Chicago Style Dissertation Format: 5 Basic Requirements

The Chicago style is very popular among students, because professors ask them to write in this style all the time. Since your dissertation is such an important project, you can write it in this style and save some time and effort, so you can focus on research. Now, this does not mean that you can completely neglect the requirements; this would make you very unprofessional and your professors will not be happy about it. Here are the 5 basic requirements that you must follow:

1. Use a classic, easy to read font. It does not matter what you write about, but you have to make sure that your text looks truly professional. This means that you can’t use any fancy font that you would use in a normal composition. Times New Roman is recommended, but you can choose another style as long as it is appropriate for academic use. At the same time, make sure that the letters are not too big or too small.
2. Create a title page. This is a must for Chicago style, but it should not take you more than a few minutes. On the title page you will have to write the title of your dissertation, your name and the name of your professor and the date. Sometimes you can also add other details like the name of your school, but this is entirely up to you. Keep it simple and use the same font as you used in the rest of the project.
3. Create a references page. For sure you will use quotations and references in your composition, and you have to mention them all on a separate references page. Naturally, it is obligatory to mention the full name of the author, the source as well as the date and the place where the book or the paper was published. Arrange them in alphabetical order.
4. Use footnotes whenever you need. Some students prefer to add an appendix, but this only means more work for you. In footnotes you can explain some ideas or concepts, as well as provide definitions for the unknown terms that you used in your dissertation.
5. Pay attention to the margins. They have to be between 1” and 1.5”. At the same time, you have to leave a space between paragraphs and the entire text needs to be double spaced.