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Turabian Style

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Format Your Paper

  • Shortened Notes

Turabian Paper Examples

  • Turabian Paper Example
  • Turabian Annotated Bibliography Example
  • Chicago Paper Example (Purdue Owl)

Formatting Guidelines

Margins (a.1.1).

  • Paper size - 8 1/2 x 11 inches
  • 1 inch at top, bottom, and both sides

Font (A.1.2)

  • Use easy to read font, such as Times New Roman
  • 12-point font size

Spacing and Indentation (A.1.3)

  • Block quotations
  • Table elements (titles and captions)
  • Lists in appendixes
  • Footnotes/endnotes and bibliography lists are single-spaced but with a blank line between items.

Pagination  (A.1.4)

  • Do not number the title page
  • Page numbers start on the first page of the text using arabic numbers
  • Can be placed in the center or right side of top or bottom of the paper

Title Page (A.1.5)

  • Center all elements on the page
  • Font size can increase slightly for the title.
  • Preferred format is  boldface  for  title          
  • Title placed approximately 1/3 down page.
  • Two-thirds down page place name, class title, and date

Text  (A.2.2)

  • Align the text to the left with a 1/2-inch left indent
  • Double-space
  • Include sections:  introduction, chapters/sections , and conclusion
  • Spell out long organization names and add the abbreviation in parenthesis, then just use the abbreviation
  • Write out numbers up to nine and use a number for 10 or more
  • Use a number for units of measurement, in tables, to represent statistical or math functions, and dates or times
  • Capitalize major words in the titles of books and articles

Bibliography  (A.2.3.5)

Begins on a new page following the text of your paper and includes complete citations for the resources you've used in your writing.

  • Center "Bibliography" at the top of the new page, leaving two spaces between title and first entry
  • Single-space and use hanging indents (where the first line is on the left margin and the following lines are indented a half inch from the left)
  • List authors' last name first followed by the first and middle initials (ex. Skinner, B.F.) t
  • Alphabetize the list by the first author's last name of of each citation, hen alphabetically by title if you list multiple works by one author. 
  • Add full-sentence annotations on a new line indented from the left margin.
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  • Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 8:43 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.uww.edu/turabian
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Turabian Format Quick Guide

Additional Navigation

Note to students using Grammarly: See this resource on Grammarly’s Place in the Writing Process

Have a formatting question?

Online students.

See a list of all services available to  online students at  www.liberty.edu/onlinewritingcenter

Residential Students

See a list of all services available to  residential  students at  www.liberty.edu/writing

Sample Paper in notes-bibliography for all students

Turabian Template  for assignments with NO headings ( NOTE : do not add quotation marks around the titles of your papers; all macro-enabled fields in the template have those marks to denote the macros; just click each field and type your content)

Turabian Template for assignments WITH headings  ( NOTE : do not add quotation marks around the titles of your papers; all macro-enabled fields in the template have those marks to denote the macros; just click each field and type your content)

Dissertation-style title page with basic Dissertation Template

Visit the  Chicago Manual of Style database in Liberty University’s Jerry Falwell Library by logging in and choosing that database (search for database by name, then “C,” and “Chicago Manual of Style”).

Discussion Board Posts

A discussion board is designed to mimic a real-time discussion between you and your classmates (and sometimes professors), so it should be fairly formal (i.e., proper citations and academic tone), but most can be slightly informal in the sense that if you wanted to refer to something a classmate said, you’d just write something like “As Christy wrote in her initial thread, xyz” or “I appreciate how Mike clarified xyz in his response to Marsha.” 

Be sure to check with your professor for his or her expectations if you are required to cite your classmates’ content. 

Below is a basic template.  Remember to include footnote citations to credit your scholarly sources, along with a corresponding bibliography list .  Prepare your thread in MS Word and save that file, then use Control-A to select all content, Control-C to copy all content, and Control-V in Canvas to paste your content.)

Discussion Board basic template

Helpful Resources

  • Turabian Chart of Citations
  • Turabian Annotated Bibliography Sample
  • Sacred Book Reference List
  • Capitalization Glossary
  • Choosing Appropriate Resources for Academic Papers

Video Tutorials

  • Insert heading levels into template and populate Contents page
  • Remove Contents page from template if not necessary for your assignment
  • Using MS Word in insert footnote numbering/placement  ( shows some outdated formatting element; just focus on steps to take in MS Word )
  • Plagiarism series – Video #1 of 4: Introduction: How often can students quote other sources?
  • Plagiarism series – Video #2 of 4: How and when to cite your sources
  • Plagiarism series – Video #3 of 4: The three kinds of plagiarism
  • Plagiarism series – Video #4 of 4: Proactive and foolproof steps to avoid plagiarism

