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Chicago Citation Guide (17th Edition): Papers & Bibliographies

Paper & Bibliography Formatting

Page Order

Assemble your paper in the following order:

  • Title page
  • Body of paper
  • Appendix (if needed)
  • Bibliography

Font

  • Use Times New Roman, Size 12 (unless otherwise instructed).

Margins and Indents

  • Your margins should be 1 inch on all sides.
  • Indent new paragraphs by one-half inch.

Spacing

  • Double-space the main text of your paper.
  • Single-space the footnotes and bibliography, but add a blank line between entries.

Numbering

  • Start numbering your pages on the second page of your paper (don't include the title page).
  • Put your page numbers in the header of the first page of text (skip the title page), beginning with page number 1. Continue numbering your pages to the end of the bibliography.

Footnotes

  • Place the footnote number at the end of the sentence in which you have quoted or paraphrased information from another source. The footnote number should be in superscript, and be placed after any punctuation (This is an example.3).
  • Put your footnotes in the footer section of the page.

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various books, articles, and other sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source. Annotated bibliographies can be part of a larger research project, or can be a stand-alone report in itself.

Types of Annotations

 A summary annotation describes the source by answering the following questions: who wrote the document, what the document discusses, when and where was the document written, why was the document produced, and how was it provided to the public. The focus is on description. 

 An evaluative annotation includes a summary as listed above but also critically assesses the work for accuracy, relevance, and quality. Evaluative annotations can help you learn about your topic, develop a thesis statement, decide if a specific source will be useful for your assignment, and determine if there is enough valid information available to complete your project. The focus is on description and evaluation.

Formatting Rules

The Chicago Manual of Style states the following formatting rules.  Check your assignment description in case your instructor has other instructions.

  • The text should be double-spaced.
  • Numbering starts on the first page of writing (not the title page), at the top right of the page.
  • Reference list entries must have a hanging indent (to do this in Microsoft Word 2003, click Format, then Paragraph, then Special, and choose Hanging).
  • There should be 1 inch (2.54 cm) margins all around (top, bottom, left, and right) on each page.

Example Formatting

This annotation includes only one paragraph, a summary of the book. It provides a concise description of the project and the book's project and its major features.

Davidson, Hilda Ellis. Roles of the Northern Goddess. London: Routledge, 1998.

Davidson's book provides a thorough examination of the major roles filled by the numerous pagan goddesses of Northern Europe in everyday life, including their roles in hunting, agriculture, domestic arts like weaving, the household, and death. The author discusses relevant archaeological evidence, patterns of symbol and ritual, and previous research. The book includes a number of black and white photographs of relevant artifacts.

Stacks, Geoff, Erin Karper, Dana Bisignani, and Allen Brizee. "Annotated Bibliographies." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Last modified March 10, 2013. Accessed October 10, 2017.