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Research and Writing Support: How to Make a Bibliography

How to make a Chicago style Bibliography

The Chicago style notes and bibliography system is used to give writers a way to reference their sources with the use of footnotes, endnotes, and a bibliography. Writers using Chicago style should include an endnote or footnote each time they use a source, whether the source is used with a quote, paraphrase, or summary. Footnotes are added at the bottom of each page in which the source is used. Then, the Chicago style bibliography lists all sources used in alphabetical order. The bibliography page is placed at the end of the work. 

For more information on Chicago style bibliography, visit the Purdue Owl Writing Lab: Chicago Manual of Style Page.

Research Organization and Citation

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Research organization with bibliographies and notecards. Google SSO: Login with your FWCD Gmail account.

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What is a bibliography?

What is the purpose of a bibliography? 

A bibliography is a list of sources used to create your work. It does the following:

  1. Shows that you did the necessary research for your work

  2. Credits the sources’ authors for the work and research they did to contribute to the topic

  3. Makes it easy for anyone who reads your work to find the sources you used and read more on their own

How do you write a bibliography?

Bibliography is the word we use for any list of sources at the end of someone's work. The process for writing a bibliography is similar no matter which citation style you are using (MLA, Chicago, etc.). The main difference is how the bibliography is formatted. 

Organization is the most important part of writing a bibliography. Gathering sources (and adding them to a citation management tool like NoodleTools) used while conducting research will save time when it comes to formatting the final bibliography. The final step is to format your sources according to the style guide you're using - MLA, Chicago, or APA. 

Sources

"Chicago Manual of Style." Purdue Online Writing Lab, 17th ed., Purdue University, owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023.