Page Formatting

  • Use one-inch margins on all sides.
  • The preferred font/size is Times New Roman, 12 pt.
  • Indent all paragraphs in the body of the paper ½”.
  • Double-space the entire paper, except block quotes, footnotes, bibliography entries, reference lists, table titles, and figure captions.  Those elements should be single-spaced, with one extra blank line before/after to separate them from other elements.
  • The paper should be written in the 3rd person (he, she, it) with an active voice, rather than  passive voice .
  • Unless a professor specifically asks for a paper in 1st person (I, me, we, us, our) or 2nd person (you, your) language, avoid these in a paper.
  • Be specific and concise.
  • In historical writing, use simple past tense verbs.  When referring to an author’s written work, use the present tense.
  •  Note that Turabian requires additional spacing before each heading level, which is already programmed into the templates.
  • Headline case = all significant words, usually those with 4+ letters, must be capitalized. Use headline case for titles of works; names of journals; and first-, second-, and third-level headings.
  • Sentence case = only the first letter of the first word, proper nouns, and the word following a colon, if any, should begin with capital letters. Use sentence case for fourth- and fifth-level headings.
  • Add quotation marks around the titles of shorter works (i.e., articles or poems); use italics for the names of larger works (i.e., books or plays).
  • Liberty University now uses Turabian’s “student” title page format for all programs and levels of study except dissertations and theses, which follow Turabian’s “dissertation” title page format.
  • See the links to all templates and sample papers above.
  • The title page is technically page one, but it never has a page number
  • Pagination for the fore matter, if any (including the table of contents), uses lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii), in the center bottom of the page. Begin with ii, to account for the title page position.
  • The body of the paper for all Liberty University classes uses Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3) in the top-right corner. It begins with page 1.  All templates provided by Liberty University are already programmed with proper pagination.
  • See the pagination video tutorial .
  • The word  Introduction  is no longer included in student papers unless the instructions specifically require such.
  • The first paragraph in the body of academic papers should include an introductory paragraph (with no label, title, or heading above it).
  •  Incorporating research that is credible and relevant helps to support and validate a paper’s argument.  The page dedicated to incorporating research and avoiding plagiarism includes information on how to integrate summaries and paraphrases, quotations, and block quotes.
  • With plagiarism, it’s better to be safe than sorry: if it’s not yours,  cite it !

Subheadings

  • Turabian uses up to five heading and subheading levels. Though Turabian provides significant flexibility in formatting, all departments across Liberty University have universally adopted the following formats (see heading levels and table of contents video tutorial ):
  • First level : centered, boldface, in headline case
  • Second level : centered, not bolded, in headline case
  • Third level : left-justified, boldface, in headline case
  • Fourth level : left-justified, not bolded, in sentence case
  • Fifth level : indented ½”, not bolded, italicized, in sentence case with a period, then one space, and begin your content on the same line

Footnotes versus Parenthetical Citations

  • Include a citation whenever another author’s work is directly quoted or paraphrased.
  • There are two formats in Turabian: author-date and notes-bibliography.  Liberty University allows only notes-bibliography format, except for book reviews (which use author-date format).
  • In notes-bibliography, include relevant publishing details along with the author’s name and year of publication as footnotes.
  • All programs of study at Liberty University still require the use of  ibid . for consecutive footnotes of the same resource on the same page in notes-bibliography format , and shortened notes for non-consecutive subsequent citations, even though the Turabian 9th edition manual recommends not using ibid .
  • See the Turabian Chart of Citations for visuals of the citations and reference entries in notes-bibliography format.  The section of this Quick Guide on author-date format (permitted at Liberty University only for book reviews) includes a link to a chart of citations in that format.

Notes-Bibliography Citation Style

  • Used in all programs of study using Turabian format (except book reviews, which use Author-Date format).  
  • Footnotes are the preferred method to indicate in-text citations throughout this format. Liberty University does not permit endnotes.
  • A bibliography is used to compile sources in one list at the end of the paper.

Author-Date citation style

  • Only permitted for book review assignments  at Liberty University.  
  • Sample paper in Author-Date format  for book review assignments only.
  • Template for paper in Author-Date format .
  • Chart of Citations in Author-Date format  for book reviews only.
  • Note that the list of compiled resources cited in author-date format is titled References (rather than Bibliography).
  • The Bible is only cited parenthetically at Liberty University, effective Summer of 2022. The phrase “unless otherwise noted” (used in years past) is no longer used at Liberty University.
  • It is not necessary to write out full quotes of verses from the Bible since your readers can find the references that you cite. When an author needs to make a specific observation, however, he or she will include a direct quote.
  • When your paper cites from only one translation, you only name the version with the first citation in your paper.  If you use multiple translations or versions of the Bible, then you would have to spell out the version used the first time you use each, and then use a series of abbreviations for subsequent citations in parentheses (NASB, ESV, KJV) sufficient for your reader to discern which version you are citing from in subsequent citations.
  • The abbreviations for the books of the Bible can be used only in parentheses within the text or in footnotes. For example, you may make a reference to Romans 1:16, but if you state that Christians should not be ashamed of the gospel ( Rom. 1:16), then you should use the abbreviation within parentheses.
  • Turabian includes a comprehensive list of abbreviations for the books of the Bible in sections 24.6.1-24.6.4 (sections 10.44 , 10.45 , 10.47 , and 10.48 in the Chicago Manual of Style database on Liberty University’s Jerry Falwell Library ). See the Sacred Book Reference List and Capitalization Glossary .

