Citelle · Library

Chicago 18 author-date: cite a report

Reference a freestanding, unnumbered report in Chicago 18 author-date style: author, year, italic title and the issuing institute.

An unnumbered report on its own

This case is a report published on its own by an organization, with no report number. Chicago's question-and-answer page on organizational reports, linked below, is the source for this form. The report title is italicized like a book title, and the issuing organization takes the publisher position.

For the Example Institute report, the author-date entry reads: Stone, Maya. 2024. A Sample Report. Example Institute.

Telling the workbench there is no number

Choose Chicago 18 author-date reference and Report with individual authors, with Print version.
Enter Maya Stone, A sample report as the source title and A Sample Report as the reviewed title-case form, and 2024.
Type Example Institute as Publisher. The page also lists it as the responsible institution, and either field satisfies the workbench.
Under Report-number availability choose The source has no assigned report number. Not yet checked holds the entry.
Leave the city empty and press Create reference.

If your report does have a number

You can choose A report number is supplied and type the number, and the workbench accepts it, but its Chicago entry does not print the number. If your report carries one, check the linked Chicago source for how to show it and add it yourself. A city typed into Publication or institution city/place does appear, as London: Example Institute, so leave it out to match this example.

Pressing Clear source and result puts the availability back on Not yet checked, so choose the state again for the next report.

The report in the app

Citelle's Report type shows Publisher, City, Edition and University / institution. It has no report-number field on the edit screen. Fill only what the report itself prints, then use Copy citation for the reference and Copy in-text for (Stone 2024). Chicago author-date is available in the free version.

If the report is published by the same organization that wrote it, enter that organization once as an author in an Organization row and once as publisher, and compare the result with the Chicago page on organizational reports. The app does not merge or drop the repeated name for you in Chicago.

Report checks

A sponsor or funder is not automatically the author or the publisher.
A distributor or database should not replace the organization that issued the report.
Confirm on the report itself that no number was assigned before choosing that option.
Keep the author and year matching your in-text citation.
A report you downloaded from a website still keeps the report form, not the webpage form.

Gather the source details

Inspect the report’s title and publication pages.
Record an actual individual or organizational author.
Keep any supplied report number with the source.
Verify which organization published the work and which version you read.

Author: Maya Stone
Title as supplied: A sample report
Publication year: 2024
Publisher: Example Institute
Awarding or responsible institution: Example Institute