Designed by Kate Turabian, the Turabian format draws from the Chicago Manual of Style. Hence, while it is very similar to the Chicago Manual, there are some differences – the foremost being that the Chicago Manual of Style is designed for individuals who publish their research papers. Therefore, it contains detailed information on formatting the paper. The Turabian style, on the other hand, is intended for students who do not plan to publish their research papers. It is shorter and contains less detailed instructions on formatting. In other words, the Turabian style is a simplified version of the Chicago style.
How do citations work in the Turabian style?
In the Turabian style, there are two different types of citations: the notes and bibliography (sometimes referred to as notes) style and the author-date citation style.
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Notes and bibliography style
In this style, the sources appear as footnotes and endnotes, which are numbered sequentially. In the text, the numbers appear as superscripts corresponding to the respective note. When a particular citation is provided for the first time, it is essential to give its complete information. However, for subsequent citations of the same source, the information should be shortened.
Always remember that footnotes are provided at the bottom of the cited page, while endnotes are provided at the end of the paper. Choose to follow either the footnotes or the endnotes, avoiding the use of both. The complete details of each source are generally provided as a separate bibliography that is placed at the end of the manuscript. The bibliographic entries are presented in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. The notes and bibliography style is more commonly used in the field of humanities, including literature, history, and arts.
The following provides detailed examples of citation formats for familiar sources in this style.
Books
- Notes: Author first name, last name, Book Title: Subtitle (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Page number(s).
- Shortened note: Author last name, Shortened Book Title, Page number(s).
- Bibliography: Author last name, first name. Book Title: Subtitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Book chapter
- Notes: Author first name last name, “Chapter Title,” in Book Title: Subtitle ed. Editor first name last name (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year) Page range.
- Shortened note: Author last name, “Shortened Book Title,” Page number(s).
- Bibliography: Author last name, first name. “Chapter Title.” In Book Title: Subtitle, edited by Editor first name last name, Page range. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Journal article
Where there are four or more authors, list up to ten authors in the bibliography. However, in the note, only one author has to be listed, followed by et al.
- Notes: Author first name last name, “Article Title,” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (month or Season Year): Page number(s). DOI or URL.
- Shortened note: Author last name, “Shortened Title,” Page number(s).
- Bibliography: Author last name first name, “Article Title,” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Month or Season Year): Page range. DOI or URL.
Website
Where the date of publication, posting or revision is not given, provide the accessed date.
- Notes: Author first name, last name, “Page Title,” Website Name, Last modified Month, Date, Year, URL.
- Shortened note: Author last name, “shortened Page Title.”
- Bibliography: Author last name first name. “Page Title.” Last Modified Month Day, Year. URL
Author last name first name. “Page Title.” Accessed Month Day, Year. URL
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Author-date style
Here, the last name of the author and year of publication mentioned in parentheses is given in-text. A corresponding entry is provided in the bibliography, where complete information about the source is provided. Every citation in the in-text should match with its entry in the bibliography. Citation formats for various sources according to author-date style are illustrated below.
Book
- Reference list entry: Author last name, first name. Year. Book title: Subtitle. Place of publishing: Publisher.
- In-text citation: (Author last name, Year, page number)
Book chapter
- Reference list entry: Author last name, first name. Year. “Chapter Title.” In the book title, the subtitle is edited by the editor’s first name, last name, and page range. Place of publishing: Publisher.
- In-text citation: (Author last name Year, page range)
Journal articles
- Reference list entry: Author last name, first name. Year. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Month or Season): Page range. DOI or URL.
- In-text citation: (Author last name, Year, page number)
Websites
In case the date of publication, posting or revision is not given, use n.d. (“no date”) in place of the year and include the accessed date.
- Reference list entry: Author last name, first name. Year. “Page Title.” Website Name. Last Modified Month Day, Year. URL.
- In-text citation: (Author last name Year) (Author last name n.d.)
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Basic formatting guidelines
Margins and page numbers
- Margins should be set at least 1 inch from the edge of the page on all sides.
- Page numbers must be written at the top right or bottom centre, half an inch from the edge of the page.
- Use easy-to-read font sizes such as Times New Roman and 12-point font sizes.
Spacing and indentation
- The text should be double-spaced.
- Only block quotations, table elements, and lists in the appendix should be single-spaced. Footnotes and endnotes are also single-spaced, with a blank line between them.
Title page
- All elements on the page should be centred.
- The title must be placed roughly one-third down the page. The page number should not be provided.
Text
- The first line of each new paragraph should be indented half an inch and the right margin should be “ragged” and not justified.
- It should have an introduction, chapters, and conclusions.
Bibliography
- This should start on a new page.
- It should be single-spaced with hanging indents.
Clearly, given its detailed formatting guidelines, flexible citation styles, and emphasis on accessibility, the Turabian format offers clear and concise guidelines to students and early career researchers as they foray into the world of academic writing.
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