When my professor demands Chicago style for a multi‑author source, how do I ensure my accommodation covers proper citation?

Start by listing the first three authors in full, followed by “et al.” for any additional contributors, which is the standard Chicago approach for sources with four or more authors. This rule applies to both footnotes and the bibliography, so you won’t need to invent a complex workaround or worry about misordering names. Since your accommodation grants extra time for formatting, use that buffer to double-check the punctuation and italics rather than rushing through the author list. For instance, if you’re citing a history textbook with four writers, your footnote should look like “First Last, Second Last, Third Last, et al., Title (City: Publisher, Year), page number.” This keeps your citation accurate and compliant with academic integrity standards, because you’re following the established style guide rather than taking unauthorized shortcuts. The key is consistency, so once you set up that first entry correctly, you can replicate the structure for other multi-author sources. Your accommodation helps you manage the time pressure, but it doesn’t change the citation rules, so sticking to the “et al.” convention ensures your work remains honest and properly formatted. Remember to verify the specific edition of the Chicago Manual your professor prefers, as minor variations can exist between the notes-bibliography and author-date systems.