Chicago/Turabian Citation Guide
Formatting Essays

You want your essay to be easily read and understood by your audience. Using consistency in format enables your readers to focus on your content, instead of the presentation of your paper. Errors can distract the reader, cause misinterpretations, and make your work look less credible.

Always use the specifications determined by your instructor in addition to these guidelines.

Use either Times New Roman 12 or Arial 10. Be consistent with the font you choose.

Your text should be aligned with the left margin. Indent the first line of each paragraph.

Double-space all text except:

• Bibliographies and reference lists*
• Footnotes or endnotes*
• Block quotations
• Table titles and figure captions
• Lists in appendixes

*Bibliographies, reference lists, and notes are single-spaced but have a space separating entries from each other. 

The title of your essay should be 1/3 of the way down the first page. Use title case, bold font, and put any subtitles on a separate line.

Your name, course information, and due date should be 2/3 of the way down the page and in regular font.

Do not include a page number on your title page.

It should look similar to the formatting example below:

 

 

 

 

Title of Your Paper:

Subtitle

 

 

 

 

Student Name

Course Number: Course Title

Due Date

 

 

 

Start page numbering on your first page of text. Begin with the number 1.

Headings are used to make your paper more readable and to separate your points into logical categories (such as an introduction, background, conclusion, etc.). There are five levels of headings in Chicago/Turabian style, though you are unlikely to use all five. See how to format the various levels of headings below.

1

First Level Headings are in Bold, Centered, and in Title-case

Text for the first paragraph begins on a new line and is indented. Text is double-spaced and in a consistent font. 

Second Level Headings are Centered and in Title-case

Text for the next paragraph begins on a new line and is indented.

Third level headings are on the left side, italicized, and in sentence case

Text for the next paragraph begins on a new line and is indented.

Fourth level headings are on the left side, in regular font, and in sentence case

Text for the next paragraph begins on a new line and is indented.

Fifth level headings are on the left side, in bold, and in sentence case. Text for the next paragraph starts immediately after the heading on the same line. Fifth level headings are the only level of heading in Chicago style to end in a period and have text start immediately afterwards.

 

The title page and headings are the same for both notes/bibliography style and author/date style. After that, there are some differences. Use the tabs on the left to format the remainder of your paper according to which style you are using.