how to cite dissertation turabian

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Chicago Style / How to Cite a Thesis/Dissertation in Chicago/Turabian

How to Cite a Thesis/Dissertation in Chicago/Turabian

Academic theses and dissertations can be a good source of information when writing your own paper. They are usually accessed via a university’s database or a third party database, or found on the web. The main difference between a thesis and a dissertation is the degree type they are submitted for:

• Thesis—A document submitted to earn a degree, such as a master’s degree, at a university.
• Dissertation—A document submitted to earn an advanced degree, such as a doctorate, at a university.

This guide will show you how to create notes-bibliography style citations for theses and dissertations in a variety of formats using the 17th edition of the  Chicago Manual of Style.

Guide Overview

• Citing a thesis or dissertation from a database
• Citing a thesis or dissertation from the web
• Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation

Citing a Thesis or Dissertation from a Database

Citation structure.

1. First name Last name, “Title” (master’s thesis or PhD diss., University Name, year published), page number, Database (Identification Number).

Bibliography:

Last name, First name. “Title.” Master’s thesis or PhD diss., University Name, year published. Database (Identification Number).

Citation Example

1. Kimberly Knight,  “Media Epidemics: Viral Structures in Literature and New Media” (PhD diss., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011), 17, MLA International Bibliography (2013420395).

Knight, Kimberly.  “Media Epidemics: Viral Structures in Literature and New Media.” PhD diss., University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011. MLA International Bibliography (2013420395).

Citing a Thesis or Dissertation from the Web

1. First name Last name, “Title” (master’s thesis or PhD diss., University Name, year published), page number, URL.

Last name, First name. “Title.” Master’s thesis or PhD diss., University Name, year published. URL.

1. Peggy Lynn Wilson, “Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English Language in Secondary Public Schools in Parker County” (PhD diss., University of Maryland, College Park, 2011), 25, https://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/11801/1/Wilson_umd_0117E_12354.pdf.

Wilson, Peggy Lynn. “Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English Language in Secondary Public Schools in Parker County.” PhD diss., University of Maryland, College Park, 2011. https://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/1903/11801/1/Wilson_umd_0117E_12354.pdf.

Citing an Unpublished Thesis or Dissertation

In rare cases, you may need to cite a thesis or dissertation that has not yet been published. This is particularly the case if you want to cite your own work or the work of a colleague.

1. First name Last name, “Title” (unpublished manuscript, Month Day, Year last modified), format.

Last name, First name. “Title.” Unpublished manuscript, last modified Month Day, Year. Format.

1. John Doe, “A Study of Generic Topic” (unpublished manuscript, June 19, 2021), Microsoft Word file.

Doe, John. “A Study of Generic Topic.” Unpublished manuscript, last modified June 19, 2021. Microsoft Word file.

Chicago Formatting Guide

Chicago Formatting

• Book Chapter
• Conference Paper
• Musical Recording

Citation Examples

• Thesis or Dissertation
• Encyclopedia
• Sheet Music
• YouTube Video

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Chicago Citation Examples

Writing Tools

Citation Generators

Other Citation Styles

Plagiarism Checker

Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.

Get Started

Generate accurate Chicago citations for free

• Knowledge Base
• Chicago Style
• Introduction to Turabian Style | Citations & Formatting

Introduction to Turabian Style | Citations & Formatting

Published on May 28, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on November 1, 2022.

Turabian is a version of Chicago style that’s specifically designed for students and researchers. If you’ve been told to follow Chicago style when writing your academic research paper , thesis , or dissertation , it’s usually the Turabian guidelines that will be most useful to you.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

What is turabian style, how do citations work in turabian style, notes and bibliography style, author-date style, turabian formatting guidelines.

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, but rather presents Chicago guidelines in a way that prioritizes student needs.

As such, Turabian differs from Chicago only in minor ways—formatting advice tailored to student papers, greater detail regarding specific citation formats —and the Turabian guidelines are the ones you should follow in your papers.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

Chicago and Turabian style both offer a choice between two citation styles: notes and bibliography, and author-date:

• In notes and bibliography style , citations appear in footnotes or endnotes, with a bibliography or annotated bibliography at the end listing all your sources in full. This style is popular in the humanities.
• In author-date style , in-text citations appear in parentheses, with a reference list listing all your sources at the end. This style is mainly used in the sciences.

There are two parts to a notes and bibliography citation: a Chicago footnote in the text, and an entry in your bibliography . You add a citation for all sources, whether they are primary or secondary sources , or tertiary sources .

Footnotes and endnotes

Citations in your text appear in footnotes or endnotes; the first citation of each source provides full information, while subsequent citations of the same source are usually shortened to save space.

A note is signaled by a superscript number appearing at the end of the clause or sentence the citation relates to. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page, while endnotes appear at the end of the paper. Use one or the other, not a mix of footnotes and endnotes.

Each culture “erects its own musical signposts, melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic devices to represent emotion.” 1

Bibliography

The bibliography lists full information on all the sources cited in your text. It appears at the end of your text. Bibliography entries are alphabetized by authors’ last names, so names are inverted in the bibliography with a comma separating them (e.g. “Smith, John”).

Each source is listed on a new line, with a hanging indent applied when an entry for a single source extends onto additional lines. An example of a properly formatted Turabian bibliography is shown below.

In the tabs below, you can explore examples of various common source types cited in Turabian notes and bibliography style. It’s always important to make sure you use credible sources .

Notes and bibliography citation examples

• Book chapter
• Journal article

Author-date style consists of short parenthetical in-text citations that correspond to entries in your reference list .

In-text citations

Author-date in-text citations consist of the author’s last name, the year of publication, and a page number (or other locator) if relevant. They appear at the end of the relevant clause or sentence, before any closing punctuation .

Each culture “erects its own musical signposts, melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic devices to represent emotion” (Swafford 1992, 518).

Reference list

The reference list provides full information on all the sources cited. It is presented in a similar format to the bibliography, except that the year comes immediately after the author’s name, to allow for easy cross-referencing with the in-text citations.

Explore the tabs below to see examples of author-date citations for various common source types.

Author-date citation examples

Unlike the Chicago Manual itself, Turabian presents guidelines for formatting an academic paper, thesis, or dissertation. The following general format guidelines should be followed unless your university provides different ones:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt. Times New Roman.
• Double-space the text.
• Use 1 inch margins or larger.
• Indent new paragraphs by ½ inch.
• Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center.

The image below shows an example of a page formatted according to Turabian guidelines.

You can also download one of our template documents for Turabian style. Just select the citation style you need to follow; the appropriate formatting is already set up in the document.

Author-date Notes and bibliography

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2022, November 01). Introduction to Turabian Style | Citations & Formatting. Scribbr. Retrieved August 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/chicago-style/turabian/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, chicago style citation examples | website, book, article, video, chicago style format for papers | requirements & examples, creating a chicago style bibliography | format & examples, what is your plagiarism score.

University Libraries

• Contact a Librarian
• Databases A-Z
• Guides by Subject
• Resources by Type
• Find Books & Articles
• Government Information
• Iowa Digital Library
• Iowa Research Online
• Special Collections & University Archives
• Iowa Women's Archives
• Course Reserves
• Office Delivery
• Borrowing From Another Library & Document Delivery
• Undergraduate Research Services (The SEAM)
• Research Consultations
• Instructional Services
• Research Data Services
• Open Educational Resources
• Distance Education
• Scholarly Publishing & Copyright
• More services...
• Check My Account
• Renew My Books
• My Interlibrary Loan
• Recommend Library Purchase
• EndNote Basic
• Departments
• Collection Management
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Publications, Plans & Reports
• Make a Gift
• History of the Library
• For the Media
• Research Guides & Tutorials
• Directions & Maps
• Assistance for Users with Disabilities
• All Campus Libraries
• Learning Commons
• Main Library Gallery
• Art Library
• Business Library
• Engineering Library
• Health Sciences Library
• Law Library
• Music Library
• Sciences Library
• Contact a Librarian or the UI Libraries
• Staff directory by name
• Staff directory by organizational unit
• Campus Libraries

Citation Help: Dissertations & Theses

• Getting Started
• Audio/Visual
• Business Reports and Gray Literature
• Dissertations & Theses
• Conference Sessions & Presentations
• Web Pages and Social Media
• Data Sets, Software & Tests
• In-text Citation
• Audio / Video
• Business Reports
• Dissertations & Theses
• Meetings & Symposia
• Interviews & Other Source Types
• Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
• Websites, Including Social Media
• Other Source Types
• Dataset Citations
• Engineering Citation
• Law Citation Formats
• Health & Medical Citation Formats
• Music Citation Formats
• Science Citation Styles
• Annotated Bibliographies
• Other Citation Managers
• Citation Builders

A quick note:

The following examples follow the Notes-Bibliography style. For Author-Date style, please consult The Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition.

Chicago AND Turabian Citation Examples: Dissertations & Theses

Chicago and Turabian use the exact same format for citing dissertations and theses.

Important Elements:

• Author 
• Title of Dissertation or Thesis
• Type of Document (Dissertation or Thesis)
• Name of Degree Granting Institution

Thesis or dissertation

1. Author First Last, "Title of Dissertation or Theis" (Doctoral diss. or Master's Thesis, Name of Institution, Year), pp.-pp.

1. Dana S. Levin, "Let's Talk about Sex . . . Education: Exploring Youth Perspectives, Implicit Messages, and Unexamined Implications of Sex Education in Schools" (PhD diss., University of Michigan, 2010), 101-2.

Shortened note

2. Author Last, "Shortened Title," pp.

2. Levin, "Let's Talk about Sex," 98.

Bibliography Entry

Author Last, First. "Title of Dissertation or Thesis." Doctoral diss. or Master's Thesis, Name of Institution, Year.

Levin, Dana S. "Let's Talk about Sex . . . Education: Exploring Youth Perspectives, Implicit Messages, and Unexamined Implications of Sex Education in Schools." PhD diss., University of Michigan, 2010.

Examples courtesy of  The Turabian 8th edition .

Chicago/Turabian Examples by Source

•    Articles
•    Audio & Video
•    Books
•    Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
•    Dissertations & Theses
•    Websites, Including Social Media
•    Other Source Types

Ask a Librarian

Librarians are available to help you with your questions. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have regarding citation styles, citation management, etc.

Ask a question below or contact your subject specialist librarian for more help!

Useful Resources for Chicago/Turabian

Check out the  Chicago Manual of Style's Shop Talk website  for more great information about using the Chicago Manual of Style through the links below!

• Shop Talk for Students
• Formatting a paper in Chicago Style
• What's the difference between Chicago and Turabian?!?

• << Previous: Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
• Next: Websites, Including Social Media >>
• Last Updated: Jul 19, 2024 4:24 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/citationhelp

• Collections
• Research Help
• Teaching & Learning
• Library Home

Chicago Citation Style Guide

• Get Started With Chicago Style
• Note-Bibliography Basics
• Author-Date Basics
• Citing Journal Articles
• Citing Newspaper Articles
• Citing Magazines
• Citing Websites & Blogs
• Sound Recordings
• Radio Program (Podcast)
• Broadcast Radio & TV
• Video Recordings (DVD/VHS)
• TV & Video (Web)
• Images & Art
• Reference Materials
• Religious Texts
• Legal & Government Documents

Theses & Dissertations

Citing a published thesis, citing an unpublished thesis, citing a thesis in online database or repository.

• CMS 14.224: Theses and dissertations

Titles of unpublished works appear in "quotation marks"—not in italics . This treatment extends to theses and dissertations, which are otherwise cited like books.

The kind of thesis, the academic institution, and the date follow the title. Like the publication data of a book, these are enclosed in parentheses in a note but not in a bibliography.

If the document was consulted online, include a URL or, for documents retrieved from a commercial database, give the name of the database and, in parentheses, any identification number supplied or recommended by the database.

For dissertations issued on microfilm, see 14.120 . For published abstracts of dissertations, see 14.197 .

Note-Bibliography

First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," (Publisher, Year).

      Mihwa Choi, “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty,” PhD diss., (University of Chicago, 2008).

Short Note:

Last-name, "Title of Thesis."

Choi. “Contesting Imaginaires ."

Bibliography Entry:

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Year.

Choi, Mihwa. “Contesting Imaginaires in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.” PhD diss. University      of Chicago, 2008.

Author-Date

Text Citation:

(Last-name Year)

(Mihwa 2008)

Reference Entry:

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle."

Choi, Mihwa. 2008. “Contesting  Imaginaires  in Death Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.”  PhD diss.       University of Chicago.

Note -Bibliography

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," Unpublished thesis type, University. Year.

Barry C. Hosking, "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand," PhD diss., (Ghent University, 2010).

Note #. Last-name,"Title of Thesis."

Barry C. Hosking, "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes."

Bibliography:

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Unpublished thesis type. University. Year.

Hosking, Barry C. "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University, 2010.

(Hosking 2010)

Last-name, First-name.  Year.  "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Unpublished thesis type. University.

Hosking, Barry C.    2010.  "The Control of Gastro-intestinal Nematodes in Sheep with the Amino-acetonitrile Derivative, Monepantel with a Particular Focus on Australia and New Zealand." PhD diss., Ghent University.

Note #. First-name Last-name, "Title of Thesis: Subtitle," Database Name (Identifier if given), Year, Internet address.

      12. Meredith Stewart, "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus, " Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222), 2005, http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

Note #. Last-name, "Title of Thesis."

21. Stewart, "An Investigation into Aspects."

Last-name, First-name. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle." Database Name (Identifier if given), Year. Internet address.

Stewart, Meredith. "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus ." Australasian Digital Theses Program (WMU2005.1222),  2005. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

(Stewart 2005)

Last-name, First-name. Year. "Title of Thesis: Subtitle."  Database Name  (Identifier if given), Internet address.

Stewart, Meredith. 2005. "An Investigation into Aspects of the Replication of Jembrana Disease Virus ." Australasian Digital Theses Program  (WMU2005.1222),    http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051222.104106.

• << Previous: Legal & Government Documents
• Next: More Help >>
• Last Updated: Feb 13, 2024 2:03 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wvu.edu/chicago

Mastering Citations: Your Complete Reference Companion: Chicago/Turabian

• Chicago/Turabian

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chicago Style is widely used for citing sources in academic writing. It provides guidelines for writing and documentation that covers everything from paper structure to citation formats. Turabian is a simplified version of Chicago style, primarily used by students.

TWO-SYSTEM EXPLANATION

Notes and Bibliography:  Used mostly in humanities (literature, history, and the arts). This system uses footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. 

Author-Date: Common in the social sciences and sciences. This system uses parenthetical in-text citations and a reference list. 

Additional Resources

The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the official site, offering detailed guidelines, examples, and tips on using Chicago Style for citations, formatting, and writing.

The Turabian Quick Guide offers the essential elements of Turabian style.

Purdue OWL provides comprehensive guides on Chicago style, including formatting, in-text citations, and reference lists, along with examples.

Chegg's How to Format Your Paper in Chicago Style Tutorial: A clear and concise video tutorial by Chegg that walks you through the process of formatting your academic paper according to Chicago style guidelines.

Chegg's How to Create Chicago Style Footnotes Tutorial: A detailed video tutorial by Chegg that guides you through the process of creating and formatting footnotes in Chicago style.

A comprehensive video tutorial by Purdue OWL that provides clear guidance on correctly using Chicago Style citations for academic writing.

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)

Formatting Guidelines

• Chicago/Turabian Style Formatting Guidelines A comprehensive guide to the Chicago/Turabian citation style, detailing how to format your sources for various types of academic writing.
• << Previous: APA
• Next: MLA >>
• Last Updated: Aug 8, 2024 3:35 PM
• URL: https://tsu.libguides.com/citations

How to Cite Sources in Turabian 9th ed. and Format Papers: Home

• Citing the Bible
• Commentaries
• Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
• Reference Works (Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Lexicons, etc.)
• Journal Article
• Motion Pictures/Videos
• Lecture or Live Performance
• Formats for Paper
• Formats for Presentations or Websites

About the Styleguides in this Libguide

Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations has two different types of styles: Notes and Bibliography Style, and Author-Date Style. Notes and Bibliography Style is typically used within the humanities including literature, history, and the arts. The Author-Dates Style is primarily used within the physical, natural, and social sciences.

This guide only deals with the Notes and Bibliography Style.

Citation Style

Turabian style uses footnotes. Footnotes should be handled by your word processor and not something you just try to put in the footer. The footnote should be in the same font, Times New Roman, but in 10 point font, as opposed to the 12 point font of the body of the paper.  The content of the footnote depends on source and if it is the first time the resource is cited. The second, and following citation, the note is shortened greatly.

Here are some helps from out on the internet. I cannot testify to their accuracy, but they may help with some citations and formatting questions.

• OttoBib A generator of citations based on the ISBN of a book. Not for use with journal articles. ** set to Chicago/Turabian to start
• Turabian Online Guide from the publisher The authoritative guide from the publisher.
• Next: Citing the Bible >>
• Last Updated: Jun 3, 2024 2:21 PM
• URL: https://apu.libguides.com/Turabian

Turabian 9th edition Style Guide

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

Turabian 9th edition

Disclaimer :  This guide is designed to provide a brief overview of Turabian 9th edition and does not replace the style handbook.  Please refer to the style handbook for more details on citing sources.   You can also contact Savannah Patterson ([email protected]) or make a research coach appointment.  

The Turabian citation style is a shortened form of Chicago citation style.  Developed by the secretary of the graduate school's dissertation department at the University of Chicago, Kate Turabian, this citation style is used in social sciences, humanities, natural and physical sciences and depending on the class/professor.  

There are two different styles of Turabian that students can follow given their professors' requests (1) notes- bibliography (or notes style) and (2) author-date style. Both styles require in-text citations and formal references in a bibliography or reference, but each style differs regarding the in-text citation.  The notes style require footnotes (indicated by a superscript number after a reference) that are at the bottom of the page or at the end of the text.  The author-date citation style uses parenthetical citations to cite the references in the text.  Make sure to consult your professor if you are not sure which style to use.  

This guide provides brief examples and descriptions of how to cite works in a paper for footnotes, author-date citations, and the bibliography.  Additional information regarding inclusive language is included in the 9th edition handbook which can be found in the library.  

Click the tabs to see examples and descriptions of citations for various types of resources. 

Information on this guide was found from a combination of sources: 

Purdue Online Writing Lab. "General Format."                                                                                         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. 

Turabian: A Manual for Writers: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. "Turabian Citation Quick Page." Accessed December 6,             

     2021.  https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/turabian/citation-guide.html    

• Next: Formatting Your Paper >>
• Last Updated: Jul 1, 2024 1:50 PM
• URL: https://guides.uu.edu/turabian

Chicago/Turabian Style Citation Examples

Chicago vs. turabian, what's in this guide, turabian style manual, citation faq, guide/sample papers, author-date format.

Books/eBooks

• Letters & Pamphlets
• Gov't/legal

Social Media

One Source Quoted in Another

• Ask a Librarian
• Author-Date style

Chicago and Turabian are nearly identical citation styles - the key difference being that Turabian is a somewhat simplified version of Chicago style, and intended for students writing research papers. The Chicago Manual of Style is designed for professionals who are publishing work and thus goes into much greater detail on formatting.

Check with your professord, but usually the citation guidelines in this Turabian guide will also apply to Chicago style.

• journal, magazine and newspaper articles
• print and online books/book chapters
• online and print

Web pages

• entire websites, single web pages

Gov't/Legal

• cases, laws, government documents.
• Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
• images, music, video
• online, book, webpage
• Organizational author, no author, oral histories/interviews, class lectures,  formatting subsequent (shortened) notes

Ask a Librarian  

• Ask for research help at the Library Services Desk, using chat, email, phone
• Email any one of the librarians for a research appointment tailored to your paper/project
• Citation FAQ Find answers to commonly asked questions regarding APA, CSE, MLA, and Turabian styles.
• Turabian Quick Guide
• Chicago Style, notes-bibliography sample paper Credit: Purdue OWL
• Turabian Style Guide: Sample Paper in Turabian

Turabian Style, first created for students by Kate Larimore Turabian , is a simplified version of the Chicago Manual of Style. 

B.D. Owens Library supports Notes-Bibliography style for Turabian, however, a short guide for Author-Date style can be found here:

• Author-Date Sample Citations
• Chicago Style, author-date sample paper Credit: Purdue OWL

The formatting and citation examples in this guide are based upon rules and examples in A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 9th edition by Kate Turabian. If you would like additions or would like to report a correction to this guide, please contact Becky Meneely . 

• Next: Articles >>
• Last Updated: Aug 12, 2024 1:05 PM
• URL: https://libguides.nwmissouri.edu/turabian

• Liberty Online
• Residential
• Request More Information
• (434) 582-2000
• Academic Calendar
• Bachelor’s Degrees
• Master’s Degrees
• Postgraduate Degrees
• Doctoral Degrees
• Associate Degrees
• Certificate Programs
• Degree Minors
• Registrar’s Office
• Degree Completion Plans (DCPs)
• Course Catalog
• Policy Directory
• Academic Support (CASAS)
• LU Bookstore
• Research at Liberty
• Eagle Scholars Program
• Honors Scholars
• Quiz Bowl Team
• Debate Team
• Student Travel
• Liberty University Online Academy (K-12)
• Tuition & Costs
• Net Price Calculator
• Student Financial Services
• Scholarships
• Undergraduate
• International
• Apply for LU Online
• Online Admissions
• Online Tuition & Fees
• Military Students
• School of Law
• Osteopathic Medicine
• Convocation
• Campus Community
• LU Serve Now
• Liberty Worship Collective
• Office of Spiritual Development
• Online Engagement
• LU Shepherd
• Doctrinal Statement
• Mission Statement
• Residence Life
• Student Government
• Student Clubs
• Conduct Code & Appeals
• Health & Wellness
• Student Affairs Offices
• Campus Recreation
• LaHaye Rec & Fit
• Intramural Sports
• Hydaway Outdoor Center
• Snowflex Centre
• Student Activities
• Club Sports
• LaHaye Ice Center
• ID & Campus Services
• Dining Services
• Parents & Families
• Commuter Students
• International Students
• Graduate Students
• Disability Support
• NCAA Sports
• Flames Club
• Varsity Club
• Williams Stadium
• Vines Center
• Liberty Baseball Stadium
• Kamphuis Field
• Ticket Information
• Flames Merchandise
• LU Quick Facts
• News & Events
• Virtual Tour
• History of Liberty
• Contact Liberty
• Visit Liberty
• Give to Liberty
• CASAS: Academic Success Center
• Writing Style Guides

Turabian Format Quick Guide

Additional Navigation

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

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 (pdf)

Turabian Template (dotm)  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 (dotm) 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 (dotm)

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 (dotm)

Helpful Resources

• Turabian Chart of Citations (pdf)
• Turabian Annotated Bibliography Sample (pdf)
• Sacred Book Reference List (pdf)
• Capitalization Glossary (pdf)
• Choosing Appropriate Resources for Academic Papers (pdf)
• Citing Artificial Intelligence (AI) when permitted to use (pdf)

Video Tutorials

• Insert heading levels into template and populate Contents page video
• Remove Contents page from template if not necessary for your assignment video
• Using MS Word in insert footnote numbering/placement video ( 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 (pdf) .
• 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 (pdf) 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 (pdf)  for book review assignments only.
• Template for paper in Author-Date format (pdf)
• Chart of Citations in Author-Date format (pdf)  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 (pdf) and Capitalization Glossary (pdf) .

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.

Citation Guide: Turabian

• Turabian Style
• Journal Article
• Bible This link opens in a new window
• Social Media
• Online Video & Podcast
• Images, Artwork, & Graphics
• Multiple Authors
• Corporate/Organization as Author
• Editor or Translator
• Paper Formatting This link opens in a new window

Each source type is linked to a reputable website or from your CU librarian with an example for how to cite that source. These links help ensure that you are getting the most up-to-date information on all citation sources. All examples are in the Notes and Bibliography style.  

Turabian Citation Quick Guide Page - official publisher site for Turabian that offers help with format and citations.

• Next: Journal Article >>
• Last Updated: Jun 10, 2024 4:40 PM
• URL: https://libguides.cedarville.edu/turabian

Chicago/Turabian/SBL Style Guide (Notes-Bibliography)

• Format for Paper
• Citation Placement
• Reference (encyclopedias, dictionaries, or lexicons)
• Books / eBooks
• Citing a Thesis or Dissertation
• Format for A Thesis or Dissertation

Margins, Fonts, and Indents - Turabian 9, A.1 General Format Requirements

Spacing - Turabian 9, A.1 General Format Requirements

Title Page Format - Turabian 9, A.2.1.2

Abstract - Turabian 9, A.2.1.4 Abstract

Block Quotations - Turabian 9, 25.2.2 Block Quotations

Page Number Placement - Turabian 9, A.1.4.2 Placement

Levels of Headings - Turabian 9, A.2.2.4 Sections and Subsections

• Government Documents
• Other Resources
• Format of the Reference Page
• Grad Ministry
• Contact the Library

1" margins on all sides.

Exceptions (in instructions by professor)

• 1.5" left margin and .5" right margin - used for binding a document.
• 2" margin on one side - for instructor comments on a rough draft
• An easily readable typeface (Times New Romans or Arial)
• At least ten-point Arial or twelve-point Times New Roman
• Same font and size throughout paper, unless specified by instructor

1/2" indentation used at beginning of paragraph, use <Tab>

Double space. No extra line between paragraphs.

Exceptions are: block quotations, table titles and figure captions, and lists in appendixes

Single space, with one blank line between entries

Single space quotation

Follow any model provided by your department.

In general any title page should include the following. Place the title a third of the way down, centered. If the paper has a main title and subtitle, place main title on one line, followed by a colon, and put the subtitle on a new line. Several lines below the title place your name, along with any information requested by the instructor (often course title, department name and number, and the date).

• Abstracts that summarize the content of the thesis or disseration are often required
• First page of the Abstract should be page iii (i is Title page, II is the Copyright page)
• Leave two blank lines between title and first line of text
• Double-space the abstract
• Five or more lines create a block quotation
• Single-space a block quotation
• leave a blank line before and after quotation
• No quotation marks at either end of the block quotations, but keep any original quotation marks
• indent the entire block the same 1/2 inch as the first line of a paragraph
• If you cite the source in a footnote, place the note as a superscript at the end of the block quotation, after the punctuation

Page numbers are placed in one of four places. The important thing is to be consistent and follow your instructions.

• Centered in the footer
• Flush right in the footer
• Centered in the header
• Flush right in the header

In all cases, at least 1/2 inch from the edge of the page.

Levels of Headings - Levels of Headings - Turabian 9, A.2.2.4 Sections and Subsections

First Level: C entered, Boldface or Italics, Capitalize Each Word (Title Case)

Second Level: Centered, Regular Type, Capitalize Each Word (Title Case)

Third Level: Flush Left, Boldface or Italics, Capitalize Each Word (Title Case)

Fourth Level: Flush left, regular type, sentence-style capitalization

Fifth Level: run in at the beginning of paragraph (no blank line after), boldface or italics, sentence-style capitalization, terminal period [think of this as an intro sentence to the paragraph that just happens to be in boldface or italics].

• << Previous: Citing a Thesis or Dissertation
• Next: Government Documents >>
• Last Updated: Oct 18, 2023 11:09 AM
• URL: https://libguides.hiu.edu/chicago

Turabian Citation Style Guide 9th Edition: I. Reference Book

• General Guidelines
• A. One Author
• B. Two or Three Authors
• C. More than Three Authors
• D. Chapter in an Edited Book with Multiple Authors
• E. Volume with a Specific Title in a Multi-Volume Work
• F. Organization Author
• G. No Author
• I. Reference Book
• J. Edition other than the First
• A. Basic Journal Article
• B. Journal Article from Online Periodical
• C. Journal Article from Article Database
• D. Magazine Article
• E. Magazine Article from Online Magazine
• F. Newspaper Article
• G. Newspaper Article from an Online Newspaper
• A. Basic Web Page
• B. Web Page No Author
• C. Blog Entries and Comments
• A. Motion Picture
• B. Television and Radio Programs
• A. Image from Electronic Source
• B. Published Photograph
• A. Interviews & Personal Communications
• B. Lectures
• C. Pamphlets, Brochures, & Reports
• D. Scriptural References
• E. Secondary Sources
• F. Government Publications

About Citing Books

For each type of source in this guide, the general form and specific examples will be provided for both the Notes-Bibliography and the Author-Date style options of Turabian.

This information and several of the examples were drawn from A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations (9th edition). Numbers in parentheses refer to specific pages in the manual.

For further information, please ask your instructor or refer to the Turabian manual.

Reference Book

Well-known reference works, including major dictionaries or encyclopedias are generally only cited in notes or  parenthetical citation depending on which style you are using.  It is generally not necessary to include a full citation in the bibliography or reference list unless the source is critical to your argument. If entries are arranged alphabetically, then cite the name of the item instead of the volume or page numbers. This should be preceded by s.v. which stands for sub verbo or "under the word." Use s.vv. for plural entries.

If the reference item is not well-known, include specific publication details in your notes and also include it in the bibliography or reference list as if it were a book.

       Parenthetical Entry:

      ( Encyclopaedia Britannica 15th ed., s.v. "Salvation")

• Turabian Quick Guide Examples for the publisher's website.
• Purdue Owl Chicago Style Information and examples from Purdues Online Writing Lab.
• University of Wisconsin's Writing Center Chicago/Turabian information and examples.
• Turabian Style Guidelines Summary of guidelines provided by the MSUB Academic Support Center.
• Sample Paper Sample of a Turabian-style paper provided by the Academic Support Center at MSUB.
• << Previous: H. E-Book
• Next: J. Edition other than the First >>
• Last Updated: Aug 2, 2024 3:35 PM
• URL: https://libguides.msubillings.edu/turabian

CITATION QUICK GUIDE

Author-Date: Sample Citations

The following examples illustrate the author-date style. Each example of a reference list entry is accompanied by an example of a corresponding in-text citation. For more details and many more examples, see chapters 18 and 19 of Turabian. (For examples of the same citations using the notes and bibliography system, go to Notes and Bibliography: Sample Citations .)

REFERENCE LIST ENTRIES (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Kitamura, Katie. 2017. A Separation . New York: Riverhead Books.

Sassler, Sharon, and Amanda Jayne Miller. 2017. Cohabitation Nation: Gender, Class, and the Remaking of Relationships . Oakland: University of California Press.

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

(Kitamura 2017, 25)

(Sassler and Miller 2017, 114)

CHAPTER OR OTHER PART OF AN EDITED BOOK

In the reference list, include the page range for the chapter or part. In the text, cite specific pages.

REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Rowlandson, Mary. 2016. “The Narrative of My Captivity.” In The Making of the American Essay , edited by John D’Agata, 19–56. Minneapolis: Graywolf Press.

IN-TEXT CITATION

(Rowlandson 2016, 19–20)

To cite an edited book as a whole, list the editor(s) first.

D’Agata, John, ed. 2016. The Making of the American Essay . Minneapolis: Graywolf Press.

(D’Agata 2016, 19–20)

TRANSLATED BOOK

Lahiri, Jhumpa. 2016. In Other Words . Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

(Lahiri 2016, 146)

For books consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database in the reference list entry. For other types of e-books, name the format. If no fixed page numbers are available, cite a section title or a chapter or other number in the text or, if possible, track down a version with fixed page numbers.

Austen, Jane. 2007. Pride and Prejudice . New York: Penguin Classics. Kindle.

Dostoevsky, Fyodor. 1917. Crime and Punishment . Translated by Constance Garnett, edited by William Allan Neilson. New York: P. F. Collier & Son. https://archive.org/details/crimepunishment00dostuoft.

Schlosser, Eric. 2001. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the American Meal . Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ProQuest Ebrary.

(Austen 2007, chap. 3)

(Dostoevsky 1917, 444)

(Schlosser 2001, 88)

THESIS OR DISSERTATION

Navarro-Garcia, Guadalupe. 2016. “Integrating Social Justice Values in Educational Leadership: A Study of African American and Black University Presidents.” PhD diss., University of California, Los Angeles. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

(Navarro-Garcia 2016, 44)

JOURNAL ARTICLE

In the reference list, include the page range for the whole article. In the text, cite specific page numbers. For articles consulted online, include a URL or the name of the database in the reference list entry. Many journal articles list a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). A DOI forms a permanent URL that begins https://doi.org/. This URL is preferable to the URL that appears in your browser’s address bar.

Keng, Shao-Hsun, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem. 2017. “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income Inequality.” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring): 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.

LaSalle, Peter. 2017. “Conundrum: A Story about Reading.” New England Review 38 (1): 95–109. Project MUSE.

Pérez, Ashley Hope. 2017. “Material Morality and the Logic of Degrees in Diderot’s Le neveu de Rameau .” Modern Philology 114, no. 4 (May): 872–98. https://doi.org/10.1086/689836.

(Keng, Lin, and Orazem 2017, 9–10)

(LaSalle 2017, 95)

(Pérez 2017, 874)

Journal articles often list many authors, especially in the sciences. If there are four or more authors, list up to ten in the reference list; in the text, list only the first, followed by et al. (“and others”). For more than ten authors (not shown here), list the first seven in the reference list, followed by et al.

Weber, Jesse N., Martin Kalbe, Kum Chuan Shim, Noémie I. Erin, Natalie C. Steinel, Lei Ma, and Daniel I. Bolnick. 2017. “Resist Globally, Infect Locally: A Transcontinental Test of Adaptation by Stickleback and Their Tapeworm Parasite.” American Naturalist 189, no. 1 (January): 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1086/689597.

(Weber et al. 2017, 45)

NEWS OR MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Articles from newspapers or news sites, magazines, blogs, and the like are cited similarly. In the reference list, it can be helpful to repeat the year with sources that are cited also by month and day. Page numbers, if any, can be cited in the text but are omitted from a reference list entry. If you consulted the article online, include a URL or the name of the database.

Anderssen, Erin. 2016. “Through the Eyes of Generation Z.” Globe and Mail (Toronto), June 25, 2016. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/through-the-eyes-of-generation-z/article30571914/.

Cunningham, Vinson. 2017. “You Don’t Understand: John McWhorter Makes His Case for Black English.” New Yorker , May 15, 2017.

Lind, Dara. 2016. “Moving to Canada, Explained.” Vox , September 15, 2016. http://www.vox.com/2016/5/9/11608830/move-to-canada-how.

Manjoo, Farhad. 2017. “Snap Makes a Bet on the Cultural Supremacy of the Camera.” New York Times , March 8, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/technology/snap-makes-a-bet-on-the-cultural-supremacy-of-the-camera.html.

Pegoraro, Rob. 2007. “Apple’s iPhone Is Sleek, Smart and Simple.” Washington Post , July 5, 2007. LexisNexis Academic.

(Anderssen 2016)

(Cunningham 2017, 85)

(Lind 2016)

(Manjoo 2017)

(Pegoraro 2007)

Readers’ comments are cited in the text but omitted from a reference list.

(Eduardo B [Los Angeles], March 9, 2017, comment on Manjoo 2017)

BOOK REVIEW

Eberstadt, Fernanda. 2017. “Gone Guy: A Writer Leaves His Wife, Then Disappears in Greece.” Review of A Separation , by Katie Kitamura. New York Times , February 15, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/books/review/separation-katie-kitamura.html.

(Eberstadt 2017)

WEBSITE CONTENT

Web pages and other website content can be cited as shown here. For a source that does not list a date of publication, posting, or revision, use n.d.  (for “no date”) in place of the year and include an access date.

Columbia University. n.d. “History.” Accessed May 15, 2017. http://www.columbia.edu/content/history.html.

Google. 2017. “Privacy Policy.” Privacy & Terms. Last modified April 17, 2017. https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

(Columbia University n.d.)

(Google 2017)

AUDIOVISUAL CONTENT

Beyoncé. 2016. “Sorry.” Directed by Kahlil Joseph and Beyoncé Knowles. June 22, 2016. Music video, 4:25. https://youtu.be/QxsmWxxouIM.

Stamper, Kory. 2017. “From ‘F-Bomb’ to ‘Photobomb,’ How the Dictionary Keeps Up with English.” Interview by Terry Gross. Fresh Air , NPR, April 19, 2017. Audio, 35:25. http://www.npr.org/2017/04/19/524618639/from-f-bomb-to-photobomb-how-the-dictionary-keeps-up-with-english.

(Beyoncé 2016)

(Stamper 2017)

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT

Citations of content shared through social media can usually be limited to the text (as in the first example below). If a more formal citation is needed or to include a link, a reference list entry may be appropriate. In place of a title, quote up to the first 160 characters of the post. Comments are cited in reference to the original post.

Sloane Crosley offers the following advice: “How to edit: Attack a sentence. Write in the margins. Toss in some arrows. Cross out words. Rewrite them. Circle the whole mess and STET” (@askanyone, Twitter, May 8, 2017).

Chicago Manual of Style. 2015. “Is the world ready for singular they? We thought so back in 1993.” Facebook, April 17, 2015. https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoManual/posts/10152906193679151.

Souza, Pete (@petesouza). 2016. “President Obama bids farewell to President Xi of China at the conclusion of the Nuclear Security Summit.” Instagram photo, April 1, 2016. https://www.instagram.com/p/BDrmfXTtNCt/.

(Chicago Manual of Style 2015)

(Souza 2016)

(Michele Truty, April 17, 2015, 1:09 p.m., comment on Chicago Manual of Style 2015)

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Personal interviews, correspondence, and other types of personal communications—including email and text messages and direct messages sent through social media—are usually cited in the text only; they are rarely included in a reference list.

(Sam Gomez, Facebook message to author, August 1, 2017)

(Interview with home health aide, July 31, 2017)

How to Cite a Dissertation or Thesis in Chicago/Turabian With Examples

• Icon Calendar 19 May 2024
• Icon Page 2196 words
• Icon Clock 11 min read

Dissertations refer to a document submitted by a student intended to support the candidature for an academic degree. In practice, a dissertation or thesis allows students to contribute new knowledge, theories, and practices in their specialization field. Then, students at different levels of higher learning education must complete their dissertations to meet the required academic criteria for graduating. Moreover, there are some specific rules on how to cite a dissertation or thesis in the Chicago/Turabian referencing style that writers should follow when developing citations for dissertations. In particular, credible bibliographic entries in this format should contain the author’s name, the title, type of a thesis, and other publication details. Besides, some dissertations may not contain the author’s name. In such cases, one should use the title when preparing the bibliographic entry of the source. Also, entries for thesis bibliographies published online should contain the URL link.

General Aspects of Citing a Dissertation or Thesis in Chicago/Turabian

A dissertation refers to a student’s document intended to support the candidature for an academic degree. Basically, thesis papers allow students to contribute new knowledge, theories, and practices in their field of specialization. In this case, learners have to advance the existing knowledge by carrying out informed research. Also, the most common types of dissertations include an undergraduate thesis, a Master’s thesis, and a doctoral dissertation. Hence, students at different levels of higher learning education must complete their dissertations to meet the required academic criteria for graduating.

Undegraduate Thesis

An undergraduate thesis refers to a culmination of college experiences. For example, students use the experience learned throughout undergraduate courses to focus on a single research problem. In this case, scholars must advance knowledge that can merge the knowledge gap identified. Moreover, an undergraduate thesis contains credible information that other scholars can reference in their academic papers by using the rules of citing a dissertation in Chicago/Turabian.

Master’s Thesis

A master’s thesis refers to a piece of original scholarship written under a faculty advisor’s close supervision. In practice, a master’s thesis resembles a doctoral dissertation. For example, the main difference between these types of papers includes length and focus. Basically, the Master’s thesis is shorter and has a narrow focus compared to the doctoral dissertation. Besides, a Master’s thesis allows learners to pursue further research in their field of specialization. In practice, other scholars can cite the information from the Master’s thesis due to its level of originality and credibility.

Doctoral Thesis

A doctoral thesis makes a new and creative contribution to the field of study. Basically, students pursuing a doctoral degree use the thesis to demonstrate their expertise in the area of study. In most cases, the doctoral dissertation contains an in-depth analysis of a specific research problem. Moreover, students present facts that can advance the existing knowledge in the study. In turn, other scholars cite the information contained in the doctoral dissertation by considering the referencing guidelines of the Chicago/Turabian format because it contains credible details relating to a specific topic.

Citing Rules for a Dissertation or Thesis in Chicago/Turabian

Chicago/Turabian citation style requires a student to acknowledge information obtained from credible sources. In particular, dissertations contain credible and accurate details that can support academic arguments. Then, all entries in the bibliography should include basic elements, like the author, title, and publication information. Moreover, one must follow the right punctuation when providing relevant details. Hence, the following are the guidelines on how to cite a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian that a scholar should follow when entering each element of the source.

Citing an Unpublished Dissertation in Chicago/Turabian

1. name of the author.

The name of the author of a thesis is the first item in a bibliographic entry when citing a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian. For instance, the author’s name should appear in an inverted form in the bibliography. In this case, one must place the last name first. Then, a comma should separate the first and the last name of the author. For example, if the author of the dissertation is John Smith, it should appear as “Smith, John” in the bibliographic entry. Basically, the first, middle, and second names of the author appear on the title page of the thesis. In turn, one should identify the actual name of the author to avoid possible cases of plagiarism.

Unknown Author

Some dissertations do not contain the name of the author. In this case, writers should consider using the title of the source if it contains credible information for the citation. Also, one should not use fake names to identify the author because it can lead to a case of plagiarism. Instead, the title of the source should help one to cite a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian correctly.

2. Title of the Dissertation

The title of the dissertation represents the second item in a bibliographic entry. Basically, writers should identify the full title of the thesis when citing the required entry in Chicago/Turabian. Also, these details should appear in quotation marks. In turn, the title must appear in the title case where all the words should begin with a capital letter. Moreover, only the linking words should begin in small letters. Therefore, the title of the dissertation should appear inside quotation marks and in title case.

Punctuation Marks

The title of the dissertation should contain the right punctuation marks. For instance, one should place a period at the end of the thesis’s title. In most cases, writers place the period outside quotation marks. However, a credible bibliographic entry should contain the period inside punctuation marks. Hence, students must include the right punctuation marks when citing a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian.

3. Publication Details

Publication details of a dissertation should follow the title and must appear inside rounded brackets. In particular, the most important bibliographic details include the source type identifier, place of publication, and year. Basically, these parts may vary depending on the type of thesis that a writer uses as the source of information. Hence, the following are the guidelines for citing publication details on a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian.

A) Source Type Identifier

The source type identifier is the first item in the bibliographic entry. Basically, the source identifier refers to the type of thesis that one uses as the source of evidence. In this case, one should identify if the source is a doctoral dissertation, a master’s thesis, or an undergraduate thesis. For doctoral papers, one should use the phrase “Ph.D. diss.” Also, the word “dissertation” should appear in the shortened form. However, students should use “Master’s Thesis” or “Bachelor’s Thesis” for the other two types of dissertations.

B) Place of Publication

Place of publication refers to the learning institution of authors of dissertations. For instance, one should identify the university where the author of the thesis presented the work for academic approval. In practice, one should include the full name of the institution.

C) Year of Publication

The year of publication should be the last detail of the publication. In particular, writers should identify the actual year when the author presented the dissertation for academic defense. As a thumb rule, one should use a thesis published not later than five years.

D) Punctuation Marks

Writers should use the correct punctuation marks to separate the bibliographic entry of the sources. In practice, one should use commas to separate bibliographic information from the source. As a result, a good bibliographic entry when citing a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian should appear as (Source type identifier, place of publication, year). 

Citing a Published Dissertation in Chicago/Turabian

The bibliographic entry of a published dissertation should contain the name of the author and the title. Basically, these details should follow the format used in unpublished journals. However, other details vary. In turn, the following are the guidelines that one should follow to complete specific parts of a journal article.

1. Details of Publication

The publication details of a bibliographic entry of a published source should not appear inside brackets. For example, the type of dissertation, place, and year of publication should not appear in rounded brackets like in the unpublished thesis. However, commas should separate these details.

2. Page Numbers

Dissertations published as research articles may have unique page numbers. Basically, one should include the range of pages that contain the relevant article. In this case, a hyphen should separate the first and last pages. Besides, one should not use “p.” or “pp.” when presenting actual pages of the thesis presented. In turn, the actual pagination of a published research thesis should appear as “15-50.” Then, a period should appear after the pagination.

3. Database Name and Accession Number

The writer should identify the name of the database and the accession number. In this case, the name of the database should follow the publication details of the thesis. Basically, this name refers to the actual journal that published the dissertation. In turn, the accession number of the published dissertation should appear inside the brackets. Moreover, a period should follow the bracket containing the accession number.

Citing a Dissertation Published Online in Chicago/Turabian

One may find different types of dissertations published online. For example, the bibliographic entry of a published dissertation should contain the name of the author and the title. Also, these details should follow the format used in unpublished journals. However, some bibliographic entries vary when compared to other dissertations. Hence, the following are the guidelines on how to cite a published dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian that one should use to develop the bibliographic entry.

1. Publication Inforamtion

The publication details of a bibliographic entry of an online published source should not appear inside brackets. Basically, one should include the type of dissertation, place, and year of publication should appear and separate them using commas. In practice, these details should follow the title of the source.

Students should include the URL link that leads to the source. In this case, the URL should be accurate to avoid the vagueness of the bibliographic entry. For instance, the URL link should appear as “http://www.” Moreover, the URL link should be the last item in the bibliographic entry. Therefore, one should include the valid URL link that leads to the online published thesis.

Examples of Relevant Citations

1. scheme of the citation.

The following are examples of citing schemes for referencing a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian that one can use to write a bibliographic entry of unpublished, published, and online dissertations.

A) The bibliographic entry of an unpublished dissertation should follow the scheme:

Last, First M. “Thesis/Dissertation Title.” (Ph.D. diss., [OR] Master’s thesis, Academic institution, year).

B) A published dissertation’s bibliographic entry should follow the scheme:

Last, First M. “Thesis/Dissertation Title.” Ph.D. diss., [OR] Master’s thesis, Academic institution, year. Database name (accession number).

C) An online published dissertation’s bibliographic entry should follow the scheme:

Last, First M. “Title of the Dissertation or Thesis.” Ph.D. diss., [OR] Master’s thesis, Academic institution, year. http://www.url.com

2. Samples of Actual Citations

A) The actual citation of an unpublished dissertation should take the form:

Choi, Mihwa. “Contesting Representations in Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.” (Ph.D. diss., Chicago/Turabian University, 2020).

B) The actual citation of a published dissertation should take the form:

Choi, Mihwa. “Contesting Representations in Rituals during the Northern Song Dynasty.” Ph.D. diss., Chicago/Turabian University, 2020. ProQuest (AAT 5612356).

C) The actual citation of an online published dissertation should take the form:

Lewis, Jennifer, “A Multi-Method Approach to Examining Emotion Regulation Profiles in Women with and without Borderline Personality Disorder,” 2020, https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/25256.

Note: Not all of these examples of citing a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian are actual works written by scholars. In turn, such samples serve only for learning purposes.

Summing Up on How to Cite a Dissertation or Thesis in Chicago/Turabian

Dissertations refer to a document submitted by a student intended to support the candidature for an academic degree. Basically, thesis papers allow students to contribute new knowledge, theories, and practices in their field of specialization. In this case, they contain credible information that other scholars can use for citations. Then, the most common types of dissertations include undergraduate and Master’s thesis papers and doctoral dissertations. Moreover, students at different levels of higher learning education must learn the main rules on how to cite a dissertation or thesis in Chicago/Turabian format to avoid plagiarism cases. In turn, there are some specific rules that writers should follow when developing citations for dissertations. Hence, the following are some of the factors that one must consider:

• The bibliographic entry of unpublished dissertations should appear as “Last, First M. “Thesis/Dissertation Title.” (Ph.D. diss., [OR] Master’s thesis, Academic institution, year).”
• A published dissertation’s bibliographic entry should appear as “Last, First M. “Thesis/Dissertation Title.” Ph.D. diss., [OR] Master’s thesis, Academic institution, year. Database name (accession number).”
• An online published dissertation’s bibliographic entry should appear as “Last, First M. “Title of the Dissertation or Thesis.” Ph.D. diss., [OR] Master’s thesis, Academic institution, year. http://www.url.com”
• One should omit the author’s name in cases where it does not appear on the title page of the dissertation. In this case, the title of the dissertation should serve as identification details for the source.

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

Coursework: Requirements for an A+ Paper

• Icon Calendar 6 August 2020
• Icon Page 4102 words

How to Cite a Dissertation or Thesis in APA 7 With Examples

• Icon Calendar 4 August 2020
• Icon Page 2063 words

How to Cite Dissertations and Government Publications in Turabian Style

• Turabian AD
• Turabian NB

In our citation examples, we use the following color coding:

• Red – Author
• Blue – Title of book/article/charter/webpage
• Pink – Date
• Orange – Website/Publisher
• Turquoise – Place of publication
• Violet – Editor/Translator
• Peach – Additional information about the source (i.e. its type, specific features etc.)

Dissertation (Thesis)

Nadella, Geeta Sandeep. 2023. “Validating the Overall Impact of IS on Educators in US

High Schools Using IS-Impact Model – A Quantitative PLS-SEM Approach.” PhD diss.,

University of the Cumberlands, ProQuest.

Download Citation

Government report

Department of Tourism and Sport. 2023. Year of Accessible Tourism: 2023-2024.

Brisbane: Queensland Government.

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our cookies

• Plagiarism and grammar
• Citation guides

Cite a Dissertation in TURABIAN

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper

Consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

• Has the author written several articles on the topic, and do they have the credentials to be an expert in their field?
• Can you contact them? Do they have social media profiles?
• Have other credible individuals referenced this source or author?
• Book: What have reviews said about it?
• What do you know about the publisher/sponsor? Are they well-respected?
• Do they take responsibility for the content? Are they selective about what they publish?
• Take a look at their other content. Do these other articles generally appear credible?
• Does the author or the organization have a bias? Does bias make sense in relation to your argument?
• Is the purpose of the content to inform, entertain, or to spread an agenda? Is there commercial intent?
• Are there ads?
• When was the source published or updated? Is there a date shown?
• Does the publication date make sense in relation to the information presented to your argument?
• Does the source even have a date?
• Was it reproduced? If so, from where?
• If it was reproduced, was it done so with permission? Copyright/disclaimer included?
• Citation Machine® Plus
• Citation Guides
• Chicago Style
• Harvard Referencing
• Terms of Use
• Global Privacy Policy
• Cookie Notice
• DO NOT SELL MY INFO

• Boston University Libraries

WR151: Medicine & Ethics (Fall 2024 - Gruenglas)

Citing your sources.

• About This Guide
• Argument/Method/Theory

APA (American Psychological Society)

Chicago style, mla (modern language association) style.

Proper citation is an essential aspect of scholarship. Citing properly allows your reader or audience to locate the materials you have used. Most importantly, citations give credit to the authors of quoted or consulted information.

For detailed instructions on how to cite within the text of your paper, please consult a style manual listed below. Please also note: some of the resources below do not cover every possibility you might encounter when trying to cite your sources. For this reason, it is suggested that you consult a style manual to create your bibliography.

• << Previous: Argument/Method/Theory
• Next: Get Help >>
• Last Updated: Aug 13, 2024 12:31 PM
• URL: https://library.bu.edu/medicineethics

History Senior Seminar

• Family Ties in US Immigration History
• American Buildings & Landscapes

Finding Primary Sources

• FSU Libraries' Special Collections & Archives Collections of unique manuscripts, historic maps, rare books, photographs, and university archives offer abundant opportunities for discovery and scholarship. Strengths of the collections include Napoleon and the French Revolution, poetry, political papers, Florida history, Southern business history, and the history of Florida State University.

Finding Secondary Sources

• Dissertations & Theses Database Covers every doctoral dissertation completed in the U.S. at accredited institutions for the last 150 years. Includes some master's theses and foreign language dissertations.
• WorldCat Search libraries worldwide with WorldCat!

Chicago Style Citations

• Chicago Manual of Style Historians use Chicago Style (sometimes called Turabian or Notes-and-Bibliography) to cite both primary and secondary sources in their research.

Writing a Research Paper

• Writing History Research Papers In an extended metaphor, historian Jill Lepore compares writing a research paper to going fishing.
• Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024 1:06 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.fsu.edu/history-senior-seminar

© Florida State University Libraries | 116 Honors Way | Tallahassee, FL 32306 | (850) 644-2706