Bibliography

  • Use the word Bibliography for notes-bibliography format.
  • Center and bold the word “Bibliography” (without quotation marks) on the top line of a new page following your conclusion.
  • Single-space entries, with one blank line separating each.
  • Use hanging indents (left-justify the first line of each entry and indent lines two+ of each entry ½” from the left margin).
  • Alphabetize all entries by the first word in each (usually the first author’s last name for each).
  • Invert the first author’s name (last name, first, middle), but not the remaining authors’ names in each entry.
  • Cite classical works (including the Bible) and personal communications in the body of the paper, but do not include them in the reference or bibliography list.
  • Include periods after both URLs and DOIs.
  • Check Google Scholar or  crossref.org  for DOIs of all articles published since 2007, if one is not readily denoted on the article itself.
  • Only include the access date for online content that is likely to change (such as wikis).

Material on this page adapted from Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , 9th ed.

CMOS Shop Talk

From the chicago manual of style, how do i format a title page in turabian/chicago style.

cover page for turabian research paper

Here’s how to set up a Chicago-style title page following the guidelines in Kate L. Turabian’s  A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations . (See section A.2.1.2 in the appendix called “Paper Format and Submission.”)

Class papers should begin with a title page (but some put the title on the first page of the text; consult your instructor).

  • Place the title of the paper a third of the way down the page, usually centered (see Turabian, A.1.5).
  • If the paper has both a main title and a subtitle, put the main title on a single line, followed by a colon, and begin the subtitle on a new line with an intervening line space.
  • Several lines below it, place your name along with any information requested by your instructor, such as the course title (including its department and number) and the date.
  • Figure A.1 in Turabian shows a sample title page for a class paper. For most such papers, this is the only front matter needed.*

Sample Page: Title Page

cover page for turabian research paper

*For a thesis or dissertation, most departments and universities provide model title pages that should be followed exactly for wording and form. Otherwise use figure A.2 in Turabian as a model. Count the title page as page i, but do not put that number on it.

IMPORTANT: Your instructor’s requirements may overrule Chicago’s formatting recommendations!  

cover page for turabian research paper

The Turabian tip sheets illustrate everything you need to know for formatting a student paper in  Chicago style. They are fully compatible with  The Chicago Manual of Style  (17th ed.). You can print them and download them.

  • Margins and Page Numbers
  • Table of Contents
  • List of Tables and Figures
  • Introduction or Conclusion
  • Sections and Subheads
  • Chapter Opening Page
  • Figure and Figure Caption
  • Bibliography
  • Parenthetical Citations
  • Reference List

Image of book cover of The Chicago Manual of Style

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Turabian Style Guide: Sample Papers in Turabian

  • Turabian (& Chicago)
  • Sample Papers in Turabian
  • Research Paper Topics
  • Research Tools This link opens in a new window

Sample Turabian Papers

  • Turabian Style paper (Austin Peay State University) from Austin Peay State University, Academic Support Center
  • "Turabian Tutor" (Tennessee Temple University) Tennessee Temple University, Turabian-style paper
  • Intro to Chicago-Turabian Style (paper) (University of North Alabama) University of North Alabama, turabian-style paper
  • Sample Turabian Bibliography from Carpenter Library, UNF

Turabian formatting in Word

Turabian title page in Word

Simple Formatting Guidelines

  • Paper size - 8.5 inch x 11 inch
  • 1 inch on all four edges of the page
  • Typeface/Font size
  • Easily read; preferably serifed, ex. Times New Roman
  • 12-point is accepted size
  • Spacing/Indentation  
  • Double-space text with exceptions that are single-spaced:
  • Block quotations
  • Table elements, ex. titles and figure captions
  • Appendices' lists
  • Footnotes/endnotes are single-spaced but separated by a space between each item.
  • Items in a bibliography/reference list are single-spaced but each item is separated by a space.
  • Do not number the title page.
  • Start arabic numbers (at 1) on first page of paper that is not considered front matter (front matter = title page).
  • Place page numbers consistently in same location throughout paper: 
  • Options for page numbers include: centered in footer OR right-hand of footer OR centered in header OR right-hand of header
  •    Title Page elements
  • Center all elements
  • Use consistent typeface and font size
  • font size can increase slightly for title elements
  • preferred format is boldface for title
  • Employ Headline Capitalization with All Elements  (first letter of each noun/pronoun is capitalized) ( definition of Headline Style Capitalization)
  • Title is placed approx. 1/3 down the page. A subtitle follow the main title with a colon and starts on a new line.
  • Two-thirds down the page, your name, any title page information provided by your professor, and the date should be included.
  • Body of Paper (Text)
  • Includes 
  • Introduction
  • Quotations, including block quotations, should follow Turabian's standard formatting rules.
  • Text Formatting
  • Be consistent throughout body of paper with typeface, font size, and other formatting elements.
  • Make sure text is aligned left.
  • Do not add color in the text (hyperlinked text will automatically become blue; this is unavoidable).
  • Block quotations should be set apart by blank space above and below and, internally, should be single-spaced. 
  • Back Matter elements
  • Notes (endnotes section) ( http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocChicago_Notes_Formatting.html )
  • Bibliography OR References OR Works Cited (your choice as to heading)
  • Center page titles
  • Font size can increase slightly for title elements.
  • Preferred format is  boldface  for  title
  • Leave two blank spaces between heading and first endnote/work referenced.
  • Notes section
  • Use standard paragraph indentations for each endnote.
  • Single-space each endnote and separate each by a blank space.
  • Use standard-size numbers with periods to enumerate your endnote list.
  • Bibliography/References/Works Cited section
  • Use hanging indentations for works referenced (first line is not indented; second and remaining lines are indented standard tab of five spaces)
  • This section is typically arranged alphabetically by author, then alphabetically by title if you list multiple works by one author. 

All information comes from 

Turabian, Kate L.  A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations :  Chicago Style for Students & Researchers . 8th ed. Chicago:    University of Chicago Press, 2013. 

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  • URL: https://library.cbc.edu/Turabian

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A MANUAL FOR WRITERS OF RESEARCH PAPERS —also known as “Turabian”—is the gold standard for college and graduate students in virtually all academic areas. An introduction to Chicago-style formatting and citation generation, the manual aids students in clear writing, citing, and research practice. At the heart of Turabian is the idea that, no matter the format, the foundations of good research remain the same: to do it carefully, present it clearly and accurately, and follow academic standards for citation, style, and format.

THE NINTH EDITION INCLUDES:

  • comprehensive guidelines for formatting papers and preparing them for submission
  • authoritative guidance on all matters of style
  • updated to reflect The Chicago Manual of  Style , 17th edition
  • thorough coverage of Chicago-style formatting and citation
  • extensive guidelines on conducting research in digital environments

Writers need a strong research question, an evidence-based argument, to structure their work in a logical way, and to cite their sources. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , remains one of the most popular books for writers because of its timeless focus on achieving these goals. The ninth edition filters decades of expertise into modern standards. Recognizing that most students will be doing their work largely or entirely online and on screens, this new edition builds information literacy by addressing digital forms of both research and writing.

Through eight decades and millions of copies, A Manual for Writers has helped generations shape their ideas into compelling research papers. This new edition continues as the gold standard for college and graduate students in virtually all academic disciplines.

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Q. How do I format my title page in Turabian?

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Answered By: Timothy Grasso Last Updated: Jan 11, 2022     Views: 9942

Follow the steps below for creating a Turabian title page: 

  • A Chicago/ Turabian title page does not have any page numbers or headers.
  • Place your paper title a third of the way down the page. (If using the ruler in Word, that is about the number 2.5) 
  • The title should be bold, centered, double-spaced, and in the same font as your main paper with all major words capitalized (i.e. exclude articles like "the" or "a").
  • Its size can be two or three points larger than your main text.
  • Place a colon before any subtitle. 
  • Place requested course information a third of the way up from the bottom of the page. (If using the ruler in Word, that is about at 6.5.)
  • Unless stated otherwise by your instructor, this should include your name, course title, and date of submission.
  • The course information should also be double spaced and centered, with all major words capitalized, but not in bold. Follow the same font and size as your main paper text. 

Please see this  PDF for a visual example of a Turabian Title Page. [Important: Directions from your teacher, instructor, or dissertation office overrule these guidelines.]

The Chicago-Turabian style of paper formatting includes a title page, the main text, plus footnotes or endnotes, figures/illustrations, and a bibliography. You can view other examples for different elements of Turabian style here .

If you wish to consult further examples of title pages in print, see the Turabian 7th edition, pp. 378-379.

Several copies of Kate L. Turabian's  A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations  are available in the Hubbard Library Reference collection (Ref LB 2369 .T8 2007 or 2013).

As an additional resource it should be noted that the entire Chicago manual of style is available for Fuller students faculty and staff on the library's database page .

Links & Files

  • Turabian Style Tip Sheets (examples)
  • Turabian Citation Guide
  • Chicago and Turabian: Compared and explained
  • Turabian-Title page.pdf
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Turabian 9th edition Style Guide

  • Formatting Your Paper
  • Notes-Bibliography style citations
  • Author-Date citations

Below are some basic guidelines to use when formatting your research paper using Turabian citation style.  Note that some guidelines may be similar or the same as Chicago Manual style as Turabian is a derivative of Chicago.  Make sure to follow your professor's specific guidelines regarding Turabian citation style.  

The following guidelines are for formatting your paper using Turabian citation style, 9th edition.  Be sure to use the Turabian handbook for more specifics on formatting your paper.   

Font: 

Use readable fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial.  It is preferable to have 12 point font but nothing less than 10 point should be used.   

  

Line Spacing and Margins: 

Use one inch margins on all sides of the document. 

Double space between all lines in the document except for block quotations, table titles, figure captions, and lists in appendixes.   

When a quote is more than f (5) lines long, make it a block quote that is indented with the "tab' key and single spaced.   

Writers should only single space  block quotes, bibliographies or references, footnotes or endnotes, and elements in the front matter such as table of contents and lists of figures/tables. 

