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This guide will help you understand how to properly cite sources in Turabian format, the student-friendly adaptation of Chicago style designed for research papers and theses, ensuring that your academic work meets the standards outlined in Kate Turabian's Manual for Writers.
The Official Source
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian, 9th Edition (2018), is published by the University of Chicago Press. Often called simply "Turabian," it's the student-focused companion to The Chicago Manual of Style and aligns with CMOS 17th edition.
Access resources at chicagomanualofstyle.org/turabian.
Quick Overview
Turabian offers two citation systems:
- Notes-Bibliography — Footnotes/endnotes plus a bibliography (humanities)
- Author-Date — Parenthetical citations plus a reference list (sciences/social sciences)
Check with your instructor which system to use. This guide covers both.
Notes-Bibliography Style
Used in literature, history, and the arts. Citations appear as footnotes or endnotes, with a bibliography at the end.
Footnote Format (First Citation)
¹Author First Last, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page number.
Shortened Footnote (Subsequent Citations)
²Last, Short Title, page number.
Bibliography Entry
Last, First. Title of Book. Place: Publisher, Year.
Examples
Book
Footnote:
¹Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (New York: Penguin, 2006), 99.
Bibliography:
Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2006.
Journal Article
Footnote:
²Joshua Comenetz, "Frequently Cited Research in Geography," Professional Geographer 52, no. 3 (2000): 524.
Bibliography:
Comenetz, Joshua. "Frequently Cited Research in Geography." Professional Geographer 52, no. 3 (2000): 521–32.
Website
Footnote:
³"Privacy Policy," Google, last modified March 15, 2023, https://policies.google.com/privacy.
Bibliography:
Google. "Privacy Policy." Last modified March 15, 2023. https://policies.google.com/privacy.
Author-Date Style
Used in sciences and social sciences. Citations appear in parentheses within the text, with a reference list at the end.
In-Text Citation
(Author Last Year, page)
Reference List Entry
Last, First. Year. Title of Book. Place: Publisher.
Examples
Book
In-text:
(Pollan 2006, 99)
Reference:
Pollan, Michael. 2006. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin.
Journal Article
In-text:
(Comenetz 2000, 524)
Reference:
Comenetz, Joshua. 2000. "Frequently Cited Research in Geography." Professional Geographer 52 (3): 521–32.
Website
In-text:
(Google 2023)
Reference:
Google. 2023. "Privacy Policy." Last modified March 15, 2023. https://policies.google.com/privacy.
Key Turabian Conventions
- Headline-style capitalization — Capitalize major words in titles (unlike APA's sentence case)
- Italics for standalone works — Books, journals, films, and websites are italicized
- Quotation marks for shorter works — Article and chapter titles use quotation marks
- Access dates — Include for online sources that may change; omit for stable sources with publication dates
- DOIs preferred — Use DOIs when available; format as https://doi.org/xxxxx
- "Ibid." usage — Turabian permits "Ibid." for consecutive citations to the same source, though some instructors discourage it
Turabian vs. Chicago
Turabian is essentially Chicago style adapted for students. Key differences:
| Element | Turabian | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Students writing papers/theses | Professional publishers |
| Length | ~450 pages | ~1,100 pages |
| Focus | Academic papers, formatting | Publishing industry standards |
| Alignment | Based on CMOS 17th ed. | The source document |
For most student papers, Turabian and Chicago are interchangeable. When in doubt, follow Turabian for academic work.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing systems — Don't combine notes-bibliography and author-date in the same paper.
- Forgetting shortened citations — After the first full footnote, use shortened form for subsequent citations.
- Wrong capitalization — Turabian uses headline-style capitalization for titles, not sentence case.
- Missing bibliography entries — Every footnote citation needs a corresponding bibliography entry.
- Inconsistent punctuation — Note the difference: footnotes end with periods; bibliography entries use periods between elements.
Who Uses Turabian Style?
Turabian is the standard for:
- Undergraduate research papers (most disciplines)
- Master's theses
- Doctoral dissertations
- History and humanities courses
- Divinity and theology programs
- Any course requiring "Chicago style" for students
If your professor says "use Chicago style," they likely mean Turabian unless you're in a professional publishing context.
Further Resources
- Turabian Quick Guide — Free examples from University of Chicago Press
- Purdue OWL Chicago/Turabian — Free tutorial
- Your university library — Most have Turabian guides tailored to institutional requirements
