This guide shows you how to cite correctly in Turabian 9th edition — the foundation of academic integrity. PaperDraft helps you format citations as you draft, so you practice sound attribution, not evasion.
Turabian is the student-oriented adaptation of the Chicago Manual of Style, named for Kate L. Turabian, who authored the original student manual in 1937. The 9th edition (2018) is the current reference — A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Turabian keeps Chicago's two citation systems (Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date) and trims some of the publishing-oriented options Chicago includes, producing a tighter version aimed at term papers, theses, and dissertations.
Turabian vs. Chicago — what is different?
Not much, structurally. The citation formats are essentially the same. Turabian differs from Chicago in:
- Targeting student writers rather than professional publishers.
- Simplifying some edge-case guidance.
- Including chapters on research papers, theses, and dissertations specifically.
- Giving more explicit guidance on common student sources.
If you have mastered Chicago, you can cite in Turabian. If your course says "Turabian," the citation patterns below apply; if it says "Chicago," use our Chicago guide, which covers the same system with additional professional-publishing depth.
Which Turabian system — NB or AD?
- Notes-Bibliography (NB) uses footnotes or endnotes plus a bibliography. This is the standard for history, humanities, and most thesis work at the master's and doctoral levels in humanities fields.
- Author-Date (AD) uses parenthetical (Author Year, Page) citations and a reference list. This is used in social sciences and many scientific fields that follow Chicago conventions.
Your instructor or thesis committee specifies which. When unsure, NB is more common in Turabian contexts.
Notes-Bibliography (NB) examples
First note and shortened note
First citation uses the full form:
¹ Jane R. Smith, Attention and Narrative (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2020), 45.
Subsequent citations use the short form:
² Smith, Attention, 52.
Turabian 9th follows Chicago 17th in preferring the short form over ibid. for repeated citations.
Bibliography entry
Smith, Jane R. Attention and Narrative. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2020.
Core NB examples
Book chapter (first note):
³ Kevin L. Jones, "Attention in Early Modern Drama," in Handbook of Renaissance Studies, ed. Margaret Brown and Paul Green (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2019), 50.
Journal article (first note):
⁴ Jane R. Smith and Kevin L. Jones, "Mediators of Attention in Victorian Fiction," Journal of Literary Studies 113, no. 4 (2021): 515.
Online source (first note):
⁵ Peter Harris, "New Findings in Attention Research," The Guardian, March 14, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/mar/14/attention-research.
Thesis (first note):
⁶ Maria Garcia, "Attention Regulation in Adolescents" (PhD diss., University of California, Berkeley, 2022), 45.
Author-Date (AD) examples
In-text
Attention mediates the effect (Smith 2020, 45).
Reference list
Smith, Jane R. 2020. Attention and Narrative. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Journal article (AD):
Smith, Jane R., and Kevin L. Jones. 2021. "Mediators of Attention in Victorian Fiction." Journal of Literary Studies 113 (4): 512–30.
Edge cases
Secondary source. Avoid where possible. When you must cite a source discussed in another work, note both clearly:
⁷ Adams, Diary, as quoted in Smith, Attention, 78.
Multiple authors. NB first note lists up to ten names in full; for eleven or more, use the first seven and "et al." AD uses "et al." for three or more authors in-text.
Theses and dissertations. Turabian gives especially detailed guidance on citing unpublished theses — the university, department, and the designation "PhD diss." or "master's thesis" all belong in the note.
Archival and primary sources. Turabian handles primary sources in NB with descriptive notes that can name the collection, box, folder, and repository.
Generative AI. Turabian 9th precedes the widespread use of generative AI tools; current practice mirrors Chicago 17th's later guidance — cite AI outputs in a note only, not in the bibliography, and disclose broader use per your program's policy.
Common mistakes
- Mixing NB and AD within the same paper. Pick one system and use it throughout.
- Using "ibid." when Turabian 9th has deprecated it. Use the short form.
- Forgetting the hanging indent. Turabian requires hanging indent for both bibliography and reference list entries.
- Incorrect punctuation in first notes. The pattern is: First Last, Title (Place: Publisher, Year), Page. Commas and parentheses matter.
- Mixing title capitalization. Turabian uses headline capitalization throughout both systems.
- Forgetting to include the university and department in thesis citations. Turabian 9th requires both.
How PaperDraft helps
PaperDraft stubs Turabian citations in your chosen system as you draft — whether NB footnotes with matching bibliography or AD parenthetical citations with reference list. It knows the first-note vs. short-note pattern, bibliography inversion, and the hanging-indent structure. What it does not do is verify that your citation matches the source. Because Turabian is often used for theses and dissertations graded on precision, every citation the tool stubs needs to be confirmed against the source you actually read. See our academic responsibility guide for the full frame.
Frequently asked questions
Is Turabian the same as Chicago?
Turabian is the student adaptation of Chicago. Citation formats are essentially identical; Turabian trims some professional-publishing options Chicago includes. If you know Chicago, you know Turabian.
Which edition of Turabian should I use?
Turabian 9th edition (2018) is current. If your course says "Turabian" without specifying, 9th is the default. Some older programs still reference 8th — check with your instructor if unsure.
Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date — which do I use?
NB for history, literature, philosophy, theology, and most humanities. AD for sociology, anthropology, and sciences that follow Chicago-family conventions. Your course or thesis committee specifies.
How do I cite an unpublished thesis in Turabian?
First note format: First Last, "Title" (PhD diss. or master's thesis, University Name, Year), page. Bibliography: Last, First. "Title." PhD diss., University Name, Year.
Can I use footnotes and in-text citations in the same paper?
No — Turabian NB uses footnotes; Turabian AD uses parenthetical citations. Mixing the two is stylistically inconsistent and confusing to readers.
How should I disclose the use of a drafting tool in a Turabian thesis?
Many graduate schools now include AI-use guidance in their thesis manuals. Disclose per your institution's current policy; for broader expectations, see our disclosure guide. At the thesis level, consult your graduate school's most current guidance — policies are evolving rapidly.