The Chicago Manual of Style
Encyclopedia
The Chicago Manual of Style (abbreviated in writing as CMS or CMOS, or verbally as Chicago) is a style guide
for American English
published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press
. Its 16 editions have prescribed writing and citation
styles widely used in publishing. It is "one of the most widely used and respected style guides in the United States," and is considered the de facto guide for American English style, grammar, and punctuation. The CMS deals with aspects of editorial practice, from American English grammar and usage to document preparation.
The most significant revision to the manual was made for the 12th edition, published in 1969. Its run of 150,000 copies sold out before it was printed. In 1982, with the publication of the 13th edition, it was officially retitled The Chicago Manual of Style, adopting the informal name already in widespread use.
More recently the publishers have released a new edition every decade or so. The 15th edition was revised to reflect the emergence of computer technology and the Internet in publishing, offering guidance for citing electronic works. Other changes included a chapter by Bryan A. Garner
on American English grammar and usage, and a revised treatment of mathematical copy.
In August 2010, the sixteenth edition was published simultaneously in the hardcover and online editions for the first time in the Manuals history. In a departure from the trademark red-orange cover, the 16th edition featured a robin's-egg blue dust jacket (image lower right). The latest edition features "Music, foreign languages, and computer topics (such as Unicode characters and URLs)". It also offers expanded recommendations for producing electronic publications, including web-based content and e-books. An updated appendix on production and digital technology demystifies the process of electronic workflow and offers a primer on the use of XML markup, and a revised glossary includes a host of terms associated with electronic as well as print publishing. The Chicago system of documentation is streamlined to achieve greater consistency between the author-date and notes-bibliography systems of citation, making both systems easier to use. In addition, updated and expanded examples address the many questions that arise when documenting online and digital sources, from the use of DOIs to citing social networking sites. Figures and tables are updated throughout the book—including a return to the Manual’s popular hyphenation table and new, selective listings of Unicode numbers for special characters.
The Chicago Manual of Style is used in some social science publications and most historical journals. It remains the basis for the Style Guide of the American Anthropological Association
and the Style Sheet for the Organization of American Historians
.
The Chicago Manual of Style includes chapters relevant to publishers of books and journals. It is used widely by academic and some trade publishers, and editors and authors who are required by those publishers to follow it.
Chicago style offers writers a choice of several different formats. It invites the mixing of formats, provided that the result is clear and consistent. For instance, the fifteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style permits the use of both in-text citation systems and/or footnotes or endnotes, including use of "content notes"; it gives information about in-text citation by page number (like MLA style
) or by year of publication (like APA style
); it even provides for variations in styles of footnotes and endnotes, depending on whether or not the paper includes a full bibliography at the end.
The Chicago Manual of Style also discusses the parts of a book and the editing process.
Style guide
A style guide or style manual is a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization or field...
for American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press
University of Chicago Press
The University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
. Its 16 editions have prescribed writing and citation
Citation
Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source . More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source (not always the original source). More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated...
styles widely used in publishing. It is "one of the most widely used and respected style guides in the United States," and is considered the de facto guide for American English style, grammar, and punctuation. The CMS deals with aspects of editorial practice, from American English grammar and usage to document preparation.
History
What is now known as The Chicago Manual of Style was first published in 1906 under the title Manual of Style: Being a compilation of the typographical rules in force at the University of Chicago Press, to which are appended specimens of type in use (image right). From its first 203-page edition, the CMS evolved into a comprehensive reference style guide of 1,026 pages in its 16th edition. It was one of the first editorial style guides published in the United States, and is largely responsible for research methodology standardization, most specifically about citation style.The most significant revision to the manual was made for the 12th edition, published in 1969. Its run of 150,000 copies sold out before it was printed. In 1982, with the publication of the 13th edition, it was officially retitled The Chicago Manual of Style, adopting the informal name already in widespread use.
More recently the publishers have released a new edition every decade or so. The 15th edition was revised to reflect the emergence of computer technology and the Internet in publishing, offering guidance for citing electronic works. Other changes included a chapter by Bryan A. Garner
Bryan A. Garner
Bryan A. Garner is a U.S. lawyer, lexicographer, and teacher who has written several books about English usage and style, including Garner's Modern American Usage. He is the editor in chief of all current editions of Black's Law Dictionary...
on American English grammar and usage, and a revised treatment of mathematical copy.
