Citation, Documentation of Sources

Q. In a reference list I’m editing, page ranges don’t seem to be provided for chapters in edited volumes. Should I query the author for page numbers?

A. Ideally, the page ranges would be included, but it’s up to you whether to ask for them, require them, or merely point out where they’re missing. Consider how many ranges are missing, how much else there is for the author to tend to, and how much you think the author would care about this if it were pointed out. (You can sometimes guess this from the general level of meticulousness in a manuscript.) You don’t want to peck an author to death, and it’s not a disaster for readers to be without this information, so you might decide to let the matter go.

[Editor’s update: Starting with the 18th edition, page ranges are no longer required for cited chapters in books. See CMOS 13.25.]

[This answer relies on the 18th edition of CMOS (2024) unless otherwise noted.]