How to use Footnote in Chicago Style 

Footnotes are used to cite sources used in the main text, but they can offer additional commentary on your text as well. Here are a few ways to use footnotes:

Cf.

• Short for “confer” (which means “compare” in Latin)
• Used when you want to offer a source with different information in the footnotes

Ex. This is a controversial topic. Cf. Lakoff and Johnson, Metaphors We Live By. 

See

• Used if you want to offer further reading recommendations

Ex: For further information on clauses, see Lobeck and Denham, Navigating English Grammar, 114-141.

Ibid.

• Short for “Ibidem” (which means “in that same place” in Latin)
• May be used if you cite the same source twice or more in a row
• The Chicago 17 recommends “shortened citations” instead of Ibid. (just Last name and page #)

Idem

• Means “the same” in Latin
• Used when you cite different works by the same author in the same note (idem would replace the author’s name)
• Optional

How to add comments to a note:

• Cite first then add explanatory note
• You can add an explanatory note without a citation as well
• Further quotations may also by used in a footnote