Basic Turabian Page Setup: Seven Settings to Check First

The first step in a Turabian paper is getting the blank document set up correctly. If you're using PERRLA, this is done for you: the paper is set up correctly from the start. This lesson uses a PERRLA-created paper to show exactly how a Turabian document should look.

Here are the seven things to check or change before you begin.

The seven settings

1. Page size

Turabian uses standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper (US Letter). That's the default in nearly every word processor, so unless you've changed it, you're good to go.

2. Margins

Turabian calls for margins of at least one inch on all four sides. One inch all around is the standard, and it's what most professors expect. (If your paper will be bound, as a thesis sometimes is, your school may ask for a wider left margin.)

3. Font

Choose one readable font and use it everywhere. Times New Roman at 12 points is the standard choice. Footnotes may be a little smaller, such as 10 points, which keeps long notes from crowding the page.

4. Line spacing

This is where Turabian differs most from APA and MLA. The body text is double-spaced, but several elements are single-spaced:

• Footnotes
• Block quotes
• Bibliography entries
• Table titles and figure captions

Single-spaced notes and bibliography entries get a blank line between them, so each one is still easy to find.

5. Paragraph indents

The first line of each paragraph is indented half an inch. You can make it with the Tab key, but it's better to set it in your paragraph settings so it stays consistent. Leave no extra space between paragraphs.

6. Alignment

Keep the text left-aligned: it hugs the left margin and the right edge stays ragged. Don't use justified alignment, where both edges are straight.

7. Page numbers

Every page counts, but not every page shows its number. The title page counts as page 1 and shows no number. From page 2 on, the number sits in the header at the top right. There's no running head or name next to it unless your professor asks for one.

What a set-up page looks like

Here is page 2 of a PERRLA-created Turabian paper. The dashed line marks the one-inch margins; nothing on the page crosses it except the page number in the header.

1. The page numberTop right, from page 2 on. The title page counts but shows no number.
2. One-inch margins, one font12-point Times New Roman inside one-inch margins.
3. Double-spaced text, half-inch indentNo extra space between paragraphs.
4. Single-spaced footnotesBelow a short separator line, in the same font, a little smaller if you like.

Quick checklist

• 8.5 by 11 inch page size
• Margins of at least one inch on all sides
• One readable font, such as 12-point Times New Roman (footnotes may be 10 point)
• Body text double-spaced; notes, block quotes, and bibliography entries single-spaced
• Half-inch first-line indent, no extra space between paragraphs
• Left-aligned text, never justified
• No number on the title page; page numbers top right from page 2

That's it. With those seven settings, your page is ready for Turabian. Next, the very first page of your paper: the title page.

How PERRLA handles page setup

You can skip all of this setup. When PERRLA creates a Turabian 9 paper, every setting above is already in place: one-inch margins, double-spaced text, single-spaced footnotes and block quotes, and page numbers. Add a footnote and it lands on the right page, already formatted.

Related Turabian 101 lessons

• The title page: the title a third of the way down, and the lines below it.
• Body pages: where the text starts, the page number, and the footnotes.
• The bibliography: alphabetical order, single-spaced entries, and hanging indents.
• Final checks and common mistakes: the last pass before you submit.
• All 18 lessons in Turabian 101