On this page
Updated . Example details checked against cancer.gov, NIH Publication No. 18-2059 (2018).
The Chicago format
Pattern
Agency Name. Title of Report. Report number. Publisher, Year. URL.
- Agency as author.
- Report number after the title.
- Publisher the issuing department.
A real example
Bibliography entry
National Cancer Institute. Taking Time: Support for People with Cancer. NIH Publication No. 18-2059. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf.
First footnote
National Cancer Institute, Taking Time: Support for People with Cancer, NIH Publication No. 18-2059 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018), 7, https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf.
Later footnotes
National Cancer Institute, Taking Time, 7.
When details are missing
- No number: leave it out.
- No URL for print: end with the year.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the number. Report numbers help readers find the document.
Or let Format do it.
Choose Report or government document and fill in the agency, title, report number, publisher, year and link. Format writes the notes and bibliography in Chicago, exactly as shown above, and builds the bibliography page when you export to Word or PDF. Chicago is part of Pro, $4 a month or $29 a year; MLA and APA are free.
Questions
How do I shorten the note?
Agency and short title: National Cancer Institute, Taking Time, 7.
Is a PDF cited differently?
No. Cite the report; the URL can point to the PDF.
More citation guides
The same source in other styles
Similar sources in Chicago
Every source kind is on the Chicago page, and every style is on How to cite.