Do I cite the chapter author or the editor in Chicago Author-Date?

Use the chapter author. Editors belong in the reference list entry after the book title, but they do not replace the chapter author in in-text citations. In-text examples: (Doyle 2023) or Doyle (2023).

Do I need to include the chapter page range in the reference list?

In Chicago Author-Date, the chapter page range is no longer required in reference list entries for chapters in edited books. Many writers omit it and rely on page numbers in the in-text citation when needed. Use specific pages in the text when you quote or point to a specific passage, for example: (Doyle 2023, 64).

How do I format chapter and book titles in Chicago Author-Date?

Use quotation marks for the chapter title and italicize the book title. Chicago uses headline-style capitalization for English titles in both places. Example: “The Queen Mary Psalter.” In The Book by Design: The Remarkable Story of the World’s Greatest Invention, edited by …

How do I format editor names in Chicago Author-Date?

Editors appear after the book title and are introduced with “edited by.” Use normal name order for editors, such as “edited by P. J. M. Marks and Stephen Parkin.”

How do I cite a chapter with multiple authors in Chicago Author-Date?

List all chapter authors in the reference list entry in the order shown in the chapter byline. In the text, use “and” for two authors and “et al.” for three or more authors. In-text examples: (Waugh and Maier 2017) or (Becker et al. 2025).

What if the chapter has no listed author?

If there is truly no author, start the reference with the chapter title, then the year, and continue with the edited-book chapter format. In the text, use a shortened version of the chapter title in quotation marks plus the year.

Do I include a DOI or URL for a book chapter in Chicago Author-Date?

Include a DOI or a stable URL when the chapter is available online. When a DOI is available, present it as a URL and do not add a period after it. … Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

How do I cite a specific page in a chapter using Chicago Author-Date?

Add the page number after the year, separated by a comma. Use a page range when needed. Examples: (Doyle 2023, 64) or (Doyle 2023, 64–66).

Chicago Author-Date Book Chapter Citation

Chicago Format for Book Chapter References
17th Edition Author-Date

 Author Last, First. Year. "Title of Chapter." In Title of Book, edited by Editor First Last. Place of Publication: Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Author (of the chapter)

List the chapter author or authors in the order shown in the chapter.
Write each author as last name, first name.
For two authors, include both names.
For three or more authors, list all authors.

Year

Use the year of publication for the book that contains the chapter.
Place the year right after the author name or names.

Title of chapter

Put the chapter title in quotation marks.
Use headline style capitalization for the chapter title.
End the chapter title with a period inside the quotation marks.

Title of book

Introduce the book information with In.
Write the book title in italics.
Use headline style capitalization for the book title.
If the book has an edition or volume that must be included, place it after the book title.

Editor or editors

After the italicized book title, add edited by and list the editor or editors.
Write editor names as first name last name.
If there is more than one editor, list each editor name and separate names with commas.

Place of publication and publisher

After the editor statement, add the place of publication, followed by a colon, then the publisher name.
Use the city of publication as the place. Include the state or country only when it is needed for clarity.
End this part with a period.

DOI or URL

If a DOI is available, include it in URL form (for example, https://doi.org/...).
If there is no DOI and the chapter is available online, include a stable URL that readers can use.
End the reference with the DOI or URL, without adding a period after it.

Chicago Author-Date Book Chapter Examples

Use this format for a chapter or section in an edited book. In Chicago Author-Date, the chapter title is in quotation marks, the book title is italic, and the entry includes In + editor(s) + optional page range. Add a DOI (preferred) or a stable URL when available.

One chapter author (basic)

Start with the chapter author and year, then the chapter title in quotes. After that, add In + book title + editor(s), with an optional page range, followed by place and publisher.

Example:

 Kivelson, Valerie. 2017. "Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0122.01

Two chapter authors + multiple editors

List both chapter authors in the author position. For editors, spell out edited by and list all editors named on the book. If you include a chapter page range, place it after the editors.

Example:

 Waugh, Daniel C., and Ingrid Maier. 2017. "Muscovy and the European Information Revolution: Creating the Mechanisms for Obtaining Foreign News." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 77–112. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0122.03

eBook chapter with DOI (preferred)

If a chapter has a DOI, include it at the end as a URL. Keep the rest of the entry the same as print. Do not add a period after the DOI.

