How to Cite an Online Course in Chicago (17th edition)
Learn how to cite online courses and MOOCs (Coursera, edX, Udemy, FutureLearn) in Chicago format (17th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.
Chicago Bibliography Format
Here is the standard Chicago format for citing an online course in your bibliography:
Instructor Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Course." Online course. Platform, Year. URL.
Chicago Example for an Online Course
A complete Chicago reference for an online course, formatted by the official Chicago CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:
Duarte, Ines. 2024. “Academic Writing for Graduate Students.” MOOC. OpenLearn, OpenLearn. https://www.example.org/courses/academic-writing.
Matching in-text citation: (Duarte 2024)
Chicago In-Text Citation
Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:
Parenthetical
(Instructor Year)
Narrative
Instructor (Year) explains...
Key Chicago Formatting Rules
- Put the course title in quotation marks.
- Identify the medium as an "online course" after the title.
- Name the platform and the year.
- Include the full URL at the end.
- Notes-Bibliography: use footnotes; Author-Date: use parenthetical.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your online course.
- Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Chicago (17th 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 Chicago requirements.
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