Turabian Style Guide for Thesis and Dissertation Writing

By Dr. Patricia N., DNP, PhD in Nursing Science. Reviewed by Dr. Michael T.. 2025-09-08.

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Key takeaways

• Turabian offers two systems: notes-bibliography (humanities) and author-date (sciences)
• Check your university's thesis manual, local rules override standard Turabian
• Use 1-inch margins (or 1.5-inch left for binding) with 12-point Times New Roman
• Front matter uses Roman numerals; body text starts with Arabic numeral 1
• First footnote citations are full; subsequent citations use shortened form
• Block quotations are indented 0.5 inches, single-spaced, without quotation marks

Understanding Turabian Style

Turabian style, formally known as 'A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations' by Kate L. Turabian, is a widely used citation and formatting style, particularly in the humanities, social sciences, and some natural sciences. It's closely related to Chicago style but specifically adapted for student papers and dissertations.

Turabian offers two citation systems: notes-bibliography (NB), which uses footnotes or endnotes with a bibliography, and author-date (AD), which uses in-text parenthetical citations with a reference list. The NB system is more common in humanities (history, literature, religion), while the AD system is preferred in social and natural sciences.

Before formatting your thesis, confirm which citation system your department requires. Some universities have specific Turabian formatting guides that modify the standard rules, so always check your graduate school's thesis manual first, their requirements override standard Turabian when they differ.

Page Layout and Front Matter

Standard Turabian margins are 1 inch on all sides, though many universities require a 1.5-inch left margin for binding. Use a readable 12-point font (Times New Roman is standard). Double-space the body text; single-space block quotations, table titles, figure captions, and bibliography entries (with a blank line between entries).

The title page follows a specific layout: the title is centered about one-third down the page, your name appears in the middle, and the institutional information (university name, department, degree, date) appears near the bottom. No page number appears on the title page.

Front matter (table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, acknowledgments, abstract) uses lowercase Roman numerals for pagination (ii, iii, iv). The body of the thesis begins with Arabic numeral 1. Your table of contents should list all major headings and subheadings with corresponding page numbers.

Turabian uses up to five levels of headings, each with distinct formatting. First-level headings are centered, bold, and in title case. Second-level headings are centered and italic. Third-level headings are flush left, bold, and title case. Consistency is essential, use the same heading level for equivalent sections throughout your thesis.

Citations, Bibliography, and Notes

In the notes-bibliography system, place a superscript number in the text at the point of citation. The corresponding footnote appears at the bottom of the same page (or as an endnote at the end of each chapter). The first citation of a source uses the full format; subsequent citations use a shortened form with author's last name, shortened title, and page number.

The bibliography lists all sources alphabetically by author's last name, regardless of citation order. Single-space each entry with a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches), with a blank line between entries.

In the author-date system, in-text citations appear as (Author Year, page). The reference list at the end uses the same format as the bibliography but with the year placed immediately after the author's name. Choose the system required by your department and apply it consistently.

Block quotations (100+ words or 2+ paragraphs) are single-spaced and indented 0.5 inches from the left margin, with no quotation marks. Always introduce block quotations with a signal phrase and follow them with analysis, never let a block quotation stand alone without commentary.