Turabian style is the student-focused adaptation of Chicago style. If your professor requires Turabian format, this page gives you a ready-to-use Turabian format template for Word — download it, replace the placeholder content, and submit. Because Turabian and Chicago use identical citation formats, this template works for both.
Download Turabian Format Template for Word
The template uses the Notes-Bibliography (NB) system — the version required in most humanities courses. It includes a title page, double-spaced body with five working footnotes, a sample data table, and a bibliography with nine formatted entries.
Free download · Turabian 9th edition · Microsoft Word compatible · No registration needed
Turabian vs. Chicago: What Is the Difference?
Turabian style is based directly on The Chicago Manual of Style. The citation formats are identical — Notes-Bibliography footnotes and bibliography entries in Turabian follow exactly the same rules as Chicago. When your professor says «Chicago/Turabian» or simply «Turabian,» they mean the same citation system.
The only practical differences are in document formatting for student papers: Turabian’s title page places the paper title roughly one-third down the page and groups the student’s name, course, instructor, institution, and date in the lower third. Turabian also includes specific guidance for theses and dissertations that Chicago’s professional-focused manual does not address in as much detail.
Turabian Format Requirements
Page Setup and Typography
Turabian papers use US Letter paper (8.5 × 11 inches) with 1-inch margins on all sides. Some institutions require a left margin of 1.25 to 1.5 inches for bound theses — check your institution’s submission guidelines. Font is Times New Roman 12pt throughout. All text is double-spaced. The first line of each paragraph is indented 0.5 inches. Do not add extra spacing between paragraphs.
Title Page
The Turabian title page is not numbered. The paper title appears centered, roughly one-third of the way down the page. In the lower third, centered, include your name, the course name and number, your instructor’s name, your institution, and the date. The title page does not carry a page number. Body text begins on page 1.
Page Numbers
Page numbers appear in the top right corner of every page except the title page. In Word, set this as a right-aligned header with an automatic page number field. If your paper has a table of contents or other front matter, those pages typically use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii); Arabic numerals begin with the first page of text.
Footnotes in Turabian
Turabian NB system citations appear as numbered footnotes at the bottom of the page where the citation occurs. The first citation of each source gives the full details. All subsequent citations of the same source use the shortened form: Last Name, Shortened Title, page. Footnote text is single-spaced at 10pt, with a separator line above the footnote area.
Bibliography
The bibliography appears on a new page with the centered heading «Bibliography.» Entries are double-spaced, listed alphabetically by first author’s last name, with a hanging indent. Note that bibliography entries look different from footnote entries: the first author’s name is inverted (Last, First), and the punctuation between elements uses periods rather than commas.
Turabian Citation Formats with Examples
Book — First Footnote
1. Jane Smith, Advanced Research Methodology (New York: Routledge, 2023), 45.
Book — Subsequent Footnote (Short Form)
3. Smith, Advanced Research, 78.
Book — Bibliography Entry
Smith, Jane. Advanced Research Methodology. New York: Routledge, 2023.
Journal Article — First Footnote
2. John Brown and Mary Davis, «Digital Scholarship in the Humanities,» Journal of Digital Humanities 12, no. 3 (2024): 112.
Journal Article — Bibliography Entry
Brown, John, and Mary Davis. «Digital Scholarship in the Humanities.» Journal of Digital Humanities 12, no. 3 (2024): 108–125.
Chapter in Edited Volume — First Footnote
4. Emily Clarke, «Methodology in Practice,» in Handbook of Academic Writing, ed. Robert Hall (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2022), 203.
Website — First Footnote
5. Susan Lee, «Primary Sources Online,» Humanities Digital Archive, January 15, 2026, https://www.example.edu/primary-sources.
How to Use the Turabian Template: Step-by-Step
- Fill in the title page — Replace the paper title, your name, course, instructor, institution, and date.
- Write your text — Where you need a citation, place your cursor just before the period at the end of the sentence, then go to References → Insert Footnote in Word. A superscript number appears in the text and a matching footnote area opens at the bottom of the page.
- Type the full footnote — For the first citation of each source, use the full format shown above. For any subsequent citation of the same source, use the shortened form: Last Name, Short Title, page.
- Replace the sample table — In Turabian, tables have their number and title above the table (Table 1. Title) and source notes below.
- Build your bibliography — On the final page, list all cited sources alphabetically. Remember the formatting differences from footnotes: inverted first-author name, periods between elements instead of commas, no page number at the end of book entries.
Common Turabian Format Mistakes
- Confusing footnote and bibliography punctuation — Footnotes use commas between elements: Author, Title (Place: Publisher, Year), page. Bibliography entries use periods: Author. Title. Place: Publisher, Year.
- Repeating the full footnote — After the first full citation, always use the short form for subsequent references to the same source.
- Misusing ibid. — Ibid. is only correct when the immediately preceding footnote cites the exact same source and page. Many instructors now prefer the short form throughout — check your course guidelines.
- Paginating the title page — The title page does not carry a page number.
- Single-spacing the bibliography — The bibliography is double-spaced, same as the body text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Turabian the same as Chicago style?
The citation formats are identical. Turabian is a student-focused adaptation of The Chicago Manual of Style, so footnote and bibliography entries follow exactly the same rules. If your professor says «Chicago/Turabian» or just «Turabian,» this template is appropriate.
Which edition of Turabian should I use?
The current edition is the 9th (2018), titled A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Most universities accept either the 8th or 9th edition — citation formats changed minimally between them. If your institution specifies an edition, follow that one.
Does Turabian have an Author-Date system?
Yes. Like Chicago, Turabian has both a Notes-Bibliography system (used in history, literature, and the arts) and an Author-Date system (used in some social sciences). The template uses Notes-Bibliography. If your course requires Author-Date, the parenthetical format is (Smith 2024, 45), and sources go in a reference list rather than a bibliography.
Can I use this template for a thesis or dissertation?
The template covers the core formatting requirements that apply to seminar papers and shorter theses. For a full dissertation, your institution will likely have additional formatting requirements — specific margin widths for binding, abstract pages, table of contents formatting, and more. Use this template as a starting point and supplement it with your institution’s specific dissertation guidelines.
Related Resources
- Chicago Style Template Word — Free Download
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