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APA Citation Style 7th Edition: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

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On This Page: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Online encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - known author - no doi, online encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - known author - with doi, online encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - known author, online encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - group author, encyclopedia or dictionary entry in print - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary in print - group author.

Authors/Editors

If an encyclopedia or dictionary entry does not indicate a specific author or co-authors, begin the citation with a group author such as Merriam-Webster or American Psychological Association, followed by the year of publication in round brackets.

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title of the entry and the title of the encyclopedia or dictionary.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. Example: Canada

Publication Information for Online Encyclopedias and Dictonaries

Include the publisher name for an encyclopedia or dictionary where clearly identified, just as with a book or ebook. If the author and publisher are the same, omit the publisher element.

Some electronic content is assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). If a DOI is provided for an encyclopedia or dictionary, include it after the name of the encyclopedia or dictionary of the entry and edition beginning with "https:"

You do not need to put a period after a DOI number.

If you accessed the encyclopedia or dictionary through a website, provide the URL. If the encyclopedia or dictionary provides stable archived versions, link to the latest one without "retrieved from"; no statement of the retrieval date is necessary in this case. A statement of the retrieval date should be provided for any web pages that are dynamic and not archived. When in doubt, provide a retrieval date to help the reader in case the entry you use is updated between the time you read it and the time your reader looks at it.

In-Text Citation - Page Numbers

Page numbers may not be available for an online dictionary or encyclopedia entry. Here are some options if you have no page numbers and you are quoting directly:

Count the paragraphs, and use that number where you'd normally put the page number. Put the word "para." in front of it. Example: (Smith, 2012, para. 3). This example refers to the third paragraph in the entry. 

If the entry has section headings, you can use those. Encyclopedia entries often have section headings. Enter the section heading name, followed by the word "section" and then the number of the paragraph within that section. Example: (Smith, 2012, Climate section, para. 2). This example refers to the second paragraph under the Climate section of the entry.

If there is only one paragraph and no headings, as may be the case for many dictionary entries, skip the page/paragraph/section information and give the author's name and date only. Example: (Smith, 2012)

Note : All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary  ( edition if given and is not first edition, volume number if there is more than one, page range ) . Publisher Name.

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . https://doi number

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved date from URL

Name of Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from date URL

Title of entry. (Year article was edited, Month Day). In Wikipedia . URL for archived version of the article

Note : To find and cite the latest archived version, select "view history" in the Wikipedia entry and choose the most recent date.    

Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your assignment.

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry). Publisher Name often shortened.

Name of Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number if any, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry or p. page number for one page entry). Publisher Name often shortened.

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APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): Encyclopedias & Dictionaries (Reference Works)

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• When Information Is Missing
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• Works Quoted in Another Source
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• Reference List & Paper Formatting
• Annotated Bibliography

Authors/Editors

If an encyclopedia or dictionary entry has no author or editor, begin the citation with the title of the specific entry, followed by the year of publication in round brackets.

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title of the entry and the title of the encyclopedia or dictionary.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. Example: Canada

Place of Publication

For cities in the US and Canada list the city name and the province or state code. For other countries, list the city name and the country. Examples: Toronto, ON ; Tokyo, Japan

Publication Information for Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Don't include the place of publication or a publisher for an online encyclopedia or dictionary.

If you accessed the encyclopedia or dictionary through a website, provide the url instead.

In-Text Citation - No Author

If a dictionary or encyclopedia entry has no author, the in-text citation should include the title of the entry. The title of the entry should be in quotation marks, with each word starting with a capital letter. The title of the entry will be followed by a comma and the year of publication. If you are quoting directly from the entry, you will also add the number of the page where the quote appears.

Paraphrasing :

("Cat Care," 2011)

("Cat Care," 2011, p. 38)

In-Text Citation - Page Numbers

Page numbers may not be available for an online dictionary or encyclopedia entry. Here are some options if you have no page numbers and you are quoting directly:

If paragraph numbers are given, use that number where you'd normally put the page number with the word "para." in front of it. Example: (Smith, 2012, para. 3). This example refers to the third paragraph in the entry

If you have no paragraph numbers, but the entry has section headings, you can use those. Encyclopedia entries often have section headings. Enter the section heading name, followed by the word "section" and then the number of the paragraph within that section. Example: (Smith, 2012, Climate section, para. 2). This example refers to the second paragraph under the Climate section of the entry.

If you have no paragraph numbers and no headings, as may be the case for many dictionary entries, skip the page/paragraph/section information and give the author's last name and date only. Example: (Smith, 2012)

Note : All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Title of entry. (n.d.). In Wikipedia . Retrieved Month Day, Year that website was viewed, from URL for entry

Note : According to APA, n.d. is used instead of a date of publication as the date is difficult to determine. Include the date you viewed the website as the content is likely to change over time.

Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your assignment.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author - No D O I

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from Database Name database.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author - With D O I

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . doi: doi number

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Unknown Author - No D O I

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from Database Name database.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from url

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Unknown Author

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from url

Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry In Print - Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry). Publication City, Province, State or Country: Publisher Name often shortened.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary In Print - Unknown Author

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number if any, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry or p. page number for one page entry). Publication City, Province, State or Country: Publisher Name often shortened.

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Citing Sources -- Chicago -- Bibliography style

• Encyclopedias
• Scholarly articles
• Non-scholarly articles

Footnotes / endnotes for encyclopedia articles

Bibliography for encyclopedia articles.