Numbering 

Do not number the title page, but start with the first page of text. There are different locations for page numbers: centered or flush in the footer or header .  Writers can choose a location and stay consistent with that location for page numbers or they can be instructed by their professor(s). 

Headings and Title: 

To create a title page for a research paper, center the title of the paper using headline-style capitalization (i.e. all main words are capitalized) one-third of the way down on the paper.  Subtitles go one line below the first part of the title (put a colon at the end of the first part of the title).  Name, class information and the date are to follow the title several lines below the title/subtitle.  All lines are to be double spaced on the title page. 

*Different guidelines are available in the handbook for theses or dissertations*

Be sure to consult with your professor regarding the formatting of your paper and make sure to use either notes-bibliography style or author-date style. 

Purdue Online Writing Lab.  General Format , 2021.  https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html .   Accessed  12/6/ 2021. 

Turabian, Kate.  A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations; Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. Edited by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. Fitzgerald. 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018. 

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  • Last Updated: Mar 20, 2024 10:25 AM
  • URL: https://guides.uu.edu/turabian

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General Format

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Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Since The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is primarily intended as a style guide for published works rather than class papers, these guidelines will be supplemented with information from, Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (8th ed.), which is largely based on CMOS with some slight alterations.

To see a side-by-side comparison of the three most widely used citation styles, including a chart of all CMOS citation guidelines, see the Citation Style Chart.

Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in CMOS.

A Note on Citations

Unlike many citation styles, CMOS gives writers two different methods for documenting sources: the Author-Date System and the Notes-Bibliography (NB) System.  As its name suggests, Author-Date uses parenthetical citations in the text to reference the source's author's last name and the year of publication. Each parenthetical citation corresponds to an entry on a References page that concludes the document. In these regards, Author-Date is very similar to, for instance, APA style.

By contrast, NB uses numbered footnotes in the text to direct the reader to a shortened citation at the bottom of the page. This corresponds to a fuller citation on a Bibliography page that concludes the document. Though the general principles of citation are the same here, the citations themselves are formatted differently from the way they appear in Author-Date.

If you are using CMOS for school or work, don't forget to ensure that you're using your organization's preferred citation method. For examples of these two different styles in action, see our CMOS sample papers:

Author-Date Sample Paper

NB Sample Paper

General CMOS Guidelines

  • Text should be consistently double-spaced, except for block quotations, notes, bibliography entries, table titles, and figure captions.
  • A prose quotation of five or more lines, or more than 100 words, should be blocked.
  • CMOS recommends blocking two or more lines of poetry.
  • A blocked quotation does not get enclosed in quotation marks.
  • A blocked quotation must always begin a new line.
  • Blocked quotations should be indented with the word processor’s indention tool.
  • Page numbers begin in the header of the first page of text with Arabic number 1.
  • For CMOS and Turabian’s recommendations, see “Headings,” below.

Supplemental Turabian Style Guidelines

  • Margins should be set at no less than 1”.
  • Typeface should be something readable, such as Times New Roman or Courier.
  • Font size should be no less than 10 pt. (preferably, 12 pt.).

Major Paper Sections

  • The title should be centered a third of the way down the page.
  • Your name, class information, and the date should follow several lines later.
  • For subtitles, end the title line with a colon and place the subtitle on the line below the title.
  • Double-space each line of the title page.

This image shows the title page of a CMS paper.

CMOS Title Page

  • Different practices apply for theses and dissertations (see Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, ad Dissertations [8 th ed.].
  • Titles mentioned in the text, notes, or bibliography are capitalized “headline-style,” meaning first words of titles and subtitles and any important words thereafter should be capitalized.
  • Book and periodical titles (titles of larger works) should be italicized.
  • Article and chapter titles (titles of shorter works) should be enclosed in double quotation marks.
  • The titles of most poems should be enclosed in double quotation marks, but the titles of very long poems should be italicized.
  • Titles of plays should be italicized.
  • For example, use lowercase terms to describe periods, except in the case of proper nouns (e.g., “the colonial period,” vs. “the Victorian era”).
  • A prose quotation of five or more lines should be “blocked.” The block quotation should match the surrounding text, and it takes no quotation marks. To offset the block quote from surrounding text, indent the entire quotation using the word processor’s indentation tool. It is also possible to offset the block quotation by using a different or smaller font than the surrounding text.
  • Label the first page of your back matter, your comprehensive list of sources, “Bibliography” (for Notes and Bibliography style) or “References” (for Author-Date style).
  • Leave two blank lines between “Bibliography” or “References” and your first entry.
  • Leave one blank line between remaining entries.
  • List entries in letter-by-letter alphabetical order according to the first word in each entry, be that the author's name or the title of the piece..
  • For two to three authors, write out all names.
  • For four to ten authors, write out all names in the bibliography but only the first author’s name plus “et al.” in notes and parenthetical citations.
  • When a source has no identifiable author, cite it by its title, both on the references page and in shortened form (up to four keywords from that title) in parenthetical citations throughout the text.
  • Write out publishers’ names in full.
  • Do not use access dates unless publication dates are unavailable.
  • If you cannot ascertain the publication date of a printed work, use the abbreviation “n.d.”
  • Provide DOIs instead of URLs whenever possible.
  • If no DOI is available, provide a URL.
  • If you cannot name a specific page number when called for, you have other options: section (sec.), equation (eq.), volume (vol.), or note (n.).

