Historians generally use the Chicago Manual of Style or its derivative, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (commonly known as Turabian, after its author). Though not identical, the two styles are very similar. The Chicago/Turabian style offers two systems: 1) notes and bibliography (humanities style); 2) author-date.
Historians prefer the humanities style because it accommodates a wide variety of sources. Documentation is presented by notes (either footnotes or endnotes) and a bibliography.
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Find copies of these manuals in the library
Marius notes that "history and writing are inseparable."3
3. Richard Marius. A Short Guide to Writing about History, 3rd ed. (New York: Longman, 1999), 5.
9. Marius, 105.
Marius, Richard. A Short Guide to Writing about History, 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 1999.
Note format | Bibliography format | |
Book (one author) |
Jenny L. Presnell. The Information-Literate Historian: A Guide to Research for History Students (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 98. |
Presnell, Jenny L. The Information-Literate Historian: A Guide to Research for History Students. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. |
Article in a print journal | Jonathan Dewald, "Crisis, Chronology, and the Shape of European Social History," American Historical Review 113 no. 4 (October 2008): 1037. |
Dewald, Jonathan. "Crisis, Chronology, and the Shape of European Social History." American Historical Review 113 no. 4 (October 2008): 1031-1052. |
Article online | Emily Chao, "Dangerous Work: Women in Traffic," Modern China 28 no. 4 (October 2002): 73, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3181348 (accessed June 14, 2008). |
Chao, Emily. "Dangerous Work: Women in Traffic." Modern China 28 no. 4 (October 2002): 71-107. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3181348 (accessed June 14, 2008). |
Be aware of small differences across similar formats. For example:
Check out the Chicago Manual of Style Online - the Quick Guide is very useful for getting started.
Excellent tutorials are also available from:
University of Wisconsin Writing Center
Citing your sources is an important part of the scholarly writing process. Citations include the key elements that allow your sources to be identified and located - author, title, date, etc. The actual format of the citation depends on the resource type as well as the documentation style you are using.
There are several reasons to cite:
Use software to manage your sources - download citations from library databases; export the bibliography into your paper.
EndNote is a free download for GSU students, faculty and staff.
Zotero was developed by historians to support historical and related research. It is a free Firefox plugin.
Zotero guide
Features comparison chart: Zotero, Endote and others
Using APA or MLA?
Get help on our general citation guide.