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Footnote and endnote citations for encyclopedias differ from book citations.  Here is the general construction of an encyclopedia citation in a footnote or endnote:

•   The elements of the citation are separated by commas.
•   If the entries in the encyclopedia you are citing have signed authors, you can include the name of the author in your citation, though doing so is not necessary (in fact the Manual seems to discourage this, as they do not provide a good example of an authored entry as a footnote or endnote).  If you do include an author's name, treat the title of the entry as you would an article title or book chapter title -- put it in quotation marks.
•   The title of the encyclopedia is italicized
• The edition of the encyclopedia must be specified following the title
•   The title of the encyclopedia entry follows the letters "s.v."   The title of the encyclopedia entry is "put in quotation marks."
•   Publication information beyond the name of the encyclopedia, its edition number, and the title of the entry is not necessary.  You can include this information (in parentheses, similar to a regular book citation) if you believe it useful for identifying the enecyclopedia you are citing, but it is not necessary.
• A publication date or last revision date is necessary if you are citing an online encyclopedia (either through the library's digital resources or from the free Internet).  If there is no publication date or last revision date, include the date you accessed the encyclopedia entry.  
• If available, include a Web address or Digital Object Identifier for the encyclopedia entry.

For further info, see sections 14.232-234 of the Manual.

Encyclopedia Article: Dictionary of American Biography , s.v. "Gillespie, Dizzy."

Encyclopedia Article with author and publication information: Mogens Herman Hansen, "Athenian Democracy," The Oxford Classical Dictionary , 3rd ed. (Oxford, U.K: Oxford University      Press, 1996).

Article from an Online Encyclopedia through the Meriam Library website : The Oxford Companion to Western Art , s.v. "O'Keefe, Georgia," accessed June 14, 2011, http://www.oxfordreference.com/      views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t118.e1909.

Article from an Encyclopedia on the free Web : Wikipedia , s.v. "Wilt Chamberlain," last modified June 12, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlin.

Citations in a bibliography are formulated in a similar way to a footnote or endnote, but do have slight variations from the way a footnote or endnote is formulated.

Encyclopedia Article: "Gillespie, Dizzy."  In Dictionary of American Biography .  24 vols.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1999.

• In this example, the entry is taken from the first and only edition of the Dictionary of American Biography.   Thus there is no edition number.  If there were, it would fall between the title of the encyclopedia and the number of volumes.

Encyclopedia Article with author: Hansen, Mogens Herman.  "Athenian Democracy."  In The Oxford Classical Dictionary .  3rd ed. Oxford, U.K: Oxford University      Press, 1996.

Article from an Online Encyclopedia through the Meriam Library website : "O'Keefe, Georgia."  In The Oxford Companion to Western Art .  Oxford, U.K: Oxford University Press, 2001-.  Accessed June 14,      2011.  http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t118.e1909.

Article from an Encyclopedia on the free Web : "Wilt Chamberlain."  Wikipedia .  Last modified June 12, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlin.

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How to Cite an Encyclopedia

Last Updated: November 30, 2022

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 21,472 times.

When you're doing research for a paper or report, you may use an encyclopedia as a reference. The exact format of your citation varies depending on the citation method you use. However, the basic information in the citation itself is typically the same. Regardless of whether you use Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago style, your citation should allow anyone reading your work to find the exact material you used.

Sample Citations

• Example: Lander, Jesse M.

• Example with no author: "Racism."
• Example with author: Lander, Jesse M. "Shakespeare, William."

• Example with no author: “Asteroids.”  The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Universe , edited by James W. Guthrie, 2nd ed., vol. 1, Watson-Guptill, 2001,
• Example with author: Juturu, Vijaya. “Type 2 Diabetes.”  Encyclopedia of Obesity , edited Kathleen Keller, vol. 2, Sage Publications, 2008,
• For an online encyclopedia, there likely won't be edition or volume numbers. To find any editor's names, publisher's name, and date of publication, look on the home page of the encyclopedia or on an "About" page. Ask a reference librarian if you're not sure.

• Example with author: Barber, Russell J. "Anthropological Ethics."  Ethics , edited by John K. Roth, Rev. ed., vol. 1, Salem Press, 2005, pp. 67-69.
• Example with no author: "Guyana"  Oxford Encyclopedia of World History , compiled by Market House Books, Oxford UP, 1998, p. 283.

• Example:  McLean, Steve. "The Tragically Hip."  The Canadian Encyclopedia , 26 Mar. 2015,  Historica Canada . www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/the-tragically-hip-emc. Accessed 27 Jun. 2016.
• If you found the encyclopedia in a library or other online database, put the name of the database in italics at the end of your citation, rather than a URL. Example: "Racism."  Britannica Academic , 2013.  Encyclopædia Britannica . 

• Basic format for Wikipedia entries: "Title of Entry." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia , Wikimedia Foundation, Day Month Year entry last modified, Time entry last modified, URL of entry. Accessed Day Month Year.
• Example: "Body Image." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia , Wikimedia Foundation, 16 June 2016, 7:41 pm, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_image. Accessed 28 June 2016.
• Wikipedia may not be an acceptable source. If you're writing a research paper for a school assignment, clear the source with your instructor first.

