Cite journal articles in Chicago
Learn how to accurately reference journal articles using the Chicago Note 18th edition. Use correct templates for single and multiple authors, print and online articles, with or without DOIs to reference sources accurately in your writing.
- For articles consulted online, include a URL (preferably one based on a DOI). Where the source is only available via a subscription database with a login, list the name of the database rather than a URL.
- Articles from a print journal follow the same format but leave off the DOI or URL and have a full stop after the page range.
- If a journal does not have a volume and/or issue number, use what information you have to differentiate the issue. For example, 'Summer 2022.' or 'September 8, 2022.'
Footnotes
- Footnotes use commas between citation elements.
- Use a first-line indent.
- Subsequent footnotes of the same source include only the author's last name, the article title. Exclude subtitle(s), and the page number(s).
- Chicago discourages the use of 'Ibid.' when referring to a work in the immediately preceding footnote. In these instances, the article title can be excluded from the subsequent footnote.
| Citation format | Example |
| Full note template | # First Name Last Name, "Article Title," Journal name volume, no. # (year): Page(s), DOI or URL. |
| Subsequent note template | # Last Name, “Article Title,” Page(s). |
Bibliography
- Use full stops between citation elements.
- Use a hanging indent.
- The first author's name is inverted (last name, first name). Don't invert the names of authors whose cultural naming conventions place the family name first.
| Reference format | Example |
| Template |
Last Name, First name. "Article Title." Journal name volume, no. # (year): Page range. DOI or URL. |
Footnotes
| Citation format | Example |
| Template |
# Author First Name(s) Last Name, "Title of Article," Journal name volume, no. # (year): Page range, DOI or URL |
| Full note | 1 Kim Durban, “Navigating the Staging of Richard Brome’s ‘comic Therapy’ in the Sparagus Garden,” Australasian Drama Studies no. 82 (2023): 145–72, https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.166343813639393 |
| Subsequent note |
3 Durban, " Navigating the Staging,” 146. 4 Durban, 149. |
Bibliography
| Reference format | Example |
| Template |
Author Last Name, First Name(s). "Title of Article." Journal name volume, no. # (year): Page range. DOI or URL. |
| Bibliography entry |
Durban, Kim. “Navigating the Staging of Richard Brome’s ‘comic Therapy’ in the Sparagus Garden.” Australasian Drama Studies, no. 82 (2023): 145–72. https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.166343813639393 |
Footnotes
| Citation format | Example |
| Template | # First Name(s) Last Name and First Name (s) Last Name, "Title of Article," Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Year): page range, DOI or URL. |
| Full note |
1 Margaret Camilleri and Alison Ollerenshaw, “Examining the impact of a health justice partnership service on the health and wellbeing of regional young people,” Rural and Remote Health no. 25 (2025): 8984, https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH8984 |
| Subsequent note |
2 Camilleri, “Examining the impact,” 8984 3 Camilleri, 8984 |
Bibliography
| Reference format | Example |
| Template |
Last Name, First Name and First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Journal Title Volume, no. Issue (Year): Page range. DOI or URL. |
| Bibliography entry |
Camilleri, Margaret and Alison Ollerenshaw. “Examining the impact of a health justice partnership service on the health and wellbeing of regional young people.” Rural and Remote Health no. 25 (2025): 8984. https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH8984 |
Footnotes
For articles with 3-6 authors, list only the first author followed by "et al." in the footnote entry.
| Citation format | Example |
| Template | # First Name Last Name et al., "Title of Article," Journal name volume, no. # (year): Page range, DOI or URL |
| Full note | 1 Angela Campbell et al., “Ariel songs: Performing cultural ecologies of Ballarat,” Australasian Drama Studies, no. 77 (2020): 208–43, https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.645557940838049 |
| Subsequent note |
3 Campbell, " Ariel Songs” 209. 4 Campbell, 242. |
Bibliography
List all authors in bibliography citation.
| Reference format | Example |
| Template | Last Name, First Name, First Name Last Name and First Name Last Name. "Title of Article." Journal name volume, no. # (year): Page range. DOI or URL. |
| Bibliography entry | Campbell, Angela, Tanja Beer, Richard Chew, and Kim Durban. “Ariel songs: Performing cultural ecologies of Ballarat.” Australasian Drama Studies, no. 77 (2020): 208–43. https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.645557940838049 |
Footnotes
List only the first author followed by 'et al.'
| Citation format | Example |
| Template | # First Name Last Name et al., "Title of Article," Journal name volume, no. # (year): Page range, DOI or URL |
| Full note | 1 Scott Polley et al., “What additional skills and knowledge Do Australian university graduates gain when learning to lead bushwalking by engaging with the National Outdoor Education Threshold Concepts?” Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, (2025): https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-025-00207-6. |
| Subsequent note |
3 Polley, “What additional skills and knowledge” 4 Polley |
Bibliography
List the first three authors followed by 'et al.'
| Reference format | Example |
| Template |
Last Name, First Name, First Name Last Name, First Name Last Name, et al. "Title of Article." Journal name volume, no. # (year): Page range. DOI or URL. |
| Bibliography entry |
Polley, Scott, Josh Ambrosy, Lucas Bester, et al. “What additional skills and knowledge Do Australian university graduates gain when learning to lead bushwalking by engaging with the National Outdoor Education Threshold Concepts?” Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-025-00207-6. |
Footnotes
- Use ‘ahead-of-print’ when an article is posted online before the print version. This usually means that volume, issue and page numbers do not yet exist, however you can include these if available.
- Use ‘forthcoming’ where an article has been accepted for publication but not yet published.
- Use ‘preprint’ where the article has been posted to a preprint server. Articles not posted to a preprint server are best treated as unpublished manuscripts.
| Citation format | Example |
| Template | # First name Last Name, “Title of Article,” Title of Publication, ahead of print, Month Day, Year, DOI or URL. |
| Full note | 1 Angela Campbell, “Performing cultural heritage: Authenticity and the spirit of rebellion,” Australasian Drama Studies, ahead of print, April 23, 2015, https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.348235730260231 |
| Subsequent note |
3 Campbell, “Performing cultural heritage.” 4 Campbell. |
Bibliography
Ahead of print article
| Reference format | Example |
| Template |
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Publication, ahead of print, Month Day, Year. DOI or URL. |
| Bibliography entry |
Campbell, Angela. “Performing cultural heritage: Authenticity and the spirit of rebellion.” Australasian Drama Studies, ahead of print, April 23, 2015. https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.348235730260231 |
Forthcoming article
| Reference format | Example |
| Template |
Surname, Given Name(s) and Given Name(s) Surname. "Title of Article." Journal Title accepted Month Day, Year, forthcoming. DOI or URL. |
| Bibliography entry |
Campbell, Angela. “Performing cultural heritage: Authenticity and the spirit of rebellion.” Australasian Drama Studies, accepted April 23, 2015, forthcoming. https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.348235730260231 |