Chicago style is the standard citation format for history, philosophy, theology, and the arts and humanities. If your professor or institution requires Chicago style and you need a properly formatted paper to start from, this page gives you a ready-to-use Chicago style template for Word — download it, fill in your content, and submit.
Download Chicago Style Template for Word
The template uses the Notes-Bibliography (NB) system — the most common version of Chicago style used in academic papers. It includes a title page, double-spaced body with five working footnote examples, a sample data table, and a complete bibliography with nine formatted entries.
Free download · Microsoft Word compatible (2013 and later) · No registration needed
What’s Included in the Chicago Style Template
- Title page — Paper title, your name, course, instructor, institution, and date fields
- Double-spaced body — Times New Roman 12pt, 1-inch margins throughout
- Five working footnotes — Full first citations and shortened subsequent citations, including a book, journal article, and edited volume chapter
- Sections — Introduction, Background and Literature Review, Methodology, Analysis and Discussion, Conclusion
- Sample table — Table 1 with caption above and source note below in Chicago style
- Bibliography — Nine fully formatted entries: monographs, journal articles, edited volumes, reference works, and a website
Chicago Style: Notes-Bibliography vs. Author-Date
Chicago has two citation systems. The Notes-Bibliography (NB) system uses footnotes (or endnotes) and a bibliography — this is what the template uses, and it’s the version required in most humanities courses. The Author-Date system uses parenthetical in-text citations and a reference list, similar to APA — it’s used in the social sciences.
If your assignment specifies «Chicago style» without clarification and you’re in a history, literature, philosophy, or art history course, you almost certainly need the Notes-Bibliography system. When in doubt, ask your instructor.
How Footnotes Work in Chicago Style
In the Notes-Bibliography system, every time you cite a source, you insert a superscript number in the text. The corresponding footnote at the bottom of that page gives the full citation details. This is different from APA and Harvard, where citations appear in parentheses within the text.
Chicago footnotes follow specific rules about first vs. subsequent citations:
- First citation (full): Give complete details — author’s full name, title, place, publisher, year, and page.
- Subsequent citation (short form): Just the author’s last name, a shortened title, and the page number.
- Ibid.: Used when citing the exact same source and page as the immediately preceding footnote. Use sparingly; many style guides and professors now prefer the short form instead.
Chicago Footnote Format for Every Source Type
Book (First Citation)
First name Last name, Title of Book (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), page.
Example: Jane Smith, Advanced Research Methodology (New York: Routledge, 2023), 45.
Book (Subsequent / Short Form)
Last name, Shortened Title, page.
Example: Smith, Advanced Research, 78.
Journal Article
First name Last name, «Article Title,» Journal Name volume, no. issue (Year): page.
Example: John Brown and Mary Davis, «Digital Scholarship in the Humanities,» Journal of Digital Humanities 12, no. 3 (2024): 112.
Chapter in an Edited Volume
First name Last name, «Chapter Title,» in Book Title, ed. Editor’s Name (Place: Publisher, Year), page.
Example: Emily Clarke, «Methodology in Practice,» in Handbook of Academic Writing, ed. Robert Hall (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2022), 203.
Website
First name Last name, «Page Title,» Site Name, Month Day, Year, URL.
Example: Susan Lee, «Primary Sources Online,» Humanities Digital Archive, January 15, 2026, https://www.example.edu/primary-sources.
Chicago Bibliography Format
The bibliography in Chicago Notes-Bibliography style is not the same as the footnotes. The bibliography inverts the first author’s name (Last, First) and uses a different punctuation pattern. It appears on its own page at the end of the paper, with entries listed alphabetically.
Book (Bibliography)
Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place: Publisher, Year.
Example: Smith, Jane. Advanced Research Methodology. New York: Routledge, 2023.
Journal Article (Bibliography)
Last, First, and First Last. «Article Title.» Journal Name volume, no. issue (Year): pages.
Example: Brown, John, and Mary Davis. «Digital Scholarship in the Humanities.» Journal of Digital Humanities 12, no. 3 (2024): 108–125.
Chapter in Edited Volume (Bibliography)
Last, First. «Chapter Title.» In Book Title, edited by First Last, page range. Place: Publisher, Year.
Example: Clarke, Emily. «Methodology in Practice.» In Handbook of Academic Writing, edited by Robert Hall, 195–218. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2022.
Chicago Document Formatting Rules
Font, Size, and Spacing
The Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition, 2024) recommends a readable serif font — Times New Roman 12pt is the standard. The entire paper, including the bibliography, is double-spaced. Block quotations (five or more lines) are single-spaced and indented on both sides without quotation marks.
Margins and Indentation
Margins are 1 inch on all sides. The first line of each paragraph is indented by 0.5 inches. The bibliography uses a hanging indent: first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches. Footnote text is typically single-spaced at 10pt, with a blank line between individual footnotes if there are multiple on the same page.
Title Page
Chicago papers typically have a title page — not a header like APA. The title is centered roughly one-third down the page. Your name, course, instructor, institution, and date appear in the lower third, centered. No running head is required. Page numbering typically starts on the first page of text (not the title page), in the top right corner.
Section Headings
Section headings in Chicago are optional but recommended for longer papers. They should be centered and bolded for primary sections. The Chicago Manual does not mandate a heading hierarchy as strict as APA’s five levels — use what makes the structure of your paper clear.
Tables and Figures
Tables are labeled «Table» followed by an Arabic numeral (Table 1, Table 2) and have their title above them. Figures (charts, photographs, maps) are labeled «Figure» and have their caption below them. Always reference each table or figure in the text before it appears. Source notes appear below both tables and figures, introduced by «Source:».
How to Use the Chicago Template: Step-by-Step
- Fill in the title page — Replace the placeholder title, name, course, instructor, institution, and date.
- Write your introduction — The template has a working footnote superscript. Click just before the period at the end of the sentence where you want a citation, then insert your footnote via References → Insert Footnote in Word.
- Edit the footnote text — The template includes five pre-filled footnote examples at the bottom of the page. Replace the citation details with your own sources.
- Follow the first vs. short form rule — Footnotes 1 and 2 in the template are full citations; footnotes 3 and 5 show the shortened subsequent form for sources already cited.
- Replace the table — Rename Table 1 and update its contents and source note.
- Build your bibliography — Replace the nine example entries. Keep the hanging indent and alphabetical order. Note the difference in punctuation between footnotes and bibliography entries.
Chicago Style vs. Turabian
Turabian style is a simplified version of Chicago style specifically designed for student papers. Kate Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations is based on The Chicago Manual of Style and follows the same Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date systems. The main practical differences are minor formatting details for the title page and some simplifications for student papers. If your instructor says «Turabian» or «Chicago/Turabian,» this template is appropriate — they use the same citation format.
Common Chicago Style Mistakes
- Using parenthetical citations instead of footnotes — In the NB system, all citations go in footnotes, not in the text. Parenthetical citations are for the Author-Date system.
- Same format for footnotes and bibliography — The footnote and bibliography formats differ. Footnotes put first name first and use commas; bibliography inverts the author’s name and uses periods between elements.
- Using «ibid» across page breaks — Ibid. is only correct when the previous footnote cites the exact same source and page. If the page number differs, use ibid. with the new page number. Many instructors prefer the short form throughout.
- Wrong punctuation in footnotes — Footnotes use commas between elements: Author, Title (Place: Publisher, Year), page. Bibliography entries use periods.
- Forgetting the page number — Every footnote for a specific claim needs a page number. «Smith, History» is incomplete; «Smith, History, 45″ is correct.
- Not inverting the author’s name in the bibliography — Only the first author’s name is inverted in the bibliography (Last, First). Additional authors are listed in normal order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chicago style require endnotes or footnotes?
Both are acceptable in Chicago style. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the same page as the citation; endnotes appear in a separate section at the end of the paper. Most instructors prefer footnotes because they’re easier for the reader to check. The template uses footnotes, but you can convert them to endnotes in Word under References → Convert Footnotes to Endnotes.
Does Chicago require a bibliography if I have footnotes?
Yes, in most academic contexts. The footnotes provide citation details within the text, but the bibliography gives readers a consolidated, alphabetical list of all sources used. Some shorter papers or book chapters may omit the bibliography if the footnotes are complete, but for a student paper, always include it.
Which edition of the Chicago Manual should I follow?
The most current edition is the 18th edition (2024). Most universities and publishers accept either the 17th or 18th edition — the citation formats are nearly identical. If your institution or instructor specifies an edition, follow that one. The template follows 18th edition conventions.
Can I use Chicago style for a science paper?
Chicago’s Author-Date system is used in some social science disciplines, but the physical and natural sciences typically use other formats (APA, Vancouver/ICMJE for medicine, IEEE for engineering). If your science course requires Chicago, it’s likely the Author-Date version. The NB template here is designed for humanities papers.