How To Reference A Chapter In A Book Chicago Style?

As someone who frequently writes academic papers, I've had to reference chapters in books using Chicago style more times than I can count. The basic format goes like this: Author’s Last Name, First Name. "Chapter Title." In *Book Title*, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, page range. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. For example, if I were referencing a chapter from 'The Great Gatsby', it would look like: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "The Valley of Ashes." In *The Great Gatsby*, 23-45. New York: Scribner, 1925. Remember to italicize the book title and use quotation marks for the chapter title. The key is consistency—stick to this format, and you’ll avoid confusion.

Chicago style can be tricky, but once you get the hang of it, referencing a chapter becomes second nature. Start with the author’s name, last name first, followed by the chapter title in quotation marks. Then, include the book title in italics, preceded by 'In.' If there’s an editor, add 'edited by' and their name. The page range of the chapter comes next, followed by publication details.

For example, if I’m citing a chapter from 'To Kill a Mockingbird', it would look like: Lee, Harper. "The Mad Dog Incident." In *To Kill a Mockingbird*, 92-105. New York: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1960. If the book has an editor, like a collection of essays, the format changes slightly. Say I’m referencing a chapter from 'The Norton Anthology of English Literature', it would be: Woolf, Virginia. "A Room of One’s Own." In *The Norton Anthology of English Literature*, edited by M.H. Abrams, 123-145. New York: W.W. Norton, 2000. Always double-check the punctuation and italics—it’s easy to miss small details.

Another tip: if you’re citing a chapter from an online book, include the DOI or URL at the end. For instance: Orwell, George. "Why I Write." In *Essays*, 45-60. London: Secker & Warburg, 1946. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxx. Pay attention to whether you’re using the notes-bibliography or author-date system—Chicago offers both, but the former is more common for humanities.

I remember the first time I had to reference a chapter in Chicago style—it felt like deciphering a secret code. Here’s how I broke it down: Author’s name (last name first), chapter title in quotes, then 'In' followed by the book title in italics. If there’s an editor, toss that in too. The page range comes next, then the city, publisher, and year.

For example, referencing a chapter from '1984' would look like: Orwell, George. "The Principles of Newspeak." In *1984*, 246-260. London: Secker & Warburg, 1949. If the book is part of a series or has multiple volumes, include that info after the title. Say I’m citing a chapter from 'The Lord of the Rings': Tolkien, J.R.R. "The Shadow of the Past." In *The Fellowship of the Ring*, vol. 1 of *The Lord of the Rings*, 45-60. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1954. The key is to keep it clear and organized—Chicago style loves its details, but once you nail the format, it’s smooth sailing.