Chicago Style Citation Generator
How this Chicago style book citation generator works
This tool creates a single Chicago style bibliography entry for a basic book. You type in the author, book title, publication city, publisher, and year. The generator then arranges those details into the standard Chicago Manual of Style (notes and bibliography system) order.
The bibliography format for a typical single-author book is:
Chicago book citation format (bibliography):
LastName, FirstName. Title of Book. City: Publisher, Year.
This matches the pattern you will see in history papers and other disciplines that use the Chicago Manual of Style.
Formula for a Chicago style book citation
The structure of the citation can be written as a simple formula. In MathML, the sequence looks like this:
In plain language, that formula becomes:
- Author last name,
- Author first name,
- Title of the book (italicized),
- Publication city,
- Publisher,
- Year of publication.
What each input field means
The generator includes one field for each part of the basic Chicago citation formula.
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Author first name | Enter the given name of the primary author. You may include middle initials if they appear on the book. | Harriet; John D. |
| Author last name | Enter the family name (surname) of the primary author as it appears on the title page. | Tubman; Smith |
| Book title | Type the full title and subtitle, using headline-style capitalization if required by your instructor. | Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman |
| Publication city | Use the city listed on the title page or copyright page. If several cities are listed, usually the first is sufficient. | Chicago; New York |
| Publisher | Enter the publisher name. You can usually omit business words like "Inc." or "Co." unless required by your style guide. | University of Chicago Press |
| Publication year | Type the year of publication (or the most recent copyright year) as a four-digit number. | 2017 |
Interpreting your generated citation
After you click Generate Citation, the tool outputs a single Chicago style bibliography entry such as:
Tubman, Harriet. Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. Auburn: W. J. Moses, 1869.
You can copy this directly into the bibliography or reference list at the end of your paper. Check the following before submitting your work:
- Author order: The citation should start with the author’s last name, then first name.
- Italics: The book title appears in italics, followed by a period.
- Publication details: City and publisher are separated by a colon; the year follows after a comma.
- Punctuation and spacing: Make sure periods, commas, and spaces match the pattern exactly.
The "Copy Citation" feature (if available in your browser) lets you paste the formatted entry into a document without retyping it.
Worked example
Suppose you are citing a book with these details:
- Author first name: Harriet
- Author last name: Tubman
- Book title: Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman
- Publication city: Auburn
- Publisher: W. J. Moses
- Publication year: 1869
Enter those values into the form and click Generate Citation. The result will be:
Tubman, Harriet. Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. Auburn: W. J. Moses, 1869.
This matches the standard Chicago bibliography format for a single-author book. If your instructor wants a footnote instead of a bibliography entry, the wording is similar but the order and punctuation change slightly. For example, a first footnote for the same book might look like:
Harriet Tubman, Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman (Auburn: W. J. Moses, 1869).
This tool, however, is focused on the bibliography version, not footnotes or endnotes.
Comparison: bibliography vs. first footnote
The table below compares a basic Chicago bibliography entry with a corresponding first footnote for the same book so you can see how the patterns differ.
| Format | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bibliography (what this tool creates) |
LastName, FirstName. Title of Book. City: Publisher, Year.
|
Tubman, Harriet. Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. Auburn: W. J. Moses, 1869.
|
| First footnote (not generated here) |
FirstName LastName, Title of Book (City: Publisher, Year).
|
Harriet Tubman, Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman (Auburn: W. J. Moses, 1869).
|
Always check your assignment guidelines to see whether you need a bibliography, footnotes/endnotes, or both.
Limitations and assumptions of this tool
This generator is intentionally simple so it is easy for students and teachers to use. It is designed for standard, single-author books in the Chicago notes and bibliography system. Keep the following limitations in mind:
- Single main author only: The form has space for one author. For books with two or more authors, you will need to adjust the output manually (for example, "Smith, John, and Jane Doe.").
- Basic book formats: It does not fully handle edited volumes, translated works, multi-volume sets, reprints with original publication dates, or specialized archival sources.
- Known city, publisher, and year: The tool assumes that publication city, publisher, and year are all available. If one of these is missing on your book, your instructor may prefer a different format (such as using "n.p." for no place or "n.d." for no date).
- Capitalization rules: The generator does not change capitalization in the title. Enter titles in the capitalization style (headline-style or sentence-style) required by your teacher or style guide.
- Notes vs. bibliography: The output is for the bibliography, not for Chicago footnotes or endnotes. Do not copy it directly into your notes without adjusting the order and punctuation.
The patterns used here are based on common guidance from the Chicago Manual of Style. For complex or unusual sources, always check the official manual or your instructor's requirements.