at the end to designate the type of publication. However, for now, just start with the author's first and last name, followed by a comma.
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For example, you can write the following:
George Richards,
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If the book has multiple authors, include them all, separated by commas and a “and”:
George Richards, Rachel Roberts, and Rebecca Henderson,
- Put the names of the authors in the citation using the same order in which they appear in the book.
Step 2. Then write the name of the book in italics
Capitalize all important words except conjunctions, articles, or prepositions unless they are at the beginning or end of the title. Don't put a comma after the title.
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For example, the quote might look like the following:
George Richards, The Cats and Their Many Antics
Step 3. Write the editorial information in parentheses
It begins by including the city of publication, followed by a colon. Then put the publisher followed by a comma. Then add the publication date, close parentheses, and put in a comma.
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The quote could look like this:
George Richards, The Cats and Their Many Antics (Seattle: Editorial For the Love of the Cats, 2017),
Step 4. Include the URL or digital identifier at the end
The URL is simply the address of the website. However, if it's a Kindle book, PDF, ePUB, etc., include it instead. Put a period at the end.
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For example, you could write one of the following entries, depending on the type of digital book you cite:
- George Richards, The Cats and Their Many Antics (Seattle: Editorial For the Love of Cats, 2017), Kindle.
- George Richards, The Cats and Their Many Antics (Seattle: Editorial For the Love of the Cats, 2017),
- George Richards, The Cats and Their Many Antics (Seattle: Editorial For the Love of the Cats, 2017), ePUB.
- You can also use a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if the book has one.
Step 5. Include a paragraph, section, or chapter number at the end if necessary
E-books may not have stable page numbers. In that case, add a comma and the page number or numbers. If they don't, you can use a paragraph, section, or chapter number to help the reader find the information, although this is not a requirement.
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For example, the citation with a page number might look like this:
Richards, George. The Cats and their many antics. Seattle: Editorial For the Love of Cats, 2017, Kindle, 245
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However, you can also do it in the following way:
Richards, George. The Cats and their many antics. Seattle: Editorial For the Love of Cats, 2017, Kindle, section 4
Step 6. Use an abbreviated form of the footer after including the citation the first time
In this footer, include the author's last name plus the page number or section, paragraph, or chapter number, if applicable. If you include more than one work by the same author, include the title between the author's name and the page number, using an abbreviated form of the title if possible.
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For example, the short form of the footer might look like this:
Richards, section 4
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If you're citing more than one work by the same author, it should look like this:
Richards, Los Gatos and their many antics, section 4
Step 7. Create the bibliographic entry
First, reverse the author's last name and then change the commas to periods. Remove the parentheses and put a period after the title of the book. Skip the page number or the section number.
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The final entry should look like this:
Richards, George. The Cats and their many antics. Seattle: Editorial For the Love of Cats, 2017, Kindle
Method 3 of 3: Follow the basic format for other types of media files
Step 1. Write the name of the author or creator of the content first
If you can find it, the name will always be at the beginning of the quote. It can also be the performer in some cases, such as a podcast or video. Write the first name and then the last name, followed by a comma.
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For example, the appointment will start as follows:
Renee Davis,
Step 2. Put the title of the work in quotation marks
Regardless of whether it is a blog post or a video, the title of the work should come second. The quotation marks indicate a short work, such as an article, post, or video.
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For example, the quote might look like the following:
Renee Davis, "Fulfilling My Cat's Wishes,"
- Place a comma before the closing quotation mark.
Step 3. Write the website title and medium if applicable
If you are citing a blog, write its name in italics followed by the word "blog" in parentheses. On the other hand, if you want to cite a video, you must write "YouTube Video" in the round to indicate the medium.
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For example, you can write the following:
Renee Davis, "Fulfilling My Cat's Wishes," Cats for Life (blog),
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You can also write it like this:
Renee Davis, "Fulfilling My Cat's Wishes," YouTube Video,
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If you have a playtime, include it too:
Renee Davis, "Fulfilling My Cat's Wishes," YouTube video, 4:22,
Step 4. Next, include the publication date
If the source has a publication date, include it. You can even include the time in case the source requires that specification, but do so in parentheses and then put a comma.
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For example, you could write it like this:
Renee Davis, "Fulfilling My Cat's Wishes," Cats for Life (blog), July 16, 2018 (4:38 pm),
Step 5. Finally, include the URL of the source
The URL is the web address of the source and tells the reader where to find it. Write the full address, including "http" at the beginning.
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The quote could look like this:
Renee Davis, "Fulfilling My Cat's Wishes," Cats for Life (blog), July 16, 2018 (4:38 pm),
Step 6. Make a shorter footer when repeating the font
To do this, use the author's last name plus the page, section, paragraph or chapter number, if applicable. If you cite more than one work by the same author, include a short version of the title as well.
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For example, you could write the following:
Davis, paragraph 3
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If you cite more than one work by the same author, write the following:
Davis, "My Cat's Wishes," paragraph 3
Step 7. Create the bibliographic entry by changing the long footer
Write the author's last name first so that you can sort the entries alphabetically. Change commas to periods. You don't need to include the section or page number.
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A bibliographic citation might look like this:
Davis, Renee. "Fulfilling My Cat's Wishes," Cats for Life (blog), July 16, 2018 (4:38 p.m.)