Essential Instructions for Writing a Turabian Format Dissertation

The Turabian format is a special set of rules for composing papers on humanitarian sciences. In many respects, it’s similar to the Chicago format, but it has some peculiarities. Adjusting your dissertation to the requirements can sometimes be dull and frustrating because there are so many rules to follow.

Important Guidelines for a Turabian Format Dissertation

These tips are the basics, but for more detailed instructions you can consult Kate L. Turabian's Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

1. Don’t make a title page. Unlike the APA or MLA formats, Turabian doesn’t require a title page.
2. Remember the font. All the text must be in 12pt Times New Roman and double-spaced. The footnotes are single-spaced.
3. Mark out the titles. The title of your paper should be centered at the top of the first page. Don’t italicize or bold titles, just print them in capitals.
4. Set the margins. A one-inch margin is required for the entire document.
5. Number the pages. The first page is numbered at the center of its bottom. Others have their numbers at the upper right corner.
6. Cite correctly. Indicate the footnotes and endnotes with superscript numbers. Footnotes appear at the bottom of a page while endnotes are placed at the end of the paper before the bibliography. They have page numbers. To make the task easier, make use of your word processor functions.
7. Compose a bibliography. A final reference list differs from notes. You don’t need to use brackets, comma after the author’s name and a page number. Arrange the bibliography in alphabetical order. The first line of a citation is at the left margin, but the following lines are five spaces indented.

Citation Rules for a Turabian Thesis

There are two styles for referring to resources you use. The first one is a bibliography method. It requires you to use footnotes and endnotes in the text and to make a bibliography list at the end of the paper. The second one is a parenthetical style. You include the author’s name and the date of publication of a book you cite in parentheses in the text and compose a list of references later.

Mostly Turabian format is recognizable due to footnotes and endnotes. That’s why it’s more reasonable to use a bibliography method, especially if your paper is on history or arts. However, you’d better consult your professor to determine which style to apply.