Cite in Chicago Style NB (18th edition): References: Other web content

Websites

References are entered in two places. The Bibliography goes at the end of your paper, and the Notes are the in-text citation in the body of your paper.

The Bibliography has the full citation information

• Single-spaced and with no extra space between entries.
• Alphabetize entries and use a hanging indent.
• See the examples in the boxes below.

Notes are either endnotes (at the end of the body of paper) or footnotes (bottom of each page)

• Use either footnotes or endnotes, not both. The content and format is the same, the only change is where the note goes in your document. 
• Numbered notes are coordinated with superscript numbers in the body of the text.
• The first time you cite a source, use the Full Note as indicated below; subsequent times, use the Shortened Note form.
• Resources without a publication date should use an "accessed" date instead.
• Use as much of the date as you can find. Use the last modified or last updated date if you can find it.  

Individual Author

Last name, First name. "Title of Page." Hosting Organization. Last modified date [if not available, use Accessed date]. URL.

Full note:

1. Meg Nicholas, "The Serious Business of Clowning Around," Library of Congress Blogs.

Shortened note:

2. Nicholas, "Serious Business."

Corporate Author

Organization Name. "Title of Page." Last modified date [if not available, use Accessed date]. URL.

ChatGPT

Before using any generative AI tool, such as ChatGPT, for class assignments, review your syllabus and check with your professor for guidance. 

In general, use of generative AI must be credited either in the text of your writing, or in the Notes section; but not in the Bibliography section because it is not human-authored source material. 

For more guidelines, see the official Chicago style website.

How to Cite ChatGPT in Chicago Notes-Bibliography

Datasets & Data

 Author/Producer. "Dataset Title," Dataset Producer. Last updated date [if not available, use date accessed]. https://doi.org/xxxxx or URL

Full note: 

5. Code Compliance Services Department, Consumer Health Division, "Restaurant and Food Establishment Inspections (Oct. 2016 to Present)," Open Data, City of Dallas, last updated April 15, 2023, https://www.dallasopendata.com/Services/Restaurant-and-Food-Establishment-Inspections-Octo/dri5-wcct

Shortened note:

6. Code Compliance Services Department, "Restaurant and Food Establishment Inspections."

If you can't find all of the citation details, you can leave out:

• volume, issue, or page numbers of periodicals
• publishing or hosting organization

Be aware that a lot of missing information can raise questions about credibility and reliability, especially for web sources. If a source has very little citation information, see if you can find a more reputable source to provide similar information instead. 

Missing author? 

Named authors are frequently missing on web-based content. See rule 13.86 in the Chicago manual.

You can use the hosting website or organization in the author position. For example, Southern Methodist University and the World Health Organization are both used as authors on this page.

Missing date?

• Missing the month and/or day is OK; use what you can find.
• If you can't find any date at all, use an "Accessed on" date.