Secondary source in a book

You may need to consult more than one section of Re:cite to accurately represent the source used. Your citation may look different depending on the number of authors it has. Check the frequently asked questions about Chicago A for further advice.

The Chicago Manual of Style advises against citations taken from secondary sources (i.e. “quoted in”), as writers are expected to consult the resources they cite. This is to ensure the accuracy of the quotation or statement and also maintain its original intent. The examples here are provided for circumstances where the original source is unavailable to consult. Check with your lecturer or tutor if you are in doubt.

For more information refer to Chicago Manual of Style (14.160).

Footnote template

Footnote number. Author, "Title of chapter/article," Title of Book/Journal (publication details): page number(s), quoted in Author, "Title of chapter," in Title of Book, ed. Editor (Publisher, year), page number(s).

Footnote example

First entry:

2. Rosalind Krauss, A Voyage on the North Sea: Art in the Age of the Post-Medium Condition (Thames & Hudson, 1999), 31, quoted in Sven Lutticken, "Media Memories//2005," in Moving Image, ed. Omar Kholeif (Whitechapel Gallery, 2015), 47.

Subsequent entries:

22. Krauss, Voyage, 43.

Bibliography

Bibliography template

Author. "Title of chapter/article." Title of Book/Journal (publication details), page number(s). Quoted in Author. "Title of Chapter." In Title of Book, edited by Editor, page numbers. Publisher, year.

Bibliography example

Krauss, Rosalind. A Voyage on the North Sea: Art in the Age of the Post-Medium Condition (Thames & Hudson, 1999), 31. Quoted in Sven Lutticken. "Media Memories//2005." In Moving Image, edited by Omar Kholeif, 46-49. Whitechapel Gallery, 2015.

Tips for this reference style

  • See Manual 14.160.
  • The use of secondary citations is not recommended. You should seek out the original source wherever possible.
  • Where the original source cannot be consulted, you must list both the original and the secondary source in your citation.
  • The format of the citations may differ depending on the type of documents you are consulting.
  • For resources with more than one author, consult the About Chicago A page.
  • The Chicago Manual of Style no longer requires the place of publication to be included in most book citations. See Manual 14.30.
  • Specify the edition if it is not the first edition.
  • Use the shortened form for second and subsequent footnotes.
  • For online books, include the DOI (or URL) as the last part of the citation.
  • Where there are no page numbers, you may refer to chapter or section headings. See Manual 14.59.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)