The use of Turabian writing format in humanities and social sciences has increased over the years. Many professors find this as a great way to introduce their students to the world of serious academic writing. The format based on Chicago writing format focuses on research papers and this makes it perfect for college students. If you have a research paper project requiring you to follow Turabian style, you need to understand the guidelines to ensure you submit a properly formatted paper.

In this article, you will find the key considerations when using the Turabian paper format by My Dissertations. Keep reading.

Learn the Two Distinct Citation Styles

Before getting started on your paper, it is important to understand the two main citation styles falling under Turabian format. These are:

• Notes/bibliography style(Humanities style): In this style, you will cite sources through footnotes and a bibliography. The footnotes and endnotes are inside the text while the bibliography comes at the end of your paper.
• Author/date style (Scientific/Social Sciences style): You will cite sources using parenthetical author/date references in the text similar to MLA and a reference list at the end of the paper.

It is important to note that you cannot mix these two distinct citation styles in your paper. This is the most important rule to remember when learning how to write a paper in Turabian format.

General Formatting Rules

A title page is an essential part of any academic paper and when writing in Turabian style, you have to include it. A title page gives the reader an idea of what to expect and also includes other crucial details your professor requires for identification. In the Turabian writing style, you should include the title of your paper, your name, the name of your course, institution name and the date the paper is due.

Make sure you center the text of the title page horizontally. You should also write the title of your paper in all capital letters. There should be no page number for a title page.

For the margins in all your research paper, you need least 1 inch all around each page. You should double-space all the paper except the title page, block quotations, table titles and figure captions, footnotes or endnotes and bibliographies or reference lists.

Your paper should have page numbers except for the title page. You can place the page numbers centered in the footer, centered in the header, or flush right in the header.

Footnotes, Endnotes, Citations and References

As a rule of thumb, you must include a citation of the work whenever you directly cite or paraphrase another person’s thoughts and ideas. This ensures you avoid plagiarism when using the Turabian research paper format. For a quotation that is four lines or fewer, let the quotation run into your text and enclose it with quotation marks. For a quotation that is five lines or longer, use ablock quotation with no quotation marks.

When you paraphrase or cite a source directly, you have to include a footnote or an endnote. This is one of the distinguishing features of the Turabian writing style. In addition to the footnote or endnote for each reference, you also include a list of all your sources at the end of the document in the bibliography.

Headers in Turabian Writing Style

Headings are crucial in academic papers as they help readers to go through your work. It is a great way to organize your ideas and in the Turabian style paper format, there are specific rules you need to consider.

1. First level header: On its own line, centered, boldface or italic type, title case
2. Second level header : On its own line, centered, regular type, title case
3. Third level header :On its own line, left-justified, boldface or italic type, title case
4. Fourth level header: On its own line, left-justified, roman type, sentence-style capitalization
5. Fifth level header: Not on its own line, run in at beginning of paragraph, boldface or italic type, sentence-style capitalization, ending with period.

To understand these guidelines, it is advisable to have a look at a good Turabian style format example from an established writing service or, online library or your school library. This will help you apply the formatting rules as required by counterchecking with works done by other writers. You can also seek assistance from a professional writer to come up with the best paper.

If you have a research assignment in Turabian writing style, it is important to learn as much as you can about this format to submit a winning paper. More importantly, you need the best sources to find a quality Turabian paper example which will guide you in formatting your research work. Most students are not familiar with Turabian writing format and this causes many problems for them. As more institutions embrace this writing format, it becomes important for you to become acquainted with its structure.

This paper explores Turabian writing style briefly and suggests the best places to look for a good Turabian style paper example.

Background of Turabian Writing Format

Turabian writing style is not one of the most common in academic circles but most professors of history and other disciplines prefer it. This writing style based on the more common Chicago Style came about as an attempt to find the best formatting style for history research papers. Kate Turabian developed its style by narrowing the focus of the Chicago Style away from scholarly books to academic papers.

Sourcing For Turabian Style Paper Examples

If you have never used this writing style again, it will take more than reading about the rules to compose a high quality paper. It is only by looking at high quality papers that you will understand the requirements. By looking at a Turabian example paper, you will learn about the key structuring requirements such as title page format, headings, footnotes and endnotes, in-text citations, page numbering, reference list among other things.

Some of the best places to look for sample papers include:

1. Reputable Online Writing Services

The demand for high quality academic writing services has seen the emergence of an online academic writing industry. Scholars and experts in different academic fields now offer their services through online writing services. These websites offer free access to sample college papers and you can find a good example of Turabian paper from here. This is the first place to look if you want a high quality paper in this writing style. They offer more than samples and you will also access writing tips, professional paper helpers and other resources.

2. Credible Online Institution Libraries

If you want to access a professionally written Turabian format example paper, a good place to look is in college libraries. For instance, Liberty University has a resourceful page that includes Turabian sample papers in different topics. To meet the standards of such an institution, the research papers offered have undergone thorough scrutiny.
These institutions source for papers from their departments including works by their faculty. Another good source of sample papers in this writing format is the online library page of Tuskegee University. Here, you will find a well-detailed Turabian style example paper to get you started on your project. It is important to go through the paper and countercheck the formatting with the Turabian Styling guide you have. The best thing about sourcing for sample papers from credible institutions such as these is the fact that you get invaluable tips on better research paper writing.

3. Freelance Writers

Freelance writing is now a big online industry and many academic experts offer their services for a fee. However, they also provide free samples to potential clients as a way of selling their skills and winning over more work. You can request for an example of Turabian style paper from a freelance writer and ask for further details to understand the formatting style.

4. Social Media Platforms

From Facebook to LinkedIn, you will find many forums focusing on academic writing. Some of these forums have developed into communities where students can seek free assistance with their assignments. You can ask for a sample paper from one of these social media platforms to help you understand Turabian style better.

5. School Library

The rise of internet technology has seen more students overlooking the good old school library in favor of online learning resources. Digital resources are easier to access and you can find a lot of information but you can still find invaluable resources in your school library. If you want to learn more about Turabian writing style visit your school library and talk to the resource person there and you will access many free samples to guide you.

Finding a high quality Turabian writing style example is the first step in your paper-writing project. You will gain invaluable insight that will help you deliver a winning paper.