At the end of every term, I find myself swamped with tens of papers that need proper formatting and in the humanities, that means using the Chicago Manual of Style. It’s detailed, precise, and easy to get wrong if you’re not careful. That’s exactly why I turned to Purdue OWL Chicago. It’s a powerful tool, but only if you know how to use it right. In this article, I’ll break down what it is, how it works, and how to format your paper correctly.
What is Purdue OWL and Chicago Style?
When I first heard about Chicago Style, I assumed it was just another set of citation rules to memorize. But once I started using it in my writing, I realized it had a structure and depth that actually made sense once you get the hang of it. That’s where Purdue OWL became my primary resource. Before we go into depth, let me break down what Purdue OWL and Chicago Style really are.
What is Purdue OWL?
Many students searching for “what is Purdue OWL Chicago” quickly discover it’s more than just a citation guide. It is one of the most trusted free resources for academic writing. It covers grammar, mechanics, and the big three citation styles: APA, MLA, and of course, Chicago Style. If you've ever felt stuck formatting a source or unsure if a comma belongs in your citation, this is where OWL shines. Its Chicago Style section is particularly useful for tackling footnotes, bibliographies, and the subtleties between digital and print sources.
What is Chicago Style?
At first, Chicago Style felt like a maze of rules: footnotes here, bibliography there, and so many formatting details to keep track of. But once I started using it regularly, I began to see why it's a favorite in the humanities. It is the preferred formatting and citation style for many fields in the humanities, particularly history and literature. It's published by the University of Chicago Press and currently in its 17th edition.
There are two primary systems under the Chicago umbrella:
Notes & Bibliography is primarily used in the humanities (history, literature, the arts). It uses footnotes or endnotes for in-text citations and a full bibliography at the end.
Author-Date is preferred in the sciences and social sciences. It uses in-text citations with the author’s last name and year, followed by a reference list.
Each system has its own formatting details, but Purdue OWL makes it easy to follow with examples and templates.
How to Effectively Use Purdue OWL to Cite in Chicago Style
If you’ve ever looked up how to format Purdue OWL Chicago style correctly, you’ll know the site’s step-by-step layout makes the process much easier to manage. Once I understood the basics of Chicago Style, the real challenge was applying it consistently and that’s where Purdue OWL made a noticeable difference. It’s more than just a list of rules; it’s a practical tool that helps you write with structure and confidence. Here’s how I use it to simplify the entire Chicago citation process.
Step 1: Head over to the Purdue OWL website and navigate to the "Research and Citation" section. This is where all the major style guides live, including Chicago.
Step 2: Click the Chicago Style section which is packed with examples, explanations, and guides for both citation systems: Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date.
Step 3: Under the “CMOS Formatting and Style Guide” section, choose the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition. This is where Purdue OWL focuses on the Notes-Bibliography system.
Step 4: Find the source type you need to cite like "Books", "Periodicals", or "Web Sources." Each page gives you citation examples that match real-world formats, just swap in your own source details.
Step 5: Take the example Purdue OWL gives you and replace the sample info with your own. For example, if you’re citing a book, follow their format exactly but use your book’s author, title, and publication details.
While Purdue OWL doesn’t offer an automatic Purdue OWL Chicago generator, its structured examples function almost like one. The first time I used it, I was citing a mix of books, journal articles, and even a museum website. Switching between source types felt overwhelming at first, but once I followed the structure on the site, it all started to fall into place. Here are a few tips that helped me get the most out of it:
Don’t try to memorize everything: Just get used to the layout of OWL. You’ll get faster each time.
Copy-paste smartly: OWL’s examples are there for a reason so use them, but tailor them.
Cross-reference often: It’s okay to double-check categories if your source seems tricky.
Stay updated: Citation rules can evolve. Purdue OWL is generally current, but it never hurts to double-check against the official Chicago Manual or your institution’s latest guidelines.
WPS Office – Perfecting Your Chicago Style Document
After finishing my citations through Purdue OWL, I moved on to formatting the full paper in WPS Office. I wasn't expecting just how easy it would be to adjust footnotes and set up a clean bibliography, but what really stood out was that WPS is completely free. Despite that, it offers full compatibility with Microsoft Word formats and includes AI-powered tools that actually help with writing and revising. I didn’t need to install any extensions or hunt down settings; everything I needed to format a Chicago-style paper was already built in.
How to Implement Chicago Style on WPS:
Getting your citations right is one thing and making them look the way Chicago style expects is another. In WPS Office, the tools are simple enough to manage, but you’ll still want to know exactly where to click. Here’s how I set up my documents to match Chicago formatting standards without making the process.
Step 1: After formatting your citation using Purdue OWL Chicago, open WPS Word to paste the generated citation into your bibliography or works cited section.
Step 2: Highlight the full citation entry, then right-click and choose “Paragraph” from the menu. This will open a settings window where you can adjust indentation and spacing options.
Step 3: In the Paragraph window, set up the formatting like this:
Under Line spacing, choose “Multiple” from the dropdown, and type 2 in the box next to it.
Under Indentation, set “Special” to Hanging and enter 0.5 inches in the “By” box.
Step 4: If you’re using footnotes for the Notes and Bibliography style, go to the place in your text where the citation belongs. Click on the “References” tab in WPS Word and select “Insert Footnote” to paste your footnote citation.
When I was working on a history paper with a mix of print books, journal articles, and online sources, keeping the formatting consistent became a challenge. I’d get one footnote right, only to have the spacing or alignment throw off the next. Using WPS Writer made a huge difference as I could fine-tune the formatting without going through advanced settings. Combined with Purdue OWL’s clear citation examples, it helped me keep everything clean and properly styled without wasting extra time.
FAQs
1. Does Purdue OWL Chicago provide full sample papers?
Yes, it does. Both Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date systems are covered with full samples that include title pages, headers, citations, and bibliographies.
2. Can Purdue OWL Chicago help with tables of contents or appendices?
While it focuses on citations, OWL also provides general formatting tips for items like title pages, headers, and page numbers. For more complex features, consult the full Chicago Manual or your school's style guide.
3. Is WPS Office compatible with Microsoft Word?
Absolutely. You can open and save .doc and .docx files without losing formatting, which makes collaboration easy.
4. Which devices support WPS Office?
WPS is available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. You can sync documents across devices using their cloud service.
5. Can WPS Office be used offline?
Yes, all core features are available offline. You’ll only need internet access for cloud syncing or AI-based features.
6. Is WPS Office really free?
Yes. It’s completely free to download and use, with premium upgrades available if you want extras like cloud storage or advanced AI tools.
