Navigating Citation Limbo: How to Cite That “Something or Other” in Chicago Style
We’ve all been there. You stumble upon a source – maybe it’s an oddly formatted government notice, an internal memo leaked online, a peculiar web forum post, or a document that sits awkwardly between official and unofficial. Your research needs it, but a wave of citation dread washes over you. “What is this thing? How on earth do I cite it in Chicago style?” That sinking feeling of staring at a source whispering “I am not sure if its considered a legal document or something or other?” is a common academic rite of passage. Don’t panic! Chicago style, while detailed, offers frameworks and principles to handle even the most ambiguous materials.
Step 1: Investigate Your Mystery Source
Before wrestling with citation templates, become a detective. Your goal is to gather as much information as possible to understand what you have. Ask yourself:
1. Origin: Where did you find it? (A government website? A corporate intranet? A personal blog? A physical archive? A social media platform?)
2. Author/Creator: Is there a clear individual author, a group (like a committee or department), or a corporate author (like “City of Springfield” or “Acme Corp.”)? Is the author completely anonymous or pseudonymous?
3. Title: Does it have a formal title, a heading, or just a subject line? If it lacks one, can you concisely describe its content for your citation?
4. Date: Is there a publication date, posting date, creation date, or revision date? Look for timestamps, footers, or contextual clues.
5. Publication Context: Is it part of a larger publication (like a report series, journal, or website section)? Does it have unique identifiers (like a document number, docket number, case number, or URL)?
6. Purpose & Nature: Is it intended as law, regulation, policy, guidance, commentary, discussion, or informal communication? Does it bear official insignia, letterhead, or other markers of authority?
The key phrase “legal document or something or other” highlights a crucial distinction in Chicago style. Legal documents (court cases, statutes, regulations, treaties, constitutions) follow specific, highly structured citation rules outlined in Chapter 15 of The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) and detailed in guides like The Bluebook. If your source is a legal document, you need to identify its exact type (e.g., court case, statute, executive order) and consult those specific rules. This article focuses on the murkier “something or other” category – materials that don’t fit neatly into standard templates for books, journal articles, websites, or legal documents.
Step 2: Chicago Citation Philosophies for the Ambiguous
Chicago offers two main citation systems: Notes and Bibliography (favored in humanities) and Author-Date (common in sciences and social sciences). The core principles for handling ambiguous sources remain similar in spirit:
1. Transparency is Paramount: Your citation’s primary job is to allow your reader to find the exact source you used. Provide enough detail to make this possible.
2. Consistency Within Reason: Apply formatting consistently throughout your paper. If you cite similar ambiguous sources, cite them similarly. But don’t force a source into a rigid template if it doesn’t fit well; adapt the closest template.
3. Clarity Over Perfection: If standard templates don’t work, prioritize clarity. Describe the source accurately and logically in your citation, even if it looks slightly unconventional.
4. Contextual Clues Matter: The information you gathered in Step 1 becomes the building blocks. Missing an author? Cite the title first. Missing a date? Use “n.d.” (no date). Uncertain publisher? Omit it only if you can’t reasonably determine it.
5. Use Descriptive Phrases: Don’t be afraid to add brief explanatory phrases in brackets if it clarifies the nature of the source, especially in your bibliography entry. E.g., `[Internal memorandum]`, `[Online forum post]`, `[Unofficial translation]`.
Step 3: Tackling Common “Something or Other” Scenarios (Notes-Bibliography Examples)
Here’s how to approach some typical ambiguous sources using the Notes-Bibliography style. Remember to include a corresponding footnote/endnote the first time you cite it and a full entry in your bibliography.
1. The Anonymous or Pseudonymous Web Document (Report, Memo, Notice):
Situation: You found a PDF on a city website titled “Draft Guidelines for Park Renovations” but no listed authoring department or individual. It has a date.
