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Chicago 17th

Chicago 17th edition is a footnote referencing style requiring an in-text citation, a related footnote within the text, plus a related entry in a bibliography at the end of your document.

Patent - in-text citations & footnotes

In-text citations

Add a superscript number in your text to show when you are using another person's ideas or words. 

... as described by Cowan, this has only recently been identified.1

Footnote citations

The footnote contains information about the source you are citing, include the page number(s) of the page/paragraph within the item you are referring to. When citing the same source again, use the shorter footnote formats.

Footnote numbering: Footnotes are placed in numerical order at the bottom of the page. On a new page, footnote numbering continues. In a new chapter, footnote numbering starts from 1.

Patent title: The Patent Title is in normal font and title case (capitalise the first letter of each major word).

Date: If the filed date is unknown, use n.d. for no date.

For more information on reference list format and style, see General information - basics of referencing

 

Full Footnote Format

Footnote number. Creator(s) First Name Last Name, Patent Title, Patent number, filed Month Day, Year, and issued Month Day, Year.

Examples

1. James Fawcett Farra, Farra's Pot-Stand for Stoves, NZ Patent 5890, filed November 8, 1892, and issued November 24, 1892.

2. Harold Smith, Automatic Banana Peeler, US Patent 81,546,923, filed February 13, 2016, and issued March 21, 2018.

 

Shortened Footnote Format

Use author's last names only. If the title is longer than four words, shorten it.

Footnote number. Creator, Patent Title.

Examples

1. Farra, Farra's Pot-Stand.

2. Smith, Automatic Banana Peeler.

 

Citing the same source again

When footnote references to the same source follow each other, with no other references in between, use the shorter footnote form:

1. Archer, "Crisis and Change," 37.

2. Archer, 40.

3. Archer, 40.

4. Wall, Truth and Meaning, 324.

5. Archer, "Crisis and Change," 43.

Note: Chicago 17th edition discourages the use of 'ibid.' in favour of this shorter format.

Patent - bibliography

Patent title: The Patent Title is in normal font and title case (capitalise the first letter of each major word).

Date: If the filed date is unknown, use n.d. for no date.

For more information on reference list format and style, see General information - basics of referencing

Format 

Creator. Patent Title. Patent number, filed Month Day, Year, and issued Month Day, Year.

Example

Farra, James Fawcett. Farra's Pot-Stand for Stoves. NZ Patent 5890, filed November 8, 1892, and issued November 24, 1892.

Smith, Harold. Automatic Banana Peeler. US Patent 81,546,923, filed February 13, 2016, and issued March 21, 2018.