Landscape Architecture Research

Chicago Manual of Style 18^th Edition

Why do we cite?

• Citations are a scholarly conversation; they indicate the research you have done and name the scholars you have learned from. Citations are a trail of breadcrumbs signaling to your reader where you found evidence. They are vital to show that you are producing quality academic work. 
• Citation skills are acquired through education and experience; even trained librarians and professors will encounter sources that are difficult to cite.
• Without proper citations, you could be engaging in plagiarism. Plagiarism has serious consequences. When in doubt, seek advice about where and how to cite. Librarians are happy to help you! 

Why are there multiple editions?

• The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is updated periodically to include protocols for citing newer media (ex: ebooks, social media posts, online reader comments,) and to address some limitations with outdated standards (pronouns, Indigenous languages, “e-mail” vs. “email”, Internet vs. internet, etc.)
• Clarify that your professor wants your work submitted following the standards in the most recent edition of CMOS. Be wary of consulting outdated guides, even the 17^th edition has major differences and could lead you astray. 

Some important recent changes in CMOS: ( B indicates Bibliography and N indicates footnotes )

Why are there two styles: “Notes and Bibliography” and “Author-Date”?

• The two systems have different benefits depending on the type of research you are doing.
• Many in the sciences and social sciences use Author-Date because a reader can quickly see how recent the research being cited is.
• Notes and Bibliography style is typical in the Humanities because it is more flexible for citing a variety of sources (for example: articles without an author, interviews, archival material, works of art, etc.).

What is Turabian style? Is it the same as Chicago Style?

• Kate Turabian is the author of A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (often just called A Manual for Writers). This manual is very popular for student papers and relies on Chicago Style conventions but simplifies some elements into guidelines called Turabian Style. As a graduate student, you should be referring to Chicago Manual of Style as it is the professional standard.