This image shows the bibliography page of a CMS paper.

CMOS Bibliography Page

  • Note numbers should begin with “1” and follow consecutively throughout a given paper.
  • Note numbers are superscripted.
  • Note numbers should be placed at the end of the clause or sentence to which they refer and should be placed after all punctuation, except for the dash.
  • Note numbers are full-sized, not raised, and followed by a period (superscripting note numbers in the notes themselves is also acceptable).
  • In parenthetical citation, separate documentation from brief commentary with a semicolon.
  • Do not repeat the hundreds digit in a page range if it does not change from the beginning to the end of the range.

For more information on footnotes, please see CMOS NB Sample Paper .

While  The Chicago Manual of Style does not include a prescribed system for formatting headings and subheads, it makes several recommendations.

  • Maintain consistency and parallel structure in headings and subheads.
  • Use headline-style for purposes of capitalization.
  • Subheadings should begin on a new line.
  • Subheadings can be distinguished by font-size.
  • Ensure that each level of hierarchy is clear and consistent.
  • Levels of subheads can be differentiated by type style, use of boldface or italics, and placement on the page, usually either centered or flush left.
  • Use no more than three levels of hierarchy.
  • Avoid ending subheadings with periods.

Turabian has an optional system of five heading levels.

Turabian Subheading Plan

Here is an example of the five-level heading system:

This image shows the levels of heading in a CMS paper.

CMOS Headings

Tables and Figures

  • Position tables and figures as soon as possible after they are first referenced. If necessary, present them after the paragraph in which they are described.
  • For figures, include a caption, or short explanation of the figure or illustration, directly after the figure number.
  • Cite a source as you would for parenthetical citation, and include full information in an entry on your Bibliography or References page.
  • Acknowledge reproduced or adapted sources appropriately (i.e., photo by; data adapted from; map by...).
  • If a table includes data not acquired by the author of the text, include an unnumbered footnote. Introduce the note by the word Source(s) followed by a colon, then include the full source information, and end the note with a period.

How to Cite the Purdue OWL in CMOS

On the new OWL site, contributors’ names and the last edited date are no longer listed at the top of every page. This means that most citations will now begin with the title of the resource, rather than the contributors' names.

Footnote or Endnote (N):

Corresponding Bibliographical Entry (B):

“Title of Resource.” List the OWL as Publishing Organization/Web Site Name . http://Web address for OWL resource.

“General Format.” The Purdue OWL. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/02/.

Author Date In-text Citation:

("General Format" 2017).

Author Date References Page Citation:

Year of Publication. “Title of Resource.” List the OWL as Publishing Organization/Web Site Name . http://Web address for OWL resource.

2017. “General Format.” The Purdue OWL . https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/02.

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Turabian Writing Guide: Home

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What is Turabian?

All of Liberty University's programs of study that use Turabian formatting use one set of Turabian formatting resources.  Separate templates are provided for assignments that do not require subheadings (in most cases, papers with less than ten pages in the body), as well as those that do require subheadings (recommended for most papers with more than ten pages in the body, and required in papers with more than twenty pages in the body).  Students will use and follow the respective template based on their specific assignment’s requirements.

The Liberty University Writing Center's   Turabian Guide provides detailed instructions, templates, and tutorials on using Turabian. There is also citation help and direction through the Turabian Citation Quick Guide (Chicago Style Manual Of Style Online). The Turabian writing style is taken from Kate L. Turabian's Manual for Writers of Research papers, Theses, and Dissertations . Turabian is the student version of the Chicago Manual of Style.

It's important to note that Turabian has two different formatting approaches, the Notes-Bibliography style and the Author-Date style . The Notes-Bibliography style is also called Chicago/Turabian: Humanities style located in chapters 16 and 17 of the Turabian manual. Chapters 18 and 19 give examples for the Author-Date style.

Copies of the Kate Turabian's  A Manual for Writers  are available for check out at the front desk of the Jerry Falwell Library. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is also available to answer citation and formatting questions.

Citation Help

Keeping track of citation styles changes doesn't have to be difficult. The Jerry Falwell Library offers RefWorks to help you keep track of the references you are using and to assist you with citing your sources.  

RefWorks can output your paper's reference list in many citation styles, including Turabian. It is important to verify that your reference list is in the correct format, so be sure to make sure the citation is correct in RefWorks. A short video tutorial on using RefWorks is included below to assist in getting started.

