Referencing online material in Chicago style

This page outlines the correct format for online material in Chicago footnote and bibliography style.

In this section

• Web page
• Online book or journal
• Online news and magazine article
• Online report
• Online encyclopædia entry
• Blogs
• Social media
• Online video
• Personal communications
• Artificial intelligence platforms (such as ChatGPT)

Many online sources are missing important referencing information, such as the author or year of publication. See referencing elements for information on what to do in these circumstances.

New to referencing? See introduction to referencing.

Notes

Order: Author, "Title of specific webpage," title/description of site as a whole, owner or sponsor of site, publication/revision/modification or access date, URL.

• When there is no publication, revision or last modified date, give an access date.
• For frequently updated resources such as unfolding news stories, include a time stamp with a time zone (see Stuff example).

Bibliography

Order: Author. "Title of specific webpage." Title/description of site as a whole. Owner or sponsor of site. Publication/revision/modified, or access date. URL.

• Online book
• Online journal article

Notes

Order: Author, "Article Title," Title of Newspaper/Magazine, date of publication, URL or database name.

• When there is no publication, revision or last modified date, give an access date.
• For frequently updated resources such as unfolding news stories, include a time stamp with a time zone (see Stuff example).

Bibliography

Order: Author. "Article Title." Title of Newspaper/Magazine, date of publication. URL or database name.

Notes

Order: Author, "Title of Document" (source type identifier, Place of publication if available, publication/revision/modified, or access date), URL.

• When there is no publication, revision or last modified date, give an access date. 

Bibliography

Order: Author. "Title of Document." Source type identifier. Place of publication if available, publication/revision/modified, or access date. URL

Notes

Order: Encyclopaedia/Dictionary Title, edition, s.v. "title of entry," Author, publication/revision/modified, or access date, URL.

• Well-known and reliable reference works are normally cited in the notes, not the bibliography.
• Treat encyclopaedia or dictionary entries like a page number, preceding the entry title with the abbreviation s.v. (meaning sub verbo, "under the word") or s.vv. for more than one entry.
• When there is no publication, revision or last modified date, give an access date.
• For frequently updated resources, include a time stamp and time zone (see Stuff example).

Bibliography

Order: Encyclopaedia/Dictionary Title. Edition. S.v. "Title of entry." Author. Publication/revision/modified, or access date. URL.

Notes

Order: Author, "Title of post," Title of the blog (blog), date of post, URL.

Bibliography

Order: Author. "Title of post." Title of the blog (blog). Date of post, URL.

Notes

Order: Author (may include screen name or handle), "Title or text (up to 160 characters) of post," Title/type of post, date of post, timestamp, URL.

• Generally, social media content (e.g., tweets, Facebook posts) are cited only as notes.
• Note: Use X for posts that predate the name change from Twitter because this is how they are now formatted and how they can be located.

Bibliography

Order: Author (may include screen name or handle). "Title or text (up to 160 characters) of post." Title/type of post, date of post, timestamp, URL.

Notes

Order (include some or all of the following as relevant):
Author/creator, "Title of work," information about the work (e.g., contributors, location of performance), information about publisher including date, medium/format, relevant supplementary information (e.g., duration), URL.

Bibliography

Order (include some or all of the following as relevant): Author/creator. "Title." Information about the work (e.g., contributors, location of performance). Information about publisher including date. Medium/format, relevant supplementary information (e.g., duration), URL.

Notes

Order: Author, type of communication, date.
Note: Personal communications like email or text messages, or private messages shared through social media are usually referred to in text or in a note only.

Massey has a reputation for high academic standards which means people value our teaching and research and future employers value your qualification.

Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms (such as ChatGPT) can be useful learning tools but often use of them may be considered dishonest academic behaviour. You must not use AI tools in an assessment unless your course coordinator or lecturer has given you clear and explicit permission to do so. Using AI tools without permission is likely to result in an academic integrity investigation and being found guilty of an academic integrity breach can have serious consequences such as failing the assessment or even the course.

You can read more about academic integrity at Massey here.

If you have been given permission to use AI platforms, you must still ensure you comply with the Massey Use of Artificial Intelligence in Assessment Policy .

If you have permission to use AI in assessments (such as for developing initial ideas for the purposes of critical examination, or generating text, images or data), this use must be acknowledged.

Note: Be very cautious citing sources generated by AI as sometimes it can create sources that do not exist. It is recommended you personally check all sources generated by AI tools.

The Chicago Manual of Style recommends simply acknowledging in your text that you have used an AI tool to generate content. E.g., The haiku Koru was generated by ChatGPT.

As content generated by AI platforms can only be accessed after logging in, you generally do not include a reference in the bibliography or reference list and it sufficient to simply provide details in a footnote if the use of AI has not been included in your text. The tool is cited in the author position:

The Chicago Manual of Style Online has more guidance and examples about citing generative AI here.

References and further reading

 

Disclaimer

These pages are provided as a guide to proper referencing. Your course, department, school, or institute may prescribe specific conventions, and their recommendations supersede these instructions. If you have questions not covered here, check in the style guide listed above, ask your course coordinator, or ask at Academic Q+A.

Page authorised by Director - Centre for Learner Success
Last updated on 18 April, 2024