• If the entry began with the author's name, provide the author's last name in your parenthetical citation. Example: (Lander)
• If no author was given, include 1 - 3 words from the title of the entry. Enclose these words in quotation marks. Example: ("Racism")

• Example: Smith, J. O.
• If the entry has more than one author, separate multiple authors' names with commas, placing an ampersand before the last author's name. Example: Smith, J. O., Stevens, R. T., & Pembroke, L. J.

• Example with no author: Landscape gardening.
• Example with author: Smith, J. O. Landscape gardening.

• Example with author: Smith, J. O. Landscape gardening. (2014).
• Example with no author: Landscape gardening. (2014).
• Use the abbreviation "n.d." in parentheses for sources that have no date, or for online sources, such as Wikipedia, where the material is likely to change over time. Example: Veterinary medicine. (n.d.). In Wikipedia .

• Example: Smith, J. O. Landscape gardening. (2014). In B. K. Desjardins (Ed.),
• If there is no editor named, skip this part of the citation and move on to the name of the encyclopedia.

• Example with editor: Smith, J. O. Landscape gardening. (2014). In B. K. Desjardins (Ed.), Mammoth Gardening Encyclopedia (2nd ed.).
• Example without editor: Rowling, J. K. European owls (2018). In Encyclopedia of Night Creatures .

• Online database example: Gannon, P. (n.d.). Brain evolution. In AccessScience Mcgraw-Hill encyclopedia of science and technology (10th ed.). doi: 10/1036/1097-8542.YB040925.
• Website example: Beckwith, J., & Foley, D. (2012). Music composition. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/music-composition.

• Example with author: (Smith, 2014).
• Example with no author: ("Landscape gardening," 2014).

Chicago Style Bibliography

• Example: Bradley, William J.

• Example with author: Bradley, William J. "Professional Basketball."
• Example with no author: "Major League Baseball."

• Example with edition number: Bradley, William J. "Professional Basketball." In Encyclopedia of Sport . 3rd ed. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2017.
• Example with no edition: "Major League Baseball." In Professional Sports Encyclopedia . Chicago, IL: Play Ball Press, 1999.

• Example with date last modified: "Wilt Chamberlain."  Wikipedia . Last modified June 12, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlin.
• Example with date accessed: "O'Keefe, Georgia." In  The Oxford Companion to Western Art . Oxford, U.K: Oxford University Press, 2010.  Accessed June 14, 2011. http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t118.e1909.

Chicago Style Footnotes or Endnotes

• In Chicago style, in-text citations are superscript numbers to notes either at the bottom of each page (footnotes) or at the end of your paper (endnotes). The notes themselves are abbreviated versions of the information in your bibliography. If you're writing a paper for a class, ask your instructor whether they prefer footnotes or endnotes.
• Each work referenced in a footnote or endnote should have a corresponding entry in your bibliography.

• Example with author: William J. Bradley, "Professional Basketball," Encyclopedia of Sport , 3rd ed.
• Example without author: "Major League Baseball," Professional Sports Encyclopedia .

• Example: Encyclopedia of Personal Finance ,

• Example: Encyclopedia of Personal Finance , s.v. "Predatory Lending."
• The abbreviation "s.v." stands for the Latin phrase sub verbo , which means "under the word." [10] X Research source

• Example: William J. Bradley, "Professional Basketball," Encyclopedia of Sport , 3rd ed. (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2017).

• Example with URL and date of access: The Oxford Companion to Western Art , s.v. "O'Keefe, Georgia," accessed June 14, 2011, http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t118.e1909.
• Example with URL and date last modified: Wikipedia , s.v. "Wilt Chamberlain," last modified June 12, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlin.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/09/
• ↑ https://libguides.csuchico.edu/c.php?g=414275&p=2822611
• ↑ https://history.hanover.edu/courses/handouts/footnotes.htm

About this article

To cite an encyclopedia in text using APA, place a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence you're using the source in. If you know the author of the encyclopedias name, write that first, followed by a comma and the year of publication, like "(Smith, 2019)." Alternatively, if you don't know the author's name, write the name of the encyclopedia instead, like "(Landscape of gardening, 2019)." To learn how to cite an encyclopedia in text using MLA, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Citation Guide: How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

• Citing Sources
• Basics of MLA Citations
• How to cite BOOKS, eBOOKS, CHAPTERS
• How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS
• How to cite JOURNALS
• How to cite MAGAZINES
• How to cite NEWSPAPERS
• How to cite WEBSITES
• MLA Style, 9th Edition Overview
• Basics of APA Citations
• In-Text Citations
• How to cite MAGAZINES/ JOURNALS
• APA, 7th Edition
• Annotated Bibliography
• Useful Online Resources
• Research Paper Help
• Citing Visual Content

How to Cite Encyclopedias

  MLA Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry Citation

• Examples are not double-spaced, but your Works Cited list should be double-spaced.
• Examples do not show indented lines after the first line, but yours should be indented.

Author's Last Name, First Name Middle Initial.  "Title of Entry or Article." Title of Reference Source. edition. year.

Examples : "Home." Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. 

Ring, Arnold A. "Real Estate." Encyclopedia Americana. 1997. 

"The Art of Architecture." Encyclopædia Britannica: Macropædia . 15th ed. 2002. 

How to Cite ONLINE Encyclopedias

MLA Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry Citation

Author's Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. "Title of Entry or Article." Name of Reference Source . edition . Name of database . Date of access.

