A Note to Students

A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations has helped generations of students successfully research, write, and submit papers in virtually all academic disciplines. Most commonly known as “Turabian,” in honor of the original author, this book is the authoritative student resource on “Chicago style.”

Part I covers every step of the research and writing process and provides practical advice to help you formulate the right questions, read critically, and build arguments. It also shows you how to draft and revise your papers to strengthen both your arguments and your writing. Part 2 offers a comprehensive guide to Chicago’s two methods of source citation, beginning with helpful information on general citation practices in chapter 15. In the humanities and most social sciences, you will likely use the notes-bibliography style detailed in chapters 16 and 17; in the natural and physical sciences and some social sciences, you will more likely use the author-date (also called parenthetical citations-reference list) style described in chapters 18 and 19. Part 3 covers Chicago’s recommended editorial style, which will help you bring consistency to your writing in matters such as punctuation, capitalization, and abbreviations; this section also includes guidance on incorporating quotations into your writing and on properly presenting tables and figures. The appendix presents formatting and submission requirements for theses and dissertations that many academic institutions use as a model, but be sure to follow any local guidelines provided by your institution.