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  • Last Updated: Aug 28, 2023 2:25 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.liberty.edu/Turabian

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Paper Formats & Styles: Turabian: Masters & DMin Papers, Prospectuses & Project Reports

  • Turabian: Masters & DMin Papers, Prospectuses & Project Reports
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Turabian Basics

  • Gateway Seminary Turabian Standards for Gateway Seminary Master's & D.Min. students - 2020-07-22 This document provides the standards for research paper style and formatting for students in master’s and DMin degree programs (except Th.M. and Ph.D.). It updates and supersedes all previous standard. This standard is built around Turabian 9th edition, which is the Gateway Seminary standard. All students should follow this standard unless a professor instructs you to do otherwise. D.Min. students are advised that this applies to all seminar papers. DMin templates for prospectus and project reports are in the DMin section of this guide.
  • Turabian 9th Basics for Research Papers: 2 page summary of Turabian formatting requirements (PDF)
  • GS Turabian Examples 9th ed. Footnote and bibliographic examples for most sources used in papers.
  • Sample Research Paper (Exegesis) This paper adheres to Gateway Seminary's Turabian 9th edition requirements in all aspects, including footnotes and bibliographic entries.
  • Turabian's Section on Plagiarism Discussion of plagiarism and how to avoid it, taken from Turabian's 7th ed.
  • Official Turabian Quick Guide Alternate source for all types of citations, includes electronic citation examples.

Turabian Templates

  • Before Using a Template
  • DMin Candidates
  • 0 – Read Me Before Doing Anything Else (PDF)
  • 00 – Script for all Training Videos (PDF)
  • 1 – 3 Parts of Turabian (MP4)
  • 2 – What are Style Classes? (MP4)
  • 4 – Body Text Page (MP4)
  • 5 – Title Page (MP4)
  • 6a – Bibliography – Formatting (MP4)
  • 6b – Bibliography – Deleting (MP4)
  • 7a – Table of Contents – Formatting (MP4)
  • 7b – Table of Contents – Deleting (MP4)
  • 8 – Removing Blank Lines (MP4)
  • 9 – Limitations of the Template. (MP4)
  • Differences from Recorded Videos on MACs
  • Example – Completed version of Formatted Paper (DOC)
  • Example – Written Paper (DOC)
  • Turabian Template and Training Material-Masters: English & 한굴 (8/26/2022)
  • GS Turabian Template for English Masters Paper (2/24/2021)
  • GS Turabian Template for Korean Masters Papers (10/8/2020)

Examples of Turabian Style

  • GS Turabian Formatting Shortcuts, Word 2019
  • Sample Title Page
  • Sample First Page of Research Paper
  • Reminders for DMin Turabian Template Users
  • Turabian Template & Training Material - DMin (2/14/2023)
  • GS Turabian Template for English DMin Seminar Papers (3/15/2023)
  • GS Turabian Template for Korean DMin Seminar Papers (3/15/2023)
  • GS Turabian Template for English DMin Prospectus (3/29/2022)
  • GS Turabian Template for Korean DMin Prospectus (3/15/2023)
  • GS Turabian Template for English DMin Project Report (2/14/2023)
  • GS Turabian Template for Korean DMin Project Report: (2/14/2023)

Turabian Examples for DMin Students

(see DMin seminar paper pages examples under Students tab)

  • Sample Title Page for DMin Project Report
  • Sample Approval Page of DMin Project Report
  • Sample DMin Mentor Signature Page of DMin Project Report
  • Sample Abstract Page of DMin Project Report
  • Sample Personal Data Page of DMin Project Report

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IMAGES

  1. Turabian Style Title Page

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  2. Sample Paper Turabian 7th Edition

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  3. How to Format a Turabian/Chicago Style Title Page

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  4. 7+ Free Printable Turabian Cover Page Template Design in MS Word

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  6. Turabian 7th ed sample paper by Regent University Writing Center

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  3. Turabian Citation and Political Science Writing Workshop

  4. How to Publish Research Papers Successfully

  5. Margins & Page Numbers

  6. Writing in Turabian Style

COMMENTS

  1. How to Format a Turabian/Chicago Style Title Page

    A title page is not mandatory; if you haven't been told to include one, you can just center your title at the top of the first page. These are the key guidelines for creating a title page in Turabian style: Title and subtitle appear ⅓ of the way down the page. Other information (e.g., your name, the date, class information) appears ⅔ down ...

  2. Research Guides: Turabian Writing Guide: Title Page

    Student Title Page. The paper's title should be in bold and centered in the middle of the page approximately eleven lines down from the top of the page. Your name should be centered and approximately fifteen lines below the tile. The full name of the class should be listed on the line immediately below your name, including the class number, i.e ...

  3. Turabian Student Paper-Formatting Tip Sheets

    Official Chicago style, in easy-to-use, printable PDF paper-writing tip sheets for students, teachers, and librarians. Guidelines are per Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (9th ed.) and are fully compatible with The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.). [Important: Directions from your teacher ...

  4. Format Your Paper

    Can be placed in the center or right side of top or bottom of the paper; Title Page (A.1.5) Center all elements on the page; Use the same font, type size, and formatting style for the title elements Font size can increase slightly for the title. Preferred format is boldface for title ; Title placed approximately 1/3 down page.

  5. PDF A Sample Paper for the Purpose of Correct Formatting In

    1 "Turabian" style is an abbreviated version of the more-comprehensive "Chicago" style. Turabian is named for Kate L. Turabian, the author of A Manual for Writers of Research Papers ...

  6. Turabian Format Quick Guide

    Page Formatting. Use one-inch margins on all sides. The preferred font/size is Times New Roman, 12 pt. Indent all paragraphs in the body of the paper ½".

