Basics to Chicago Formatting and Style

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Writing an academic essay or dissertation is tough but if you know all the right techniques, it can seem like a piece of cake. Apart from extensive research and focus, online essay writing also requires you to follow certain techniques for citations. Each type of citation requires unique principles to follow and those should not be mixed up with others. That is why, when you are following the Chicago Manual citation style you cannot incorporate or follow APA style.

Before assigning you a paper, your professor would specify you a citation method and you have to stick with it. In this post, I would specifically highlight the attributes of Chicago format and how you can incorporate those in your paper. One point is important to note that knowing these principles is one point while incorporating them into your essay is all the way a different thing.

Make sure that you follow each of the points otherwise you may lose your marks despite having worked hard on your paper. Let's go through the basics and style of Chicago Formatting.

Guide to Chicago Formatting

Pages layout

• Your page margin should be one inch from all sides.
• Words style should be Times New Roman with 12 pt font.
• Spacing between the lines should be double.
• Do not use a justified option, rather only use a left-justified option in this way your text should be one side aligned.
• Each paragraph should start from a 1.2-inch indent with block letters.
• If you want to print your essay then only use one side unless your instructor tells you to otherwise.
• Each page number should be numbered and it should appear in the top right corner.

Cover page

• You would start writing essays from the second page while the first page would only be the title pager.
• Start page numbering from the second page and do not write the page number on the first page.
• Write the topic in the middle of the page from all four sides.
• State your name under the title.
• Then state your instructor name and date at the bottom of the page.
• Make sure that you do not try to decorate your cover page and only use Time New Roman with 12 font size.

Paper Sequence

Your paper sequence should be like this:

• Title or cover page
• Body of paper
  • Abstract
  • Outline
  • Introduction
  • Body
  • Conclusion
• Appendix (if required)
• Notes
• Bibliography

Footnotes and endnotes

• Footnotes usually come at the end of each page while endnotes appear at the end of the body but both have the same writing style.
• Where you want to add a footnote just click at that spot and add citation and number. It would appear in the paragraph with a separate section at the bottom of the page.
• The font size for endnotes if 10 pt.
• For a journal article, your reference should include:
  • Name of author, the title of a journal article, name of the journal in italic, volume, publishing date, and article link.

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Bibliography

• It would take a separate page at the end of your essay with 12 font in Times New Roman.
• For each reference use hanging indent.
• You can mention primary and secondary sources separately if your professor asks.
• Remember to use alphabetical order for all references.

Common errors to avoid

• Do not write works cited or references at the top of the bibliography page.
• Do not use common indent for bibliography because it uses a hanging indent.
• If a reference does not have an author name then use the article in alphabetical order.

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