Example : “Concrete." Funk & Wagnall's New World Encyclopedia . EBSCO, 2009.  17 Jan. 2004.

Bigus, Jochen. "Business Bankruptcy." Encyclopedia of Law & Society:American and Global Perspectives . Sage, 2007. 16 Apr. 2009.

Elaine Reeves - Online Learning Librarian

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APA 7th Edition Citation Examples

• Volume and Issue Numbers
• Page Numbers
• Undated Sources
• Citing a Source Within a Source
• In-Text Citations
• Academic Journals
• Encyclopedia Articles

Format for encyclopedia articles

Library database with doi, library database without doi, library database without author or doi.

• Book, Film, and Product Reviews
• Online Classroom Materials
• Conference Papers
• Technical + Research Reports
• Court Decisions
• Treaties and Other International Agreements
• Federal Regulations: I. The Code of Federal Regulations
• Federal Regulations: II. The Federal Register
• Executive Orders
• Charter of the United Nations
• Federal Statutes
• Dissertations and Theses
• Interviews, E-mail Messages + Other Personal Communications
• Social Media
• Business Sources
• PowerPoints
• AI: ChatGPT, etc.

Author last name, first initial. (Year). Article title. In Editor first initial. Last name (Ed.),  Encyclopedia title  (pp. page numbers). Publisher Name. DOI  

• Author:  List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial). See  Authors  for more information.
• Year:  List the publication year between parentheses, followed by a period.
• Article title:  Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns, followed by a period.
• Editor:  List the first initial followed by the last name. Preceded by "In" and followed by "(Ed.)" 
• Encyclopedia title:  In italics. Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns
• Page number(s):  List page numbers preceded with "pp." in parentheses and followed by a period.
• Publisher name:  List publisher name, followed by a period.
• DOI:  Use DOI when available.

See specific examples below.

Miura, A. (2012). Human behavior with blogs. In Z. Yan (Ed.), Encyclopedia of cyber behavior (pp. 157-163). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-0315-8

What is a DOI? Some library databases, such as Academic Search Ultimate and APA PsycInfo, provide a digital object identifier (DOI) for individual ebooks. A DOI is a unique identifier for an online work. In the database record for an ebook, you will see an element that looks like this, which you should include at the end of your APA reference, preceded by " https://doi.org/ ":

This link will allow a reader to link to doi.org for more information about the ebook.

Smith, A. J. (2001). Child development. In B. Strickland (Ed.), The Gale encyclopedia of psychology (pp. 115-116). Gale.

Ethics. (2009). In Encyclopedia of management (6th ed., pp. 273-278). Gale.

See  Publication Manual , 10.3.

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 8th edition)

• Advertisments
• Books & e-Books
• Class Notes & Presentations
• Creative Commons Licensed Works.
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Charts, Graphs, Maps & Tables
• Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• When Information Is Missing
• Works Cited in Another Source
• Quoting and Paraphrasing
• Works Cited and Sample Page
• Annotated Bibliography

Citations examples on this page:

• Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author
• Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Unknown Author
• Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Known Author
• Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Unknown Author
• Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry In Print - Known Author
• Encyclopedia or Dictionary In Print - Unknown Author

Note : All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

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How to reference an Encyclopedia Entry using the Chicago Manual of Style

The most basic entry for an encyclopedia/dictionary consists of the author name(s), encyclopedia/dictionary name, edition, article title, publication city, publisher, and year published.

Last Name, First Name. Encyclopedia/Dictionary name , Edition ed., s.v. “Article Title.” Publication City: Publisher Name, Year Published.

Smith, John. Encyclopaedia Britannica , 8th ed., s.v. “Internet.” Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009.

The first author’s name should be reversed, with a comma being placed after the last name and a period after the first name (or any middle name). The name should not be abbreviated and should be written exactly as it appears in the encyclopedia. Titles and affiliations associated with the author should be omitted. A suffix, such as a roman numeral or Jr./Sr. should appear after the author’s given name, preceded by a comma.

For an article written by two or more authors, list them in order as they appear in the encyclopedia. Only the first author’s name should be reversed, while the others are written in normal order. Separate author names with a comma.

Smith, John, and Jane Doe. Encyclopaedia Britannica , 8th ed., s.v. “Internet.” Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009.

Include the encyclopedia/dictionary name in italics, a comma, the encyclopedia/dictionary’s edition, and the abbreviation “ed.” Then include a comma and the abbreviation “s.v.”, and then place the article title, along with a period, in quotation marks.

If the encyclopedia/dictionary’s volume is available and the work does not arrange entries alphabetically, cite the volume after the article title, along with the abbreviation “vols.”

Smith, John. Encyclopaedia Britannica , 8th ed., s.v. “Internet.” 20 vols. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009.

Include the city of publication, a colon, the publisher, a comma, and the year of publication. End the citation with a period.

If the article has no author, begin the citation with the encyclopedia/dictionary name.

Encyclopaedia Britannica , 8th ed., s.v. “Internet.” Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009.

If you are citing the entire encyclopedia/dictionary and not a specific article, exclude the following parts of the citation: the authors, the article title, and the “s.v.” abbreviation.

Encyclopaedia Britannica , 8th ed. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009.

If the article was published online, include the web address of the article, and then place the word “accessed”, along with the date on which you accessed the website (written in the format of “month day, year”) in parentheses. Conclude the citation with a period after the parentheses.