Example:

 Feldman, Anna. 2025. "Discussion Trees on Social Media: Antisemitic Text-Image Relations in the Context of the Hamas Terror Attack on 7 October 2023." In Antisemitism in Online Communication, edited by Matthias J. Becker, Luca Ascone, Max Placzynta, and Johannes Vincent, 185–204. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0406.07

Use the DOI when available. If there is no DOI, use a stable URL that leads directly to the chapter or book record.

Chapter written by an editor

If an editor also authored a chapter, list that person in the author position for the chapter. Still include the full editor list after In.

Example:

 Franklin, Simon. 2017. "Information in Plain Sight: The Formation of the Public Graphosphere." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 314–368. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

If you add a URL or DOI, make sure it points to the correct chapter or to a stable landing page for the chapter.

In-Text Citations

In Chicago Author-Date style, in-text citations for a book chapter are based on the chapter author and publication year. Editors and book titles do not appear in the in-text citation. Chicago uses a single in-text format that places the author and year in parentheses, with page numbers added when quoting or referring to a specific passage.

Basic citation format

Standard parenthetical citation

Include the chapter author’s surname and the year of publication.

The idea has been discussed in detail (Kivelson 2017).

Author mentioned in text

When the author appears in the sentence, place only the year in parentheses.

Kivelson (2017) describes the early development of mapping practices.

Two authors

Parenthetical citation

List both authors joined by and.

(Waugh and Maier 2017)

Author mentioned in text

Use and between author names in running text.

Waugh and Maier (2017) examine early systems of foreign news gathering.

Three or more authors

Standard format

Use the first author’s surname followed by et al.

(Becker et al. 2025)

Author mentioned in text

Apply the same shortened form in the sentence.

Becker et al. (2025) analyze patterns of online antisemitic discourse.

Organization as author

Parenthetical citation

Use the full organization name as it appears in the reference list.

(World Health Organization 2018)

Author mentioned in text

Spell out the organization name in the sentence.

World Health Organization (2018) emphasizes clear risk communication.

No author

Parenthetical citation

Use a shortened form of the chapter title in quotation marks.

("Introduction" 2016)

Title mentioned in text

Place the year in parentheses after the title.

"Introduction" (2016) outlines the structure of the volume.

Citing specific pages

Page reference

Add page numbers after the year, separated by a comma.

(Kivelson 2017, 45–47)

Author mentioned in text

Include the page number inside the same parentheses as the year.

Kivelson (2017, 46) notes the political significance of these maps.

Chapter vs. whole book

Citing a chapter

Always use the chapter author, even when the book has editors.

(Franklin 2017)

Citing the entire book

Use the book author or editor only when the whole book is cited.

(Franklin and Bowers 2017)

Same author, same year

Lettered years

Add letters to the year to distinguish multiple chapters by the same author.

(Smith 2020a)

(Smith 2020b)

Author mentioned in text

Use the same lettered year format in running text.

Smith (2020a)

Smith (2020b)

Multiple chapters in one citation

Combined citation

Separate sources with semicolons and list them alphabetically.

(Franklin 2017; Kivelson 2017)

Narrative approach

Multiple chapters are often discussed in separate sentences for clarity.

Quick Checklist

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Mistake 1

Using the editor as the author

In Chicago Author-Date, a chapter reference starts with the chapter author. The editor belongs after the book title, introduced with edited by.

Wrong

✕ Franklin, Simon, ed. 2017. "Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0122.01

Correct

✓ Kivelson, Valerie. 2017. "Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0122.01

Mistake 2

Using initials for first names in the reference list

Chicago Author-Date reference lists use full first names when available. Initials are typical of APA, not Chicago.

Wrong

✕ Kivelson, V. 2017. "Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Correct

✓ Kivelson, Valerie. 2017. "Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Mistake 3

Putting the year in parentheses in the reference list

In Chicago Author-Date references, the year is written as a plain number after the author name. Parentheses around the year are an APA convention.

Wrong

✕ Waugh, Daniel C., and Ingrid Maier. (2017). "Muscovy and the European Information Revolution: Creating the Mechanisms for Obtaining Foreign News." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 77–112. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Correct

✓ Waugh, Daniel C., and Ingrid Maier. 2017. "Muscovy and the European Information Revolution: Creating the Mechanisms for Obtaining Foreign News." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 77–112. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Mistake 4

Italicizing the chapter title

In Chicago, the chapter title is not italicized. Italics are reserved for the book title.

Wrong

✕ Kivelson, Valerie. 2017. "Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Correct

✓ Kivelson, Valerie. 2017. "Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Mistake 5

Leaving out quotation marks around the chapter title

Chapter titles in Chicago Author-Date references appear in quotation marks. This helps distinguish the chapter from the book title.

Wrong

✕ Feldman, Anna. 2025. Discussion Trees on Social Media: Antisemitic Text-Image Relations in the Context of the Hamas Terror Attack on 7 October 2023. In Antisemitism in Online Communication, edited by Matthias J. Becker, Luca Ascone, Max Placzynta, and Johannes Vincent, 185–204. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0406.07

Correct

✓ Feldman, Anna. 2025. "Discussion Trees on Social Media: Antisemitic Text-Image Relations in the Context of the Hamas Terror Attack on 7 October 2023." In Antisemitism in Online Communication, edited by Matthias J. Becker, Luca Ascone, Max Placzynta, and Johannes Vincent, 185–204. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0406.07

Mistake 6

Using sentence case for titles

Chicago style uses headline-style capitalization for titles in the reference list. Capitalize major words in both chapter and book titles.

Wrong

✕ Kivelson, Valerie. 2017. "Early mapping: The tsardom in manuscript." In Information and empire: Mechanisms of communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Correct

✓ Kivelson, Valerie. 2017. "Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript." In Information and Empire: Mechanisms of Communication in Russia, 1600–1854, edited by Simon Franklin and Katherine Bowers, 23–58. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.

Mistake 7

Formatting the DOI as "doi:" or adding a period after it

When a DOI is available, include it as a URL. Do not add a period after the DOI.

Wrong

✕ Feldman, Anna. 2025. "Discussion Trees on Social Media: Antisemitic Text-Image Relations in the Context of the Hamas Terror Attack on 7 October 2023." In Antisemitism in Online Communication, edited by Matthias J. Becker, Luca Ascone, Max Placzynta, and Johannes Vincent, 185–204. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. doi:10.11647/obp.0406.07.

Correct

✓ Feldman, Anna. 2025. "Discussion Trees on Social Media: Antisemitic Text-Image Relations in the Context of the Hamas Terror Attack on 7 October 2023." In Antisemitism in Online Communication, edited by Matthias J. Becker, Luca Ascone, Max Placzynta, and Johannes Vincent, 185–204. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0406.07

Chicago Author-Date Book Chapter Citation FAQ

For a chapter in an edited book, start with the chapter author and year. Then give the chapter title in quotation marks, followed by “In” and the italicized book title, the editor name(s) introduced with “edited by,” and finally the publisher.

Author Last, First. Year. “Chapter Title.” In Book Title, edited by Editor First Last. Publisher.

This is expected behavior for Chicago Author-Date. Chapter page ranges are optional in the reference list entry, so the reference preview may omit them even if you enter pages.

Your page input is still useful. When you generate an in-text citation that points to a specific passage, YesCite will use those pages, for example: (Doyle 2023, 64) or (Doyle 2023, 64–66).

If you prefer to show a chapter page range in the reference list for your own style consistency, you can still do so, but it is not required by the current Chicago Author-Date guidance.

Chicago Format for Book Chapter References17th Edition Author-Date

Chicago Author-Date Book Chapter Examples

One chapter author (basic)

Two chapter authors + multiple editors

eBook chapter with DOI (preferred)

Chapter written by an editor

In-Text Citations

Basic citation format

Two authors

Three or more authors

Organization as author

No author

Citing specific pages

Chapter vs. whole book

Same author, same year

Multiple chapters in one citation

Quick Checklist

Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Using the editor as the author

Using initials for first names in the reference list

Putting the year in parentheses in the reference list

Italicizing the chapter title

Leaving out quotation marks around the chapter title

Using sentence case for titles

Formatting the DOI as "doi:" or adding a period after it

Chicago Author-Date Book Chapter Citation FAQ

01How do I cite a book chapter in Chicago Author-Date?

02Do I cite the chapter author or the editor in Chicago Author-Date?

03Do I need to include the chapter page range in the reference list?

04Why can I enter pages, but they do not appear in the reference result?

05How do I format chapter and book titles in Chicago Author-Date?

06How do I format editor names in Chicago Author-Date?

07How do I cite a chapter with multiple authors in Chicago Author-Date?

08What if the chapter has no listed author?

09Do I include a DOI or URL for a book chapter in Chicago Author-Date?

010How do I cite a specific page in a chapter using Chicago Author-Date?

Chicago Format for Book Chapter References
17th Edition Author-Date