  7. How Do I Format a Title Page in Turabian/Chicago Style?

    Place the title of the paper a third of the way down the page, usually centered (see Turabian, A.1.5). If the paper has both a main title and a subtitle, put the main title on a single line, followed by a colon, and begin the subtitle on a new line with an intervening line space. Several lines below it, place your name along with any ...

  8. Turabian Style Guide: Sample Papers in Turabian

    Quotations, including block quotations, should follow Turabian's standard formatting rules. Be consistent throughout body of paper with typeface, font size, and other formatting elements. Make sure text is aligned left. Do not add color in the text (hyperlinked text will automatically become blue; this is unavoidable).

  9. Turabian Home Page

    A MANUAL FOR WRITERS OF RESEARCH PAPERS —also known as "Turabian"—is the gold standard for college and graduate students in virtually all academic areas. An introduction to Chicago-style formatting and citation generation, the manual aids students in clear writing, citing, and research practice. At the heart of Turabian is the idea that ...

  10. How do I format my title page in Turabian?

    The Chicago-Turabian style of paper formatting includes a title page, the main text, plus footnotes or endnotes, figures/illustrations, and a bibliography. You can view other examples for different elements of Turabian style here. If you wish to consult further examples of title pages in print, see the Turabian 7th edition, pp. 378-379.

  11. Formatting Your Paper

    The following guidelines are for formatting your paper using Turabian citation style, 9th edition. Be sure to use the Turabian handbook for more specifics on formatting your paper. ... To create a title page for a research paper, center the title of the paper using headline-style capitalization (i.e. all main words are capitalized) one-third of ...

  12. Introduction to Turabian Style

    What is Turabian style? Kate L. Turabian published the first edition of A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations—often called "Turabian" for short—in 1937.The ninth and latest edition was published in 2018. Where the Chicago Manual of Style is mainly aimed at publishers, Turabian is specifically aimed at students.. Turabian is not a separate style from Chicago ...

  13. General Format

    Different practices apply for theses and dissertations (see Kate L. Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, ad Dissertations [8 th ed.].; Main Body. Titles mentioned in the text, notes, or bibliography are capitalized "headline-style," meaning first words of titles and subtitles and any important words thereafter should be capitalized.

  14. PDF Chicago Manual of Style & Turabian: Format and Documentation

    Turabian is the official adaptation of Chicago for university students. The following guidelines adhere to both the 9th edition of the Turabian Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations and the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. Title Page (Turabian, 387 -388, 391 392) Titles should appear in bold. Center each ...

  15. Turabian Style Basics: Cover Page for a Turabian Style Research Paper

    Dr Paper Software works with Word to help you create APA formatted documents and references easily and correctly. Dr Paper takes care of formatting details (margins, cover pages, page numbers, section headings, etc.) so you can concentrate on your writing. Use your brain and time for writing. Let Dr Paper do the formatting. Download Dr Paper now!

  16. Research Guides: Turabian Writing Guide: Formatting

    General Formatting. Font. The paper should use Times New Roman, 12 point font. Footnotes use Times New Roman, 10 point font. Margins. 1" margins all around. For bound theses or dissertations (rare), include a 1.5" left margin. Spacing and Indentation. The body of the paper should be double-spaced.

  17. Home

    The Turabian writing style is taken from Kate L. Turabian's Manual for Writers of Research papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Turabian is the student version of the Chicago Manual of Style. It's important to note that Turabian has two different formatting approaches, the Notes-Bibliography style and the Author-Date style.

  18. PDF Papers, Theses, and Dissertations Th Edition. Table of Contents

    For the body of the paper, use Arabic numerals and place them at the top right-hand side for pages that do not begin a new chapter. For pages that do begin a new chapter, center the page number at the bottom. Subheadings. With regard to subheadings as discussed in Turabian A.2.2.4, use the following options:

  19. Research Guides: Paper Formats & Styles: Turabian: Masters & DMin

    This document provides the standards for research paper style and formatting for students in master's and DMin degree programs (except Th.M. and Ph.D.). It updates and supersedes all previous standard. This standard is built around Turabian 9th edition, which is the Gateway Seminary standard.

  20. Turabian Templates

    Center for Research and Writing. Turabian Templates. Approved Paper Template (Whole Paper) Menu. Home; Turabian Formatting; Turabian Style; Turabian Templates

  21. PDF Turabian Style Sample Paper

    A Turabian Style Sample Paper. Karen Shaw. English 214. Professor Bell. 22 March 2001 Apes and Language: A Literature Review. Over the past thirty years, researchers have demonstrated that the great apes. (chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans) resemble humans in language abilities more than had. been thought possible.

  22. Turabian Style Basics: Cover Page for a Turabian Style Research Paper

    First Page of a Turabian Research Paper (Student) Page Number. Page numbers should be placed either at the top right of the page, or centered, at the bottom of the page. Paper Title. One inch from the top of the first page of your paper, type the title of the paper, using heading style capitalization. Margins.

  23. Title page setup

    Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the student title page. Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize major words of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired.