Skip to Main Content

Referencing style - Chicago: Citations Taken From Secondary Sources

A guide to using the Chicago 17th referencing style for footnotes and reference lists.

Citations Taken From Secondary Sources

Citing a secondary source is generally discouraged, since authors are expected to have examined the works they cite.

If an original source is unavailable both the original and the secondary source must be listed in the footnote, but only the original should appear in the bibliography.

Note (footnote) example Bibliography example
    4. Louis Zukofsky, "Sincerity and Objectification," Poetry 37 (February 1931): 277, quoted in Bonnie Costello, Marianne Moore: Imaginary Possessions (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981), 78 Costelllo, Bonnie, Marianne Moore: Imaginary Possessions. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981.

 

Creating Notes (Footnotes) using Microsoft Word

By default, Microsoft Word will format footnotes at the end of the page with a superscript number and no indent.  

For the Chicago Notes and Bibliography style, you will need to manually change the font size of footnote number and indent it.

See our instructions on how to create a Note (footnote) in Word and manually edit the format according to the Chicago Notes and Bibliography style.

Please check with your Unit Coordinator to see if their preference is to use the formal Chicago style footnote formatting or the default Word format.

CONTENT LICENCE

 Except for logos, Canva designs, AI generated images or where otherwise indicated, content in this guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.