How to Cite a Book Chapter in Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date)

This guide explains how to format a book chapter citation in Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a book chapter in Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date):

Template

Author Last, First M. Year. "Chapter Title." In Title of Book, edited by Editor First M. Last, page range. Place: Publisher.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Garcia 2020, 134)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Garcia, Maria. 2020. "Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Anxiety." In Handbook of Clinical Psychology, 3rd ed., edited by Helen L. Thompson and Robert J. Davis, 125--148. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Format the chapter author
List the chapter author as Last Name, First Name.
2
Add the year
Place the year immediately after the author, followed by a period.
3
Write the chapter title
Place the chapter title in quotation marks with headline-style capitalization. End with a period inside the closing quotation mark.
4
Add the book title and editor
Write "In" followed by the italicized book title (headline-style capitalization), then "edited by" and the editor name(s) in First Name Last Name order.
5
Include page range and publication details
Add the page range of the chapter, followed by the place of publication, colon, and publisher name.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Italicizing the chapter title instead of the book title (only the book title is italicized).
Forgetting to place the chapter title in quotation marks.
Using "ed." instead of "edited by" before the editor name in the reference list.
Omitting the page range of the chapter in the reference list entry.
Placing the year at the end instead of immediately after the author.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Chicago Author-Date use "ed." or "edited by" for book chapters?

In the reference list, always use "edited by" (spelled out). The abbreviation "ed." is used in the Notes-Bibliography system for footnotes. This is a key difference between the two Chicago systems.

Where does the page range go in a chapter citation?

The page range appears after the editor name(s) and before the place of publication: ...edited by Editor Name, 125--148. Place: Publisher.

How do I cite a chapter from a book I authored entirely?

If the same person(s) wrote the entire book, cite the whole book instead. The chapter format is specifically for chapters written by different authors in an edited collection.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your book chapter:

Chapter author(s)
Year of publication
Chapter title
Editor(s)
Book title
Edition (if not the first)
Page range
Publisher
DOI or URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Format the chapter author

List the chapter author as Last Name, First Name.

Add the year

Place the year immediately after the author, followed by a period.

Write the chapter title

Place the chapter title in quotation marks with headline-style capitalization. End with a period inside the closing quotation mark.

Add the book title and editor

Write "In" followed by the italicized book title (headline-style capitalization), then "edited by" and the editor name(s) in First Name Last Name order.

Include page range and publication details

Add the page range of the chapter, followed by the place of publication, colon, and publisher name.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Italicizing the chapter title instead of the book title (only the book title is italicized).

Forgetting to place the chapter title in quotation marks.

Using "ed." instead of "edited by" before the editor name in the reference list.

Omitting the page range of the chapter in the reference list entry.

Placing the year at the end instead of immediately after the author.