Turabian Paper Format Guide
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Turabian vs. Chicago
Turabian and Chicago names are often used interchangeably when we talk about referencing style guides. If you are also puzzled by the option, this article is for you. Let’s find out what is the difference between Turabian and Chicago. In plain language, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations composed by Kate Turabian is aimed to simplify for students The Chicago Manual of Style. In this article, we will cover the basics of the Turabian academic formatting style.
General Formatting
Despite Turabian, APA, MLA, AMA, OSCOLA, Harvard etc., are called referencing styles, and they do not relate to citation only. Firstly, you pay attention to how your paper looks in general:
- The title of your paper is centered a third of the way down the cover page, your name and class are put several lines later.
- Margins are set at between 1” and 1.5”.
- The typeface preference is for Times New Roman, twelve-point font.
- Line spacing is two lines high with the following exceptions: figure captions and table titles are single-spaced. As for notes and bibliographies, single-space them internally, but leave an extra line between entries.
- Arabic page numbers appear in the top right corner in the header. The cover page is not numbered.
Citation itself
The proper use of a referencing style protects authors from accusations of plagiarism, which can be made intentionally or accidentally. You show accountability to source materials and build the credibility of your work in such a way.
Turabian combines two types of citation: the notes-bibliography system and the author-date system. The first one is mainly used in history, literature, and arts while the second is widely accepted in the natural, physical, and social sciences.
The Notes-Bibliography System
Every time you cite a source, you should include an endnote or a footnote at the end of the page on which the material is quoted directly, through a paraphrasing or summarizing. A superscript number is placed after the cited phrase. When you quote a source for the first time, you include complete information about it in the note, which is slightly different in format from a bibliography entry.
The next note reference of this work comprises the author’s last name, a shortened version of the title, and a page number.
If you cite a just referenced source, you add the “ibid.” abbreviation (stands for “in the same place”) and the page number in the note.
The bibliography provides a list of all sources mentioned in your work sorted in alphabetical order. This page may include relevant materials that are not cited but provide necessary information to understand the raised problem. All entries include the author (translator or editor), title, and publication information. See samples of bibliography items in the Turabian referencing style for different types of materials:
The Author-Date System
If you use the author-date system of the Turabian citation style, you briefly cite sources in parentheses in the text including the author's last name, the date of publication, and the page number. In case there is no page number, do not write anything instead, but if the author is unknown, use the title.
Full bibliographic information is provided in a list of references. The works are cited in a slightly different way in comparison with the bibliography.
Please note that Scamfighter provides basic information concerning the Turabian citation style. For more extended requirements consult the latest edition of A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. You may be also interested in our articles about the most popular academic formatting styles and the OSCOLA style.