Published February 10, 2021. Updated August 5, 2021.

To cite a textbook in Chicago, you need to know the author name, book title, publisher name, location, publication year, and DOI or URL.

The templates and examples below are based on The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition, and the Chicago Manual of Style website. On this page, you can learn how to cite the following:

• Print textbook

• Digital textbook

If you’re trying to cite a textbook in Chicago, the Chegg Writing Chicago citation generator could help.

Help protect your paper against accidental plagiarism with the Chegg Writing plagiarism checker and citation generator.

Citing a print textbook in Chicago

Notes-Bibliography format

In-text citation template and example:

Example sentence.¹

———-

1. Author First Name Surname, Book Title (Publisher location: Publisher Name, Year) Page number(s).

Building on the foundations laid …¹

———-

1. Glyn James, Advanced Modern Engineering Mathematics (Delhi: Pearson Education, 2007) 100.

When citing a source in the first instance, provide full information in the first note. If the same source is cited in multiple instances, you can provide only short information of the source such as the surname of the author, four words of the title, and a page or locator number (if available).

2. James, Advanced Modern Engineering Mathematics, 100.

Bibliography entry template and example:

Author-Date format

When citing a textbook in Chicago style, use the author surname and publication year for narrative and parenthetical citations. Include a page or locator number (if available).

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Surname (Publication Year)

James (2007)

OR

Surname (Publication Year, Page number or range)

James (2007, 100)

Parenthetical:

(Surname Publication Year)

(James 2007)

OR

(Surname Publication Year, Page number or range)

(James 2007, 100)

Reference list entry template and example:

Read this Chicago style format guide for more style basics.

Citing a Digital textbook in Chicago

Notes-Bibliography format

In-text citation template and example:

Example sentence.¹

———-

1. Author First Name Surname, Book Title (Publisher location: Publisher Name, Year), locator information such as section or chapter number, DOI or URL.

The current increase in citizen science shows …¹

———-

1. Daniel Wyler and Muki Haklay, Citizen Science: Innovation in Open Science, Society and Policy (London: UCL Press, 2018), chap. 11, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv550cf2.18.

When citing a source in the first instance, provide full information in the first note. If the same source is cited in multiple instances, you can provide only short information of the source such as the surname of the author, four words of the title, and a page or locator number (if available).

2. Wyler and Haklay, Citizen Science: Innovation in, chap. 11.

Bibliography entry template and example:

Author-Date format

When citing a textbook in Chicago style, use the author surname and publication year for narrative and parenthetical citations. Include a page or locator number (when available).

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative:

Surname (Publication Year)

Wyler and Haklay (2018)

OR

Surname (Publication Year, locator number)

Wyler and Haklay (2018, chap. 11)

Parenthetical:

(Surname Publication Year)

(Wyler and Haklay 2018)

OR

(Surname Publication Year, locator number)

(Wyler and Haklay 2018, chap. 11)

Reference list entry template and example:

For more information on citing sources in Chicago, also read these guides on Chicago style in-text citations and Chicago style bibliographies.