How to cite a book chapter in Chicago

Chicago style book chapter citation

To cite a book chapter in a reference entry in Chicago style 17th edition include the following elements:

  1. Author(s) of the chapter: Give first the last name, then the name as presented in the source (e. g. Watson, John). For two authors, reverse only the first name, followed by ‘and’ and the second name in normal order (e. g. Watson, John, and John Watson). For more than seven authors, list the first seven names followed by et al.
  2. Chapter title: Give the title in quotation marks. Do not italicize.
  3. Title of the book: Give the title as presented in the source.
  4. Editor(s) name: Give first the last name, then the name as presented in the source (e. g. Watson, John). For two editors, reverse only the first name, followed by ‘and’ and the second name in normal order (e. g. Watson, John, and John Watson). For more than seven editors, list the first seven names followed by et al.
  5. Pages: Give the page number or full page range of the source.
  6. Place of publication: Give the place of publication of the source.
  7. Publisher: Give the publisher name in full.
  8. Year of publication: Give the year of publication as presented in the source.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a book chapter in Chicago style 17th edition:

Author(s) of the chapter. "Chapter title." In Title of the book, edited by Editor(s) name, Pages. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the Chicago style guidelines in action:

Examples

A chapter from a book of short stories with one editor

Edgeworth, Maria. “The Limerick Gloves.” In The Oxford Book of Irish Short Stories, edited by William Trevor, 27–51. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, 2010.

A chapter from a collection of works with four editors

Schwartz, Paula. “Redefining Resistance: Woman’s Activism in Wartime France.” In Behind the Lines: Gender and the Two World Wars, edited by Margaret R. Higonnet, Jane Jenson, Sonya Michel, and Margaret C. Weitz, 141–53. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale UP, 1987.

Automatic citations in seconds

Alternative to