RESEARCH CITATION IN THE CHICAGO STYLE

Good research demands formal accuracy in presentation. In this course you are absolutely required to avoid plagiarism and cite your sources properly according to the “Chicago note-bibliography style.” Also see my comments about “engaged independence” and the information about plagiarism on my “Grammatical and Research Paper Helps Page”: http://www.plu.edu/~oakmande/grammar.htm.


Correct citation procedure for direct quotation

Hans Dieter Betz provides a useful overview of Paul’s life. Regarding Paul’s “conversion,” Betz says:

Christ himself commissioned him to proclaim the gospel among the gentiles .... Although we customarily label this experience Paul’s “conversion,” this can be done only in retrospect, for at that time Judaism and Christianity were not yet separate religions. In reality, then, Paul changed brands of Judaism, switching from Pharisaic to Christian Judaism.1

[Indent direct quotes without quote marks longer than three lines; otherwise, enclose in quote marks but do not indent. Quote very sparingly in all papers and only for emphasis. See Turabian/Booth on when to use direct quote.]

Serious and misleading plagiarism (no citation at all)

Hans Dieter Betz provides a useful overview of Paul’s life. Betz says that we can only label Paul’s “conversion” in retrospect, for at that time Judaism and Christianity were not yet separate religions. In reality, then, Paul changed brands of Judaism, switching from Pharisaic to Christian Judaism.

Inadequate paraphrase (technically Betz article plagiarized, even with citation)

Hans Dieter Betz provides a useful overview of Paul’s life. Betz says that we should not refer to Paul’s “conversion,” for at that time Judaism and Christianity were not yet separate religions. A better way to look at the matter is that Paul changed brands of Judaism, switching from Pharisaic to Christian Judaism.1

Adequate paraphrase of Betz

Hans Dieter Betz provides a useful overview of Paul’s life. For Betz, the Pharisee Paul became an apostle for “Christian Judaism.” Paul remained within Judaism, and since Christianity and Judaism were not separate religions at this time, we should not speak of Paul’s “conversion.”1

[Paraphrase and summary are always in your own words, with little or none of the structure of the original source remaining.]

Footnote at bottom of page

1. Hans Dieter Betz, “Paul,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, David Noel Freedman, ed. (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 5:187.  [first citation, or, as subsequent citation]  Betz, “Paul,” 5:187.


The main elements of the “Chicago style” are easy to master, but finer elements need to be checked. For proper Chicago formatting, refer to Turabian/Booth Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (7th ed.) and The SBL Handbook of Style. For quick reference, see the link “PLU Library Citation Resources” at my homepage:  http://www.plu.edu/~oakmande. Remember, on-line resources are mostly inadequate for questions about the finer details of documentation.

Maintained by: Douglas E. Oakman

Last modified: 04/03/2012