Citation Strategy: Start with the title. Include the website name (as the “container”), the URL, and the access date (crucial for web sources). Use a descriptive phrase if helpful.
Footnote: 1. “Draft Guidelines for Park Renovations,” City of Springfield, last modified May 15, 2023, https://www.springfield.gov/parks/draft-guidelines.pdf.
Bibliography: “Draft Guidelines for Park Renovations.” City of Springfield. Last modified May 15, 2023. https://www.springfield.gov/parks/draft-guidelines.pdf. [or add `[Park planning document]` if desired for clarity].
2. The Online Forum Post / Discussion Thread:
Situation: You’re citing a specific comment from a Reddit thread where the user has a pseudonym. The thread has a title.
Citation Strategy: Cite the comment author’s username (pseudonym), the comment title or first few words in quotes, specify it’s a comment, include the title of the forum thread, the forum name, the date posted, and the URL.
Footnote: 2. HistoryBuff87, comment on “Primary Sources for 19th Century Labor Movements?,” Reddit, r/AskHistorians, September 10, 2022, 4:15 p.m., https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/xyz123/primary_sources_for_19th_century_labor_movements/.
Bibliography: HistoryBuff87. Comment on “Primary Sources for 19th Century Labor Movements?.” Reddit, r/AskHistorians. September 10, 2022, 4:15 p.m. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/xyz123/primary_sources_for_19th_century_labor_movements/.
3. The “Official-ish” but Not Clearly Legal Document (e.g., NGO Report, Industry White Paper):
Situation: A report published by the “Global Sustainability Initiative” (an NGO) on its website. It lists a working group as the author, not individuals.
Citation Strategy: Treat the organization as the author. Cite it like a report found online. Include a URL and access date.
Footnote: 3. Global Sustainability Initiative, Working Group on Circular Economies, Barriers to Implementation: A Global Survey (Geneva: Global Sustainability Initiative, 2021), https://www.gsi.org/reports/circular-economy-barriers-2021.pdf.
Bibliography: Global Sustainability Initiative, Working Group on Circular Economies. Barriers to Implementation: A Global Survey. Geneva: Global Sustainability Initiative, 2021. https://www.gsi.org/reports/circular-economy-barriers-2021.pdf.
4. The Document Found in an Archive (Unpublished Letter, Internal Memo):
Situation: A handwritten letter from a local activist found in a university archive’s special collection. It has a date but no formal title.
Citation Strategy: Describe the item clearly. Include the author, recipient (if known), date, collection name, box/folder number, repository name, and location.
Footnote: 4. Eleanor Vance, letter to Thomas Ridgeway, March 2, 1968, Eleanor Vance Papers, Box 12, Folder “Correspondence 1968,” Special Collections, Springfield University Library, Springfield, IL.
Bibliography: Vance, Eleanor. Letter to Thomas Ridgeway. March 2, 1968. Eleanor Vance Papers. Box 12, Folder “Correspondence 1968.” Special Collections, Springfield University Library, Springfield, IL.
When in Doubt: Err on the Side of More Information
If your source truly defies easy categorization, lean towards providing more information rather than less in your citation. A slightly longer, clearer citation is always preferable to a minimalist one that leaves readers utterly confused about what you referenced. It’s far better to present a citation that includes a bracketed explanation like `[Unpublished internal memorandum]` or `[Online document, author unknown]` than to omit crucial context.
Final Thought: Embrace the Uncertainty (Professionally)
Encountering ambiguous sources isn’t a failure; it’s a reality of deep research. The key is to approach the citation challenge methodically: investigate the source, apply Chicago’s core principles of transparency and consistency, adapt the closest template, and don’t hesitate to add clarifying details. Remember, your citation is a roadmap back to your source. By providing clear directions, even for the bumpy “something or other” paths, you maintain the integrity of your scholarship and earn the gratitude of anyone trying to follow your research journey. If you’ve documented your detective work clearly within the citation, you’ve done your job.
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