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Referencing Encyclopedia With a Useful Chicago Citation Guide

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Learning How To Cite An Encyclopedia Chicago

This article covers the Notes-Bibliography system of Chicago citation style. This means that the examples given are referred to either footnotes (instead of in-text citations that are common for other citation styles) or endnotes (that we usually see as bibliography or reference list in formats such as MLA or APA). Still, some professors might ask to cite the sources used with in-text citations in brackets, though such cases are rare and in-text citations does not require any specific guide.

What To Include In Chicago Citation

When it comes to citing encyclopedias in Chicago, we’ve got you covered. The key things to include are the name of the resource, publish date, the title of article, edition, number of volumes, place of publication and publisher. The way you present this information will differ depending on whether your edition is printed, online or signed by an author.

Main Rules To Remember When Citing Encyclopedias In Chicago

The rules of Chicago style encyclopedia differ slightly depending on whether you are using a printed version or one which you have found online. That said, you should try to adhere to the following rules at all times when citing in Chicago: 

  • The edition of the encyclopedia should be shown immediately after the title
  • The title has to be written in italicized font
  •  Always present the title in quotation marks
  • Each part of the citation should be separated with the use of commas
  • The title of the encyclopedia should follow the letters “s.v.”
  • When citing an online encyclopedia, you should include a publication date or last revision date. If neither is available, you should include the accessed date for this entry.

Basic Format Of Chicago Encyclopedia Citation

When you cite encyclopedia Chicago, the bibliography/footnotes will need to include further information such as the article’s title, edition, number of volumes and place of publication.

These details would be delivered in the following format:

“Title of Article.” In Encyclopedia Name, Place of Publication: Publisher, Year published. OR Accessed Date of access. URL

Instead of in-text citation Chicago requires footnotes that are placed on every page where a source is used. There, instead of starting the citation from the title of an article, it is required to place an edition name instead.

For example:

Encyclopedia Name, s.v. “Title of Article”, (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of publication). OR accessed Date of Access, URL.

Different Types Of Encyclopedia

When using Chicago style citation for an encyclopedia, there are two types to consider, both of which require a slightly different citation.  

Online Encyclopedia (or Dictionary)

For an online edition, you will need to provide an access date if the publication date isn’t available, along with a URL.

In the reference list: 

“Kenya.” In Encyclopedia of Global Religion. Sage, 2009. Accessed July 17, 2012. http://libdb.fairfield.edu/login.

Notes example:

Encyclopedia of Global Religion, s.v. “Kenya,” Sage, accessed July 17, 2012, http://libdb.fairfield.edu/login.

Printed Encyclopedia

In case the source you need to site is an article in printed edition, simply follow the basic format more closely with the following structure: 

In the reference list:

“North Atlantic Treaty Organization.” In West’s Encyclopedia of American Law. 2nd ed. 10 vols. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2005.

Notes Example:

West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, s.v. “North Atlantic Treaty Organization.”

Why Use Our Online Free Generator?

Put simply, citing sources can be considerably hard work. Each style of referencing involves different rules, and each type of text needs to be referenced differently. When you consider that some papers can include citations from a wide variety of sources, scholars can very quickly get stressed out, even before they start writing their bibliography. 

On the contrary, our generator knows about the proper Chicago encyclopedia citation and can easily come up with a nice citation whether it’s a printed work or online source. Whether you are citing the Encyclopedia Britannica or Encyclopedia of China, we take away the stress and save you considerable time. In short, we let you concentrate on the most important thing: writing an A* paper. If you are wondering how to cite an encyclopedia in Chicago, we’ve got you covered.   

So, if you need help with citing encyclopedias in Chicago, get in touch and let us take the stress away! 

FAQ

What exactly does the abbreviation “S.V.” mean?

No need for a dictionary for this one. It stands for “sub verbo”, which is Latin for “under the word”. It is commonly used in Chicago encyclopedia citation for articles that are not signed.

What should I do if my encyclopedia article has an author?

You’ll deal with it simply. The author’s name would replace the encyclopedia title in the in-text reference, for example: (Stalley, 2003). For the reference list, your citation structure would be as follows:

Structure:

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of Article.” In Title of Encyclopedia. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. 

Example:

Stalley, Roger. “Clonmacnoise Monastery.” In Grove Art Online. 3rd ed. Oxford, U.K: Oxford University Press, 2012.

When do I include an access date?

You should always include an access date along with the short form of the online URL. This is to account for the fact that online encyclopedias are constantly being updated and edited.

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