In this post we feature The Chicago Manual of Style Online (CMOS), the handy e-version of the 16^th and 17^th editions of the esteemed style manual that was first published in 1906.

The online edition of the CMOS will be familiar to anyone who has used the resource in print. Part I – The Publishing Process covers the elements of books and journals, illustrations and tables, and rights, permissions, and copyright. The electronic workflow adopted by most publishers is addressed throughout. The section also covers manuscript preparation and editing, which will be especially helpful for thesis and dissertation authors.

Part II – Style and Usage is where you’ll find tips on grammar, punctuation, and abbreviations, as well as guidance on using languages other than English in your manuscript, rendering mathematical expressions in type, and formatting quotations and dialogue in your document.

Part III – Source Citations and Indexes covers everything you could ever need to know about citations and offers examples you can follow to properly format footnotes and bibliography entries for even the most arcane sources. A glossary, bibliography, and index round out the resource.

Here at the GC, we have set the 17^th edition as the default but users may toggle between the 16^th and 17^th editions using the menu at the top of every screen. Navigating within the CMOS easy and intuitive. You can go directly to particular sections by clicking in the Table of Contents, find what you need by browsing the Index, or enter keywords in the search box just to the right of the ever-present menu.

Clicking on a TOC entry will display the full table of contents for the chapter. Selecting a numbered paragraph will bring you to the text. Section 5.37: Nominative case misused for objective, for example, offers a concise explanation, examples of correct and incorrect usage, and practical advice for avoiding the common grammatical error of misusing “I” in place of “me,” or vice-versa.

In addition to the CMOS, the resource also includes the Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide, which is convenient for easily finding examples for citing books, chapters, journal articles, websites, blog entries, text messages, and other sources using either the Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date system.

Grammar buffs may find another feature, the Chicago Style Q&A, entertaining reading. The most recent questions are featured and the full list is browsable by topic. Readers may submit pesky grammar questions of their own to the Q&A and sign up for alerts.

Finally, Help & Tools links to video tutorials, proofreading marks, sample correspondence, the informative section How Books and Journals are Produced, a list of features new to the 17^th edition, and more.

Log into The Chicago Manual of Style Online with your GC credentials to quickly and easily find answers all your grammar, style, and formatting questions.