Table of Contents
What Is Turabian Style?
Turabian style is a simplified version of the Chicago Manual of Style designed specifically for students writing undergraduate and graduate papers. It was first published by Kate Turabian in 1937 and is now in its ninth edition (A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations).
Turabian follows the same two systems as Chicago: the Notes-Bibliography system (footnotes + bibliography) and the Author-Date system (parenthetical citations + reference list). The differences from Chicago are small — primarily in title page format and minor formatting tolerances for student papers.
Many humanities and history courses specify Turabian by name. If your syllabus says "Chicago/Turabian," use whichever system — Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date — your instructor prefers (Notes-Bibliography is standard for history).
Paper Formatting Rules
| Element | Turabian requirement |
|---|---|
| Font | Times New Roman, 12pt (or similar readable serif) |
| Margins | 1 inch on all sides |
| Line spacing | Double-spaced throughout (except footnotes and block quotes) |
| Paragraph indent | 0.5 inch first-line indent on every paragraph |
| Page numbers | Top right; no number on title page |
| Footnotes | Single-spaced, 10pt; separated from text by a short rule |
| Block quotes | 40+ words, indented 0.5 inch left; no quotation marks; single- or double-spaced |
| Headings | Title case; hierarchy A (centred bold) → B (centred) → C (flush left bold) → D (flush left italic) |
Title Page
Turabian's title page differs from Chicago's — it includes:
- Title (centred, ~⅓ down the page)
- Subtitle if any (centred, below title)
- Your name (centred)
- Course name and number
- Instructor's name
- Institution
- Date submitted (centred, near the bottom)
No page number appears on the title page.
Footnote & Bibliography System
In the Notes-Bibliography system, every source is cited with a superscript number in the text. The full citation appears in a numbered footnote at the bottom of the page (or as an endnote at the end of the paper). All cited sources also appear in the Bibliography at the end.
Footnotes use normal name order (First Last) and commas as separators. Bibliography entries use inverted order for the first author (Last, First) and periods as separators. The two formats are related but distinct.
Footnotes — Books
Footnotes — Journal Articles
For online journal articles, add the DOI or URL after the closing parenthesis:
Footnotes — Websites
Ibid. and Short-Form Notes
When you cite the same source twice in a row, you may use Ibid. (Latin for "in the same place") in the second footnote. If the page is different, add the new page number.
6. Ibid., 91.
7. Ibid. (same page as note 6)
When citing a source again after citing a different source in between, use a short form: author's last name, shortened title, page.
Bibliography Entries
The bibliography lists all cited sources alphabetically by the first author's last name. Unlike footnotes, bibliography entries use periods rather than commas to separate elements, and the first author's name is inverted. Use a hanging indent.
Cumings, Bruce, and Jon Halliday. Korea: The Unknown War. New York: Pantheon, 1988.
Gaddis, John Lewis. The Cold War: A New History. New York: Penguin, 2005.
Author-Date Alternative
Some instructors permit Turabian's Author-Date system instead of footnotes. It works identically to Chicago Author-Date — parenthetical citations like (Gaddis 2005, 87) in the text, and a References list at the end. The formatting rules for the reference list are the same as the bibliography entries above, except the year moves to immediately after the author's name.
Turabian vs Chicago — Key Differences
| Feature | Turabian | Chicago Manual of Style |
|---|---|---|
| Title page | Required; includes course & instructor | No specific student title page |
| Ibid. | Permitted | Still permitted but author discourages |
| Scope | Student papers, theses, dissertations | Professional publishing + student |
| Footnote font size | 10pt acceptable | Matches text (12pt) |
| Publisher location | Required in notes/bibliography | Required in bibliography |
| Citation rules | Derived from Chicago 17 | Chicago 17 (primary source) |
Turabian is derived from Chicago. If your question isn't answered in Turabian, the Chicago Manual of Style is the authority. Most Turabian rules map directly onto Chicago rules for the equivalent source type.