Published February 12, 2021. Updated August 10, 2021.

To cite in Turabian style, you need to know basic information about your source including author name(s), the title of the source and/or article, date published, and page numbers (if applicable).

This guide provides in-text citations and full reference examples in Turabian for the following source types:

• Website

• Book

• Journal article

• Newspaper or magazine article

• PDF

• YouTube video

• Online image

If you’re trying to easily cite in Turabian, check out the Chegg Writing citation generator.

What is Turabian style?

Turabian style comes from the publication Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses and Dissertations. The foundation of this style is Chicago style (based on The Chicago Manual of Style), but Turabian style provides simpler rules designed for student use.

Formatting in Turabian style

Turabian citation style has two citation formats:

1. Notes and bibliography.

2. Author date.

Notes and bibliography

When you cite information from a source in your work, place a number in superscript at the end of the cited sentence. Use full citations on the first note and shortened notes for further citations. Include complete citation details in the bibliography.

You can also cite more than one source at a time:

• Example sentence or Example sentence^1,2

• Example sentence or Example sentence^1–3

• Example sentence or Example sentence^1,2–4,9

Author date

For author-date reference citations, include the author’s surname with the publication year in the body of the text. You may also include this information in narrative or parenthetical citations. You may include page numbers for in-text citations. Sort reference list entries alphabetically.

Example:

1. Wikipedia. 2020. “Geography.” Accessed January 27, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography.

2. Pacione, Michael. Urban Geography: A Global Perspective. Milton Park: Taylor & Francis, 2009.

3. Thrift, Nigel. 2002. “The Future of Geography.” Geoforum 33, no. 3: 291–98.

4. Saxena, Anchal. 2020. “New Waves in Marine Conservation.” Gn’Y Magazine, December 1, 2020. https://geographyandyou.com/new-waves-in-marine-conservation/.

5. Kiesler, Jules. 2020. Practical Anatomy: The human body dissected, second edition. Johannesburg: Wits University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.18772/22020015720.8.

6. Sheeran, Ed. 2017. “Perfect.” Directed by Jason Koenig. November 9, 2017. Music video, 4:39. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vv-BfVoq4g.

7. Butcher, Solomon D. n.d. “House of A.G. Staerlen, Kearney, Buffalo County, Nebraska.” Prairie Settlement: Nebraska Photographs and Family Letters, 1862-1912. Library of Congress. Accessed December 4, 2020. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/psbib:@field(DOCID+@lit(p14067)).

Citing a web page in Turabian style

NOTES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes

1. “Webpage Title,” Webpage Heading (if applicable), Website Name, last modified/posted/accessed Month Day, Year, URL.

2. "Geography," Wikipedia, last modified January, 27, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography.

Shortened notes

3. Website Name, “Webpage Title.”

4. Wikipedia, “Geography.”

Bibliography

AUTHOR-DATE

In-text citations

(Website Year)

 (Wikipedia 2020)

Reference list entry

Website Name. Year. “Webpage Title.” Webpage Heading (if applicable). Last modified Month Day, Year. URL

 Wikipedia. 2020. “Geography.” Accessed January 27, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography.

Citing a book in Turabian style

NOTES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes

1. First M. Surname, Book Title (Publisher location: Publisher name, year), page #.

2. Michael Pacione, Urban Geography: A Global Perspective (Milton Park: Taylor & Francis, 2009), 200.

Shortened notes

3. Surname, Shortened Book Title, page #.

4. Pacione, Urban Geography, 200.

Bibliography

AUTHOR-DATE

In-text citations

(Surname Year, page #)

(Pacione 2009, 200)

Reference list entry

Citing a journal article in Turabian style

NOTES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes

1. First M. Surname, “Article Title,” Journal Title Volume #, no. issue # (Date): page #.

2. Nigel Thrift, “The Future of Geography,” Geoforum 33, no. 3 (2002): 291–98.

Shortened notes

3. Surname, “Shortened Article Title,” page #.

4. Thrift, “Geography,” 291-98.

Bibliography

AUTHOR-DATE

In-text citations

(Surname Year, page #)

(Thrift 2002, 291-98)

Reference list entry

 Citing a news or magazine article in Turabian style

NOTES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes

1. First M Surname, “Article Title,” Magazine Title, Month Day, Year, page # or URL.

2. Anchal Saxena, “New Waves in Marine Conservation,” G’nY Magazine, December 1, 2020, https://geographyandyou.com/new-waves-in-marine-conservation/.

Shortened notes

3. Surname, “Shortened Article Title.”

4. Saxena, “Marine Conservation.”

Bibliography

AUTHOR-DATE

In-text citations

(Surname Year)

(Saxena 2020)

Reference list entry

Citing a PDF in Turabian style

NOTES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes

1. First M. Surname, Book Title (Publisher location