How to Cite a Journal in Chicago/Turabian
Journal citations in Chicago/Turabian style generally include the author name, article title, journal title, publication date, and volume/issue information. If the journal article was accessed online, the URL or DOI is required. This guide will show you how to create notes-bibliography style citations using the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.
Guide Overview
- Cite a journal article found online
- Cite a journal article found in print
- Cite a journal article with four or more authors
- Cite just the abstract of a journal article
- What you need
How to Cite a Journal Article Found Online
Chicago Style Online Journal Citation Structure:
Note:
1. First name Last name, “Article Title,” Journal Title volume number, issue number (Month year of publication): Page-page, DOI or URL.
Bibliography:
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume number, issue number (Month year of publication): Page-page. DOI or URL.
Note: If no DOI is available, use a stable URL.
Chicago Style Online Journal Citation Example:
Note:
1. James Trier, “‘Cool’ Engagements with YouTube: Part 2,” Media Literacy 50, no. 7 (November 2007): 599, https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.50.7.8.
Bibliography:
Trier, James. “‘Cool’ Engagements with YouTube: Part 2.” Media Literacy 50, no. 7 (November 2007): 598-603. https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.50.7.8.
How to Cite a Journal Article Found in Print
Chicago Style Journal Citation Structure:
Note:
1. First name Last Name, “Article Title,” Journal Title volume, no. issue (Month year of
publication): Page-page.
Bibliography:
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume, no. issue (Month year of
publication): Page-page.
Chicago Style Journal Citation Example:
Notes:
1. Meng-Fen Grace Lin, Ellen S. Hoffman, and Claire Borengasser, “Is Social Media Too Social for Class? A Case Study of Twitter Use,” TechTrends 57, no. 2 (February 2013): 39-40.
Bibliography:
Lin, Meng-Fen Grace, Ellen S. Hoffman, and Claire Borengasser. “Is Social Media Too Social for Class? A Case Study of Twitter Use.” TechTrends 57, no. 2 (February 2013): 39-40.
How to Cite a Journal With Four or More Authors
If you need to cite a journal article that has four or more authors, include up to ten names in the bibliography entry, and in the note, include just the first author’s name followed by the phrase “et al.”. If the article has more than ten authors, include only the first seven followed by “et al.” in the bibliography entry, and in the note, include just the first author’s name followed by “et al.”.
Chicago Style Journal Citation Structure:
Note:
1. First name Last name et al., “Article Title,” Journal Title volume number, issue number (Month year of publication): Page-page, DOI or URL.
Bibliography:
Last name 1, First name 1, First name 2 Last name 2, First name 3 Last name 3, First name 4 Last name 4. “Article Title.” Journal Title volume number, issue number (Month year of publication): Page-page. DOI or URL.
Chicago Style Journal Citation Example:
Note:
1. Tamara Hafner et al., “Defining Pharmaceutical Systems Strengthening: Concepts to Enable Measurement,” Health Policy and Planning 32, no. 4 (May 2017): 572–84, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48509358.
Bibliography:
Hafner, Tamara, Helena Walkowiak, David Lee, and Francis Aboagye-Nyame. “Defining Pharmaceutical Systems Strengthening: Concepts to Enable Measurement.” Health Policy and Planning 32, no. 4 (May 2017): 572–84. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48509358.
How to Cite Just the Abstract of a Journal Article
It is generally not recommended to cite only the abstract of a journal article, since you may be missing important context contained within the rest of the article. However, there may be an instance where an abstract contains standalone/verifiable information or phrasing that you want to include in your paper, but you cannot access the rest of the article. In that case, the abstract can be cited like a regular journal article, with the addition of the word “abstract.”
Chicago Style Journal Abstract Citation Structure:
Note:
1. First name Last name, “Article Title,” abstract, Journal Title volume number, issue number (Month year of publication): Page-page, DOI or URL.
Bibliography:
Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Abstract. Journal Title volume number, issue number (Month year of publication): Page-page. DOI or URL.
Chicago Style Journal Abstract Citation Example:
Note:
1. Sylvia Sierra, “Playing out Loud: Videogame References as Resources in Friend Interaction for Managing Frames, Epistemics, and Group Identity,” abstract, Language in Society 45, no. 2 (April 2016): 217–45, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43904730.
Bibliography:
Sierra, Sylvia. “Playing out Loud: Videogame References as Resources in Friend Interaction for Managing Frames, Epistemics, and Group Identity.” Abstract. Language in Society 45, no. 2 (April 2016): 217–45. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43904730.
What You Need
A citation for a journal article usually includes the following:
- Author name(s)
- Article title
- Journal title
- Volume number
- Issue number
- Month (or season) and year of publication
- Page numbers
- URL or DOI (if accessed online)
The name of the article should be in headline case and enclosed in quotation marks, and the name of the journal should be italicized. When citing on online journal article, using the DOI is preferred and it should be formatted with the “https://” in front of the DOI number. If there is no DOI, include a stable URL if possible.
