Personal communication
You may need to consult more than one section to accurately represent the source used (eg. number of authors and source descriptions)
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Personal communication
Personal communication may include (but is not limited to) email, fax, interviews, conversations, direct or private messages via social media, telephone conversations and letters.
Reference list entries of personal communication are not required, provided enough information is provided within the text to identify the communication. Check with your lecturer if you are unsure.
Format for in text citation
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
(Name, date, year, communication method with Name)
Example - in text citation
...re:cite is a very useful tool to assist with citation (Ashley Sutherland, November 3, 2019, email message to Tanya Wilson).
OR
...re:cite gives citation examples in a variety of styles(Ashley Sutherland, November 4, 2019, conversation with Tanya Wilson).
OR
In a private Facebook message to the author on February 2, 2020, Julie Cohen indicated that....
Style notes for this reference style
- For more examples see Manual 15.53.
- Personal communications such as conversations, letters, emails, text messages are cited in-text only.
- Separate key elements of the citation with commas.
- You can weave some or all of this information into the text.
- Dates should be included where it is not mentioned in the text.
- If there is any additional contextual information that is significant to this communication, please include it in the citation.
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Interview
An interview that has been published or made available online may also be treated like an article or online resource. Unpublished interviews may be treated like personal communication.
Example - in text citation
... an important role in the history of photographic practice (Kate Kelly, interview, 2017).
OR
In an 2017 interview with Julianne Summer, Kate Kelly outlined the important role played …
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Name of interviewee (Surname, First name). Year. Interview by Interviewer's name. Place, date of interview. URL if relevant.
Example - reference list
Kelly, Kate. 2017. Interview by Julianne Summer. Melbourne, September 22, 2017.
Style notes for this reference type
- For more examples see Manual 15.53 and 14.213. See also Turabian 19.6.1.
- Unpublished interviews are not usually referred to in the reference list, however can be included if they are critical to your argument or are cited frequently. Check with your lecturer if you are unsure.
- You may include other identifying information (i.e. position or organisation) if relevant.
- It is recommended that you obtain permission from the person who has been interviewed.
- If there is any additional contextual information that is significant to this communication, please include it in the citation.
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Lecture or presentation
Example - in text citation
... an important role in the history of art practice (Henson 2017).
OR
In her conference paper, Carmichael (2019) argued that ....
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Presenter (Surname, First name). Year. "Title of lecture." Type of presentation, Place, date, year. URL if relevant.
Example - reference list
Henson, Bill. 2014. "Bill Henson on Piranesi." Lecture, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC, February 27, 2014.
OR
Carmichael, Lynne. 2019. "Music Libraries in an Art World." Paper presented at the IAML Australia Conference 2019, Melbourne VIC, October 5, 2019. http://www.iamlaustralia.org.au/conferences/melbourne-2019-presentations/.
OR
Selentisch, Nick. 2020. "The Northern Renaissance: Unintentional Revolutions." Lecture, University of Melbourne, May 17, 2020. Virtual.
Style notes for this reference type
- For more examples see Manual 14.217. See also Turabian 19.7.2.
- If the paper is included in published proceedings, it may be treated like a chapter in a book.
- If accessed virtually or online, there is no need to indicate the platform (e.g. Zoom) however if relevant to the discussion mention it in the body of your work.
- If you watched or listened to the presentation online, you can also treat it as you would an online resource (see video and audio for examples).
- If the information is accessed or available online, include the URL as the final part of the citation.
Before selecting a referencing style check with your tutor, lecturer or supervisor for the style preferred by the School or Department.
Introduction to the style
Chicago style has both an author-date system and a notes and bibliography system. This guide refers to the author-date system.
There are two key components:
- In-text references.
- A reference list that corresponds to the in-text references.
Access to the full style manual
This guide is based on the Chicago Manual of Style, Chicago; London: The University of Chicago Press, 2017.
The full style manual is available as a library eBook. Print copies are available from the University of Melbourne library. Consult the official manual for more information.
In-text references
In-text citations are given in brackets, and include the author’s surname and the publication date. There is no punctuation between these elements. A page number or other location information may be added after these elements, separated by a comma.
Reference list
In a reference list entry the elements are separated by full stops.
The first-listed author’s name, according to which the entry is alphabetised in the reference list, is inverted (last name first).
Where there are four to ten authors, the in-text reference should give the name of the first author only, followed by ‘et al.’ The reference list entry should include the names of all the authors. See 14.76 and 15.9.
If there are more than ten authors, list the first seven in the reference list, followed by 'et al.' See 14.76.
Two or more works by the same author in the same year must be differentiated by adding a, b, c, and are listed alphabetically by title. In-text citations include author and year plus letter, e.g. (Krauss 2005a, 21) (Krauss 2005b, 218). See 15.20.
Titles are capitalised headline-style (all major words).
Titles of larger works (e.g., books, journals and websites) are italicised.
Titles of smaller works (e.g., chapters, articles and web pages) or unpublished works are enclosed in quotation marks and not italicised.
For books, specify the edition for all editions other than the first.
Do not include personal communications, such as letters or informal emails, in the reference list.
These should appear only in the in-text references.
Secondary citations ("quoted in" or "cited in")
The Chicago Manual of Style advises against citations taken from secondary sources (i.e. “quoted in” or “cited in”), as you are expected to have read the sources you use. If an original source is unavailable, both sources must be identified in-text, but only the secondary source is listed in the Reference List.
In-text
Mention the original author and date in your text, but cite the secondary source in brackets, using “quoted in” or cited in”. For example:
In Sutherland’s article “The Existential Albatross” from the February 2014 issue of Ornithological Metaphor, (cited in Costello 1981)…
Reference List
In your reference list, cite the secondary source. For example:
Costello, Bonnie. 1981. Marianne Moore: Imaginary Possessions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
If unsure please ask your lecturer or tutor for further advice.
For more information refer to the Chicago Manual of Style (15.56).
Abbreviations
Acceptable abbreviations in the reference list for parts of books and other publications include:
| chap. or ch. | chapter |
| ed. | edition |
| et al. | and others |
| rev. ed. | revised edition |
| 2nd ed. | second edition |
| ed. (eds) | editor (editors) |
| trans. | translator(s) |
| n.d. | no date |
| vol. | volume (as in vol. 4) |
| vols | volumes (as in 4 vols.) |
| no. | number |
| suppl. | supplement |
| s.v. | under the word |