General Tips for Collecting and Citing Sources
- Use Chicago Style, and stick to one "flavor" of Chicago
Chicago is the discipline standard citation style for historians, and should generally be your first choice when writing history papers. While Chicago has several different variants to choose from (author-date, footnote citations, etc.), it is best not to mix them, to keep the styling of your paper clear and consistent.
- Use a Citation Manager
Citation management software allows you to quickly collect citation information for interesting items you find online, while also allowing you to track and organize this information long-term. Additionally, citation managers can automatically generate citations in the style of you choice, saving you the hassle of writing them yourself. See more info below.
Citation Management Software
- Zotero
The University Library recommends using Zotero as your citation manager, due to its open-source nature, consistent performance, and robust feature-set. - Citation Manager LibguideThis libguide goes over the basics of what a citation manager is, which are supported by the University, and where you can receive support.
- Savvy Researcher WorkshopsThe current calendar of upcoming Savvy Researcher Workshops, which offer training and assistance for citation managers, as well as other general and specialized research skills.
Chicago Style
- The Chicago Manual of Style Online
The official online version of the Chicago Manual of Style. - Citing Sources in Chicago StyleA page from the "Citing Sources" LibGuide which quickly demonstrates how to cite with Chicago.
- Annotated Bibliographies (Purdue OWL)Purdue Online Writing Lab's introduction and style guide to annotated bibliographies. Chicago style annotations are covered towards the bottom of the page.
