Mistakes Checklist
Common Chicago Article Citation Mistakes
Published studies report citation/reference error rates between 25-54%. Use this page to catch the most frequent formatting failures before submission.
Top mistakes to avoid
- ⚠Using only the year for dated publications
- ⚠Forgetting to italicize publication name
- ⚠Omitting URLs for online articles
- ⚠Not using quotation marks for article titles
Wrong vs correct examples
Using only the year instead of the full date
Wrong
Johnson, Sarah. "The Future of Remote Work." *The Atlantic*, 2024. https://www.theatlantic.com/future-remote-work.
Correct
Johnson, Sarah. "The Future of Remote Work." *The Atlantic*, March 15, 2024. https://www.theatlantic.com/future-remote-work.
Chicago requires the full date (Month Day, Year) for magazine and newspaper articles, not just the year. The full date distinguishes periodical articles from journal articles.
Mixing footnote and bibliography punctuation
Wrong
Johnson, Sarah, "The Future of Remote Work," *The Atlantic*, March 15, 2024, https://www.theatlantic.com/future-remote-work.
Correct
Johnson, Sarah. "The Future of Remote Work." *The Atlantic*, March 15, 2024. https://www.theatlantic.com/future-remote-work.
The bibliography uses periods between major elements (author. title. publication). Footnotes use commas. Do not mix the two formats.
Abbreviating month names
Wrong
Johnson, Sarah. "The Future of Remote Work." *The Atlantic*, Mar. 15, 2024. https://www.theatlantic.com/future-remote-work.
Correct
Johnson, Sarah. "The Future of Remote Work." *The Atlantic*, March 15, 2024. https://www.theatlantic.com/future-remote-work.
Chicago uses full, unabbreviated month names (March, not Mar.). This differs from MLA, which abbreviates months longer than four letters.
Fix checklist
- ✓Use full publication dates for magazines/newspapers
- ✓Italicize publication names
- ✓Include URL for online articles
- ✓Put article titles in quotation marks
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite a newspaper article in Chicago?
Include the full date, section if applicable, and URL for online versions. Page numbers are optional for newspapers.
What's the difference between citing a magazine and journal article?
Magazines use full dates without volume/issue numbers. Journals use volume, issue, and page numbers.
Build the corrected citation now
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