Primary Source Research Paper

When you write primary-source research papers you are entering into a conversation with other scholars and historians. For this reason you should use footnotes (based on Chicago style) that give an interested reader a sense of what evidence you use to arrive at your conclusions. A good footnote will typically include the author’s name, the title of the source, where and when it was published, and specific page numbers and other locating information. This quick guide provides a few examples to follow as you work on your paper. If you have questions about particular sources, you should (1) refer to Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007), (2) look at…show more content…
They begin with the author’s full name as it appears on the title page, the book’s title and subtitle, city of publication, the name of the publisher, the year of publication, and page numbers.

Full Citation
David L. Rowe, Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2001), 54-57.

Short…show more content…
Full Citation
Blair Kamin, “Wrigley Building Clearly a Landmark,” Chicago Tribune, July 1, 2005, A2.

Short Form
Kamin, “Wrigley Building,” A2.

Magazine Articles
If you cite information from magazine articles, include the author’s name, article title, name of the magazine, date of publication, and page numbers.

Full Citation
Mark Schapiro, “New Power of ‘Old Europe,’” The Nation, December 27, 2004, 12-13.

Short Form
Schapiro, “New Power,” 12.

Letters and Other Communications in Published Collections
To cite personal letters published in collections, you should include the names of the sender and the letter recipient, the date of the letter, and where it was prepared. Also provide the following information about the edited collection: title, editor, place of publication, name of the publisher, year published, and page numbers.

Full Citation
Henry Adams to Charles Milnes Gaskell, London, March 30, 1896, in Letters of Henry Adams, 1858-1891, ed. Worthington Chauncey Ford (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1930), 141.

Short