How do I cite a book chapter in OSCOLA?

To cite a book chapter in OSCOLA (4th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

How to Cite a Book Chapter in OSCOLA (4th edition)

Learn how to cite chapters and essays in edited books in OSCOLA format (4th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

OSCOLA Bibliography Format

Here is the standard OSCOLA format for citing a book chapter in your bibliography:

OSCOLA Example for a Book Chapter

A complete OSCOLA reference for a book chapter, formatted by the official OSCOLA CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Kowalski A, “Teaching Citation as a Habit of Mind” in Sofia Reyes and Joon Kim (eds), Handbook of Writing Instruction (2nd ed, Academic Press 2021)

Matching in-text citation: Ana Kowalski, “Teaching Citation as a Habit of Mind” in Sofia Reyes and Joon Kim (eds), Handbook of Writing Instruction (2nd ed, Academic Press 2021).

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your book chapter.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the OSCOLA (4th edition) template shown above.
Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match OSCOLA requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: oscola.csl

Metadata to collect

chapter author
chapter title
book editor
book title
edition
publisher and year
chapter page range
DOI

Common metadata traps

Cite the chapter author, not the book editor, as the author of the entry.
Give the full page range of the chapter, not only the pages you quoted.

Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a book chapter in OSCOLA?: To cite a book chapter in OSCOLA (4th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the OSCOLA format for a book chapter citation?: The OSCOLA format for a book chapter is: Kowalski A, “Teaching Citation as a Habit of Mind” in Sofia Reyes and Joon Kim (eds), Handbook of Writing Instruction (2nd ed, Academic Press 2021)
What does the in-text citation look like for a book chapter in OSCOLA?: In OSCOLA, the in-text citation for the example above is Ana Kowalski, “Teaching Citation as a Habit of Mind” in Sofia Reyes and Joon Kim (eds), Handbook of Writing Instruction (2nd ed, Academic Press 2021).