Smith, John. Encyclopaedia Britannica , 8th ed., s.v. “Internet.” Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009. http://www.britannica.com/articles/id=2533 (accessed February 21, 2009).

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How to Write a Bibliography (MLA, APA Examples)

Learn how to easily write a bibliography by following the format outlined in this article.

This resource will help your students properly cite different resources in the bibliography of a research paper, and how to format those citations, for books, encyclopedias, films, websites, and people.

What is a bibliography?

According to Infoplease.com, A bibliography is a list of the types of sources you used to get information for your report. It is included at the end of your report, on the last page (or last few pages).

What are the types of bibliography styles (MLA, APA, etc.)?

The 3 most common bibliography/citation styles are:

• MLA Style: The Modern Language Association works cited page style
• APA Style: The American Psychological Association style
• Chicago Style: The bibliography style defined by the Chicago Manual of Style

We’ll give examples of how to create bibliography entries in various styles further down in this article. 

What sources do you put in a bibliography?

An annotated bibliography should include a reference list of any sources you use in writing a research paper. Any printed sources from which you use a text citation, including books, websites, newspaper articles, journal articles, academic writing, online sources (such as PDFs), and magazines should be included in a reference list. In some cases, you may need or want to cite conversations or interviews, works of art, visual works such as movies, television shows, or documentaries - these (and many others) can also be included in a reference list.

How to get started writing your bibliography

You will find it easier to prepare your MLA, APA, or Chicago annotated bibliography if you keep track of each book, encyclopedia, journal article, webpage or online source you use as you are reading and taking notes. Start a preliminary, or draft, bibliography by listing on a separate sheet of paper all your sources. Note down the full title, author’s last name, place of publication, web address, publisher, and date of publication for each source.

Haven't started your paper yet and need an outline? These sample essay outlines include a research paper outline from an actual student paper.

How to write a bibliography step-by-step (with examples)

General Format: Author (last name first). Title of the book. Publisher, Date of publication.

MLA Style: Sibley, David Allen. What It’s Like to Be a Bird. From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing, What Birds Are Doing, and Why. Alfred A. Knopf, 2020.

APA Style: Sibley, D.A. (2020). What It’s Like to Be a Bird. From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing, What Birds Are Doing, and Why . Alfred A. Knopf.

Notes: Use periods, not commas, to separate the data in the entry. Use a hanging indent if the entry is longer than one line. For APA style, do not use the full author’s first name.

Websites or webpages:

  MLA Style: The SB Nation Family of Sites. Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs Blog, 2022, www.pensionplanpuppets.com. Accessed 15 Feb. 2022.

APA Style: American Heart Association. (2022, April 11). How to keep your dog’s heart healthy. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/04/11/how-to-keep-your-dogs-heart-healthy

Online news article from a newspaper site:

APA Style: Duehren, A. (2022, April 9). Janet Yellen faces challenge to keep pressure on Russia. Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/janet-yellen-faces-challenge-to-keep-pressure-on-russia-while-addressing-global-consequences-11650366000

Print journal articles:

MLA Style: Booch, Grady. "Patterns in Object-Oriented Design." IEEE Software Engineering, vol. 6, no. 6, 2006, pp. 31-50.

APA Style: Booch, G. (2006). Patterns in object-oriented design. IEEE Software Engineering, 6(6), 31–50.

Note: It is suggested that you include a DOI and a webpage address when referencing either a printed journal article, and electronic journal article, or an journal article that appears in both formats. 

MLA Style: Gamma, Eric, and Peter A. Coad. “Exceptions to the Unified Modeling Language in Python Patterns.” IEEE Software Engineering, vol. 2, no. 6, 8 Mar. 2006, pp. 190-194. O’Reilly Software Engineering Library, https://doi.org/10.1006/se.20061. Accessed 26 May 2009.

APA Style: Masters, H., Barron, J., & Chanda, L. (2017). Motivational interviewing techniques for adolescent populations in substance abuse counseling. NAADAC Notes, 7(8), 7–13. https://www.naadac.com/notes/adolescent-techniques

ML:A Style: @Grady_Booch. “That’s a bold leap over plain old battery power cars.” Twitter, 13 Mar. 2013, 12:06 p.m., https://twitter.com/Grady_Booch/status/1516379006727188483.

APA Style: Westborough Library [@WestboroughLib]. (2022, April 12). Calling all 3rd through 5th grade kids! Join us for the Epic Writing Showdown! Winner receives a prize! Space is limited so register, today. loom.ly/ypaTG9Q [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/WestboroughLib/status/1516373550415896588.

Print magazine articles:

General format: Author (last name first), "Article Title." Name of magazine. Volume number, (Date): page numbers.

MLA Style: Stiteler, Sharon. "Tracking Red-Breasted Grosbeak Migration." Minnesota Bird Journal, 7 Sept. 2019, pp. 7-11.

APA Style: Jordan, Jennifer, "Filming at the Top of the World." Museum of Science Magazine. Volume 47, No. 1, (Winter 1998): p. 11.

Print newspaper articles:

General format: Author (last name first), "Article Title." Name of newspaper, city, state of publication. (date): edition if available, section, page number(s).

MLA Style: Adelman, Martin. "Augustus Announces Departure from City Manager Post." New York Times, late ed., 15 February 2020, p. A1

APA Style: Adelman, M. (2020, February 15). Augustus announced departure from city manager post. New York Times, A1.

Encyclopedias:

General Format: Encyclopedia Title, Edition Date. Volume Number, "Article Title," page numbers.

MLA Style: “Gorillas.” The Encyclopedia Brittanica. 15th ed. 2010.

APA Style: Encyclopedia Brittanica, Inc. (1997.) Gorillas. In The Encyclopedia Brittanica (15th ed., pp. 50-51). Encyclopedia Brittanica, Inc.

Personal interviews:

General format: Full name (last name first). Personal Interview. (Occupation.) Date of interview.

MLA Style: Smithfield, Joseph. Personal interview. 19 May 2014.

APA Style: APA does not require a formal citation for a personal interview. Published interviews from other sources should be cited accordingly.

Films and movies:

General format: Title, Director, Distributor, Year.

MLA Style: Fury. Directed by David Ayer, performances by Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal, Sony Pictures, 2014.

APA Style: Ayer, D. (Director). (2014). Fury [Film]. Sony Pictures.

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Notes and Bibliography: Sample Citations

Go to Author-Date: Sample Citations

The following examples illustrate the notes and bibliography system. Sample notes show full citations followed by shortened citations for the same sources. Sample bibliography entries follow the notes. For more details and many more examples, see chapter 14 of The Chicago Manual of Style . For examples of the same citations using the author-date system, follow the Author-Date link above.

1. Zadie Smith, Swing Time   (New York: Penguin Press, 2016), 315–16.

2. Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015), 12.

Shortened notes

3. Smith, Swing Time , 320.

4. Grazer and Fishman, Curious Mind , 37.

Bibliography entries (in alphabetical order)

Grazer, Brian, and Charles Fishman. A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life . New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015.

Smith, Zadie. Swing Time . New York: Penguin Press, 2016.

For many more examples, covering virtually every type of book, see 14.100–163 in The Chicago Manual of Style .

Chapter or other part of an edited book

In a note, cite specific pages. In the bibliography, include the page range for the chapter or part.

1. Henry David Thoreau, “Walking,” in The Making of the American Essay , ed. John D’Agata (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016), 177–78.

Shortened note

2. Thoreau, “Walking,” 182.

Bibliography entry

Thoreau, Henry David. “Walking.” In The Making of the American Essay , edited by John D’Agata, 167–95. Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016.

In some cases, you may want to cite the collection as a whole instead.

1. John D’Agata, ed., The Making of the American Essay (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016), 177–78.

2. D’Agata, American Essay , 182.

D’Agata, John, ed. The Making of the American Essay . Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2016.

For more examples, see 14.103–5 and 14.106–12 in The Chicago Manual of Style .

Translated book

1. Jhumpa Lahiri, In Other Words , trans. Ann Goldstein (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016), 146.

2. Lahiri, In Other Words , 184.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. In Other Words . Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016.

For books consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database. For other types of e-books, name the format. If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the notes, if any (or simply omit).

1. Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851), 627, http://mel.hofstra.edu/moby-dick-the-whale-proofs.html.

2. Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, eds., The Founders’ Constitution (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987), chap. 10, doc. 19, http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

3. Brooke Borel, The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016), 92, ProQuest Ebrary.

4. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (New York: Penguin Classics, 2007), chap. 3, Kindle.

5. Melville, Moby-Dick , 722–23.

6. Kurland and Lerner, Founder s ’ Constitution , chap. 4, doc. 29.

7. Borel, Fact-Checking , 104–5.

8. Austen, Pride and Prejudice , chap. 14.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . New York: Penguin Classics, 2007. Kindle.

Borel, Brooke. The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2016. ProQuest Ebrary.

Kurland, Philip B., and Ralph Lerner, eds. The Founders’ Constitution . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/.

Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale . New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851. http://mel.hofstra.edu/moby-dick-the-whale-proofs.html.

For more examples, see 14.1 59 –63 in The Chicago Manual of Style .

Journal article

In a note, cite specific page numbers. In the bibliography, include the page range for the whole article. For articles consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database. Many journal articles list a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). A DOI forms a permanent URL that begins https://doi.org/. This URL is preferable to the URL that appears in your browser’s address bar.

1. Susan Satterfield, “Livy and the Pax Deum ,” Classical Philology 111, no. 2 (April 2016): 170.

2. Shao-Hsun Keng, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem, “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income Inequality,” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring 2017): 9–10, https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.

3. Peter LaSalle, “Conundrum: A Story about Reading,” New England Review 38, no. 1 (2017): 95, Project MUSE.

4. Satterfield, “Livy,” 172–73.

5. Keng, Lin, and Orazem, “Expanding College Access,” 23.

6. LaSalle, “Conundrum,” 101.

Keng, Shao-Hsun, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem. “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income Inequality.” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring 2017): 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.

LaSalle, Peter. “Conundrum: A Story about Reading.” New England Review 38, no. 1 (2017): 95–109. Project MUSE.

Satterfield, Susan. “Livy and the Pax Deum .” Classical Philology 111, no. 2 (April 2016): 165–76.

Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences. If there are four or more authors, list up to ten in the bibliography; in a note, list only the first, followed by et al . (“and others”). For more than ten authors (not shown here), list the first seven in the bibliography, followed by et al .

7. Rachel A. Bay et al., “Predicting Responses to Contemporary Environmental Change Using Evolutionary Response Architectures,” American Naturalist 189, no. 5 (May 2017): 465, https://doi.org/10.1086/691233.

8. Bay et al., “Predicting Responses,” 466.

Bay, Rachael A., Noah Rose, Rowan Barrett, Louis Bernatchez, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Jesse R. Lasky, Rachel B. Brem, Stephen R. Palumbi, and Peter Ralph. “Predicting Responses to Contemporary Environmental Change Using Evolutionary Response Architectures.” American Naturalist 189, no. 5 (May 2017): 463–73. https://doi.org/10.1086/691233.

For more examples, see 14.1 68 – 87 in The Chicago Manual of Style .

News or magazine article

Articles from newspapers or news sites, magazines, blogs, and the like are cited similarly. Page numbers, if any, can be cited in a note but are omitted from a bibliography entry. If you consulted the article online, include a URL or the name of the database.

1. Rebecca Mead, “The Prophet of Dystopia,” New Yorker , April 17, 2017, 43.

2. Farhad Manjoo, “Snap Makes a Bet on the Cultural Supremacy of the Camera,” New York Times , March 8, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/technology/snap-makes-a-bet-on-the-cultural-supremacy-of-the-camera.html.

3. Rob Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple,” Washington Post , July 5, 2007, LexisNexis Academic.

4. Tanya Pai, “The Squishy, Sugary History of Peeps,” Vox , April 11, 2017, http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/4/11/15209084/peeps-easter.

5. Mead, “Dystopia,” 47.

6. Manjoo, “Snap.”

7. Pegoraro, “Apple’s iPhone.”

8. Pai, “History of Peeps.”

Manjoo, Farhad. “Snap Makes a Bet on the Cultural Supremacy of the Camera.” New York Times , March 8, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/technology/snap-makes-a-bet-on-the-cultural-supremacy-of-the-camera.html.

Mead, Rebecca. “The Prophet of Dystopia.” New Yorker , April 17, 2017.

Pai, Tanya. “The Squishy, Sugary History of Peeps.” Vox , April 11, 2017. http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/4/11/15209084/peeps-easter.

Pegoraro, Rob. “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple.” Washington Post , July 5, 2007. LexisNexis Academic.

Readers’ comments are cited in the text or in a note but omitted from a bibliography.

9. Eduardo B (Los Angeles), March 9, 2017, comment on Manjoo, “Snap.”

For more examples, see 14.1 88 – 90 (magazines), 14.191–200 (newspapers), and 14.208 (blogs) in The Chicago Manual of Style .

Book review

1. Michiko Kakutani, “Friendship Takes a Path That Diverges,” review of Swing Time , by Zadie Smith, New York Times , November 7, 2016.

2. Kakutani, “Friendship.”

Kakutani, Michiko. “Friendship Takes a Path That Diverges.” Review of Swing Time , by Zadie Smith. New York Times , November 7, 2016.

1. Kory Stamper, “From ‘F-Bomb’ to ‘Photobomb,’ How the Dictionary Keeps Up with English,” interview by Terry Gross, Fresh Air , NPR, April 19, 2017, audio, 35:25, http://www.npr.org/2017/04/19/524618639/from-f-bomb-to-photobomb-how-the-dictionary-keeps-up-with-english.

2. Stamper, interview.

Stamper, Kory. “From ‘F-Bomb’ to ‘Photobomb,’ How the Dictionary Keeps Up with English.” Interview by Terry Gross. Fresh Air , NPR, April 19, 2017. Audio, 35:25. http://www.npr.org/2017/04/19/524618639/from-f-bomb-to-photobomb-how-the-dictionary-keeps-up-with-english.

Thesis or dissertation

1. Cynthia Lillian Rutz, “ King Lear and Its Folktale Analogues” (PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2013), 99–100.

2. Rutz, “ King Lear ,” 158.

Rutz, Cynthia Lillian. “ King Lear and Its Folktale Analogues.” PhD diss., University of Chicago, 2013.

Website content

It is often sufficient simply to describe web pages and other website content in the text (“As of May 1, 2017, Yale’s home page listed . . .”). If a more formal citation is needed, it may be styled like the examples below. For a source that does not list a date of publication or revision, include an access date (as in example note 2).

1. “Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google, last modified April 17, 2017, https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

2. “About Yale: Yale Facts,” Yale University, accessed May 1, 2017, https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

3. Katie Bouman, “How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole,” filmed November 2016 at TEDxBeaconStreet, Brookline, MA, video, 12:51, https://www.ted.com/talks/katie_bouman_what_does_a_black_hole_look_like.

4. Google, “Privacy Policy.”

5. “Yale Facts.”

6. Bouman, “Black Hole.”

Bouman, Katie. “How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole.” Filmed November 2016 at TEDxBeaconStreet, Brookline, MA. Video, 12:51. https://www.ted.com/talks/katie_bouman_what_does_a_black_hole_look_like.

Google. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Last modified April 17, 2017. https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

Yale University. “About Yale: Yale Facts.” Accessed May 1, 2017. https://www.yale.edu/about-yale/yale-facts.

For more examples, see 14. 20 5–10 in The Chicago Manual of Style . For multimedia, including live performances, see 14. 261–68 .

Social media content

Citations of content shared through social media can usually be limited to the text (as in the first example below). A note may be added if a more formal citation is needed. In rare cases, a bibliography entry may also be appropriate. In place of a title, quote up to the first 160 characters of the post. Comments are cited in reference to the original post.

Conan O’Brien’s tweet was characteristically deadpan: “In honor of Earth Day, I’m recycling my tweets” (@ConanOBrien, April 22, 2015).

1. Pete Souza (@petesouza), “President Obama bids farewell to President Xi of China at the conclusion of the Nuclear Security Summit,” Instagram photo, April 1, 2016, https://www.instagram.com/p/BDrmfXTtNCt/.

2. Chicago Manual of Style, “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in 1993,” Facebook, April 17, 2015, https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151.

3. Souza, “President Obama.”

4. Michele Truty, April 17, 2015, 1:09 p.m., comment on Chicago Manual of Style, “singular they.”

Chicago Manual of Style. “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in 1993.” Facebook, April 17, 2015. https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151.

Personal communication

Personal communications, including email and text messages and direct messages sent through social media, are usually cited in the text or in a note only; they are rarely included in a bibliography.

1. Sam Gomez, Facebook message to author, August 1, 2017.

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Chicago Style / How to Cite an Encyclopedia in Chicago/Turabian

How to Cite an Encyclopedia in Chicago/Turabian

While major dictionaries and encyclopedias are typically only cited in the notes and not in the bibliography in Chicago style, you may need to create a bibliography entry if your instructor requires it or if the work as a whole is important to your topic. This guide will show you how to cite encyclopedias and encyclopedia entries in notes-bibliography style using the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style .

Guide Overview

• Citing a whole encyclopedia
• Citing a print encyclopedia entry
• Citing an online encyclopedia entry
• Citing an encyclopedia entry with an individual author

Citing a Whole Encyclopedia

A whole encyclopedia is cited the same way as a book, and will usually include the editor, edition, and volume information.

Citation Structure:

1. Author’s First name Last name (if applicable), Encyclopedia Title , # ed. vol. #, ed. First Name Last Name (City of publication: Publisher, year of publication).

Bibliography:

Author’s Last name, First name (if applicable). Encyclopedia Title . # ed. # vols. Edited by First Name Last Name. City of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

Citation Example:

1. Karen McGhee and George McKay, Encyclopedia of Animals (Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2007).

McGhee, Karen and George McKay. Encyclopedia of Animals . Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2007.

Citing a Print Encyclopedia Entry

When citing a print encyclopedia entry, the note should include the information about the entry and the bibliography entry (if needed) should cite the encyclopedia as a whole, using the format from the previous section. If the work is arranged alphabetically, include the abbreviation “s.v.” ( sub verbo or under the word ) before the title of the entry in lieu of page numbers.

1. Encyclopedia Title , # ed. vol. #, ed. First Name Last Name (City of publication: Publisher, year of publication), s.v. “Entry Title” or page/section number.

Encyclopedia Title . # ed. # vols. Edited by First Name Last Name. City of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

1. Encyclopedia Britannica , 6th ed. vol. 6, ed. William Smellie (London: Archibald Constable and Company, 1823), s.v. “Chivalry.”

Encyclopedia Britannica , 6th ed. Vol. 6. Edited by William Smellie. London: Archibald Constable and Company, 1823.

Citing an Online Encyclopedia Entry

When citing an online encyclopedia entry, like a print entry, the entry is usually cited only in the notes. A bibliography entry is typically not needed unless required by your instructor.

1. Encyclopedia Title , s.v. “Entry Title,” publication/last modification date or accessed Day Month, Year, URL.

Encyclopedia Title . Publication/last modification date or accessed Day Month, Year. URL.

1. Encyclopedia of Life , s.v. “Cliff Chipmunk,” accessed February 2, 2022, https://eol.org/pages/311544.

Encyclopedia of Life . Accessed February 2, 2022. https://eol.org/pages/311544.

Citing an Encyclopedia Entry with an Individual Author

If you are citing an encyclopedia entry that has an individual author separate from the author or editor of the encyclopedia, the entry’s author should be listed first and the citation will follow a similar structure to a chapter in an book. These types of entries should always be included in the bibliography.

1. Entry Author First name Last name, “Entry Title,” in Encyclopedia Title , ed. Editor First name Last name (City of publication: Publisher, publication year), article published Month Day, Year (if applicable), URL.

1. Entry Author First name Last name, “Entry Title,” in Encyclopedia Title , ed. First Name Last Name, # ed. vol. # (City of publication: Publisher, year of publication), page number(s).

Entry Author Last name, First name. “Entry Title.” In  Encyclopedia Title , edited by Editor First name Last name. City of publication: Publisher, publication year(s). Article published Month Day, Year (if applicable). URL.

Entry Author Last name, First name. “Entry Title.” In  Encyclopedia Title , edited by Editor First name Last name, page number(s). # ed. # vols. City of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

1. Mark Cartwright, “Achilles,” in World History Encyclopedia  (Surrey: World History Foundation, 2009-), article published September 29, 2012, https://www.worldhistory.org/achilles/.

Cartwright, Mark. “Achilles.” In  World History Encyclopedia . Surrey: World History Foundation, 2009-. Article published September 29, 2012. https://www.worldhistory.org/achilles/.

Note:  In this example, the publication date range (2009-) is incomplete since the online encyclopedia still currently ongoing.

Chicago Formatting Guide

Chicago Formatting

• Book Chapter
• Conference Paper
• Musical Recording

Citation Examples

• Thesis or Dissertation
• Encyclopedia
• Sheet Music
• YouTube Video

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