In August 2010, the sixteenth edition was published simultaneously in the hardcover and online editions for the first time in the Manuals history. In a departure from the trademark red-orange cover, the 16th edition featured a robin's-egg blue dust jacket (image lower right). The latest edition features "Music, foreign languages, and computer topics (such as Unicode characters and URLs)". It also offers expanded recommendations for producing electronic publications, including web-based content and e-books. An updated appendix on production and digital technology demystifies the process of electronic workflow and offers a primer on the use of XML markup, and a revised glossary includes a host of terms associated with electronic as well as print publishing. The Chicago system of documentation is streamlined to achieve greater consistency between the author-date and notes-bibliography systems of citation, making both systems easier to use. In addition, updated and expanded examples address the many questions that arise when documenting online and digital sources, from the use of DOIs to citing social networking sites. Figures and tables are updated throughout the book—including a return to the Manual’s popular hyphenation table and new, selective listings of Unicode numbers for special characters.
History of Editions
- 1st ed., 1906
- 2nd ed., 1910
- 3rd ed., 1911
- 4th ed., 1914
- 5th ed., 1917
- 6th ed., 1919
- 7th ed., 1920
- 8th ed., 1925
- 9th ed., 1927
- 10th ed., 1937
- 11th ed., 1949
- 12th ed., 1969
- 13th ed., 1982
- 14th ed., 1993
- 15th ed., 2003
- 16th ed., 2010
Overview
The CMS is published in hardcover and online. The online edition includes the searchable text of the new 16th and 15th editions with features such as tools for editors, a citation guide summary, and searchable access to Q&A, where University of Chicago Press editors answer readers' style questions. An annual subscription is required for access to the content of the Manual.The Chicago Manual of Style is used in some social science publications and most historical journals. It remains the basis for the Style Guide of the American Anthropological Association
American Anthropological Association
The American Anthropological Association is a professional organization of scholars and practitioners in the field of anthropology. With 11,000 members, the Arlington, Virginia based association includes archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, biological anthropologists, linguistic...
and the Style Sheet for the Organization of American Historians
Organization of American Historians
The Organization of American Historians , formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and study of American history. OAH's members in the U.S...
.
The Chicago Manual of Style includes chapters relevant to publishers of books and journals. It is used widely by academic and some trade publishers, and editors and authors who are required by those publishers to follow it.
Chicago style offers writers a choice of several different formats. It invites the mixing of formats, provided that the result is clear and consistent. For instance, the fifteenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style permits the use of both in-text citation systems and/or footnotes or endnotes, including use of "content notes"; it gives information about in-text citation by page number (like MLA style
The MLA Style Manual
The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing is the third edition of The MLA Style Manual, first published by the Modern Language Association of America in 1985...
) or by year of publication (like APA style
APA style
American Psychological Association Style is a set of rules that authors use when submitting papers for publications in APA journals. The APA states that they were developed to assist reading comprehension in the social and behavioral sciences, for clarity of communication, and to "move the idea...
); it even provides for variations in styles of footnotes and endnotes, depending on whether or not the paper includes a full bibliography at the end.
The Chicago Manual of Style also discusses the parts of a book and the editing process.
See also
- CitationCitationBroadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source . More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source (not always the original source). More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated...
- Linguistic prescriptionLinguistic prescriptionIn linguistics, prescription denotes normative practices on such aspects of language use as spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and syntax. It includes judgments on what usages are socially proper and politically correct...
- TurabianA Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and DissertationsA Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , is a style guide for writing and formatting research papers...
- Oxford Standard for Citation Of Legal AuthoritiesOxford Standard for Citation Of Legal AuthoritiesThe or OSCOLA is the modern method of legal citation in the United Kingdom. First developed by Peter Birks of the University of Oxford Faculty of Law, and now in its 4th edition, it has been adopted by most law schools and publishers in the United Kingdom as well as the courts.-Cases:Cases are to...
or "OSCOLA"
External links
- AAA Style Guide of the American Anthropological AssociationAmerican Anthropological AssociationThe American Anthropological Association is a professional organization of scholars and practitioners in the field of anthropology. With 11,000 members, the Arlington, Virginia based association includes archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, biological anthropologists, linguistic...
—Uses The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed. - Chicago Manual of Style Bibliography Samples—Provided by Williams CollegeWilliams CollegeWilliams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
- Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide—Provided by Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
- Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide—Provided by The Ohio State University
- Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide—compiled by the editors of The Chicago Manual of Style
- Chicago Manual of Style web site
- History of the Chicago Manual of Style
- The OAH Magazine of History Style Sheet of the Organization of American HistoriansOrganization of American HistoriansThe Organization of American Historians , formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, is the largest professional society dedicated to the teaching and study of American history. OAH's members in the U.S...
—Uses The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed.