In other words, Turabian is more than formatting. It's a system for making academic writing clear and easy to check.
The quick answer: Turabian in one sentence
Turabian is the Chicago citation style, adapted for students writing papers, theses, and dissertations. These lessons follow the 9th edition and its notes-bibliography system, the one most history, theology, and humanities courses use.
The two halves of Turabian, on the page
Here are both jobs at once. The body page is set the way Turabian asks: one-inch margins, double-spaced text, the page number at the top. And the small raised number in the sentence points to a note at the bottom of the same page, so a reader can find the study behind the claim without turning a page.
Lozier and his colleagues suspected that “many Bigfoot sightings are, in fact, of black bears.”1
1. J. D. Lozier, P. Aniello, and M. J. Hickerson, “Predicting the Distribution of Sasquatch in Western North America: Anything Goes with Ecological Niche Modelling,” Journal of Biogeography 36, no. 9 (2009): 1626, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2009.02152.x.
- How the paper looksMargins, spacing, and page numbers, the same on every page. The 1 in the sentence is a superscript note number.
- How sources are creditedA numbered note at the bottom of the same page, single-spaced, and a full entry in the bibliography at the end, so the reader can find the source and check it.
Where Turabian came from
Kate L. Turabian was the dissertation secretary at the University of Chicago from 1930 to 1958. Every thesis and dissertation crossed her desk, and she saw the same formatting questions again and again.
In 1937 she wrote a short pamphlet on the university's dissertation style. It grew into a book, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, which students simply call "Turabian." It has sold more than nine million copies across its editions.
Turabian and Chicago
Turabian follows The Chicago Manual of Style, the big reference guide editors and publishers use. The 9th edition of Turabian lines up with the 17th edition of Chicago.
The two share the same citation formats. The difference is the audience: Chicago is written for publishing books, and Turabian is written for students writing papers. So if your professor says "Chicago" and means notes and a bibliography, a Turabian paper follows the same citation rules.
Why professors care
Professors aren't asking for Turabian to be picky. They want papers that are consistent and credible. Turabian helps readers do three things:
- Follow the argument without getting distracted by random formatting choices.
- Find the sources behind a claim, right on the page where it's made.
- Check the evidence quickly, especially quotes and page numbers.
That's also why notes matter. They show where ideas came from and let readers verify the research.
When to use Turabian
Turabian is common in history, theology, Biblical studies, religious studies, and other humanities courses. Some courses use APA or MLA instead.
Turabian actually offers two citation systems:
- Notes-bibliography. Footnotes and a bibliography. This is the one most humanities courses use, and the one this course teaches.
- Author-date. Short citations in parentheses and a reference list, more common in the sciences and social sciences. If your professor asks for it, the page-setup lessons still apply, but the citation lessons won't.
The simplest rule: follow the assignment instructions. If the course requires Turabian, use Turabian. If your professor asks for a small change, follow your professor. They hold the grading pen at the end of the day.
One more thing to check: which edition. These lessons follow the 9th edition. A 10th edition comes out on December 9, 2026, so if your syllabus names an edition, use that one.
What this course will cover
Turabian 101 is meant to be practical, so the lessons move in the same order most papers get built.
First comes page setup and the core parts of a class paper: the title page, the body pages, and the bibliography. Next comes the part most students worry about: footnotes, shortened notes, and bibliography entries for books, journal articles, and websites. The course finishes with the writing side: using sources without plagiarizing, keeping an academic tone, structuring the paper, and a final pass before you turn it in.
What makes Turabian different from APA and MLA
A few things are worth knowing early, especially if you've written in another style:
- Sources are cited in numbered footnotes, not in parentheses.
- The first note for a source is full, and every later note for it is shortened.
- Notes and the bibliography are single-spaced, with a blank line between entries, while the body text is double-spaced.
- Book entries include the place of publication: New York: Forge, 2007.
How to get help when Turabian feels like a lot
Turabian can feel heavy because every source gets written two ways, once as a note and once in the bibliography. The good news: it gets easier with practice, and most mistakes fall into a few predictable groups.
When speed and accuracy matter, a tool can apply the rules for you. PERRLA, for example, creates a Turabian 9 paper that is set up correctly from the start, builds sources from an ISBN, a DOI, or a webpage link, and places each footnote on the page it belongs to, full the first time and shortened after that, while it keeps the bibliography in order.
Quick checklist
- Turabian is the student version of Chicago style
- This course teaches the 9th edition's notes-bibliography system
- Check your syllabus for the system and edition your professor wants
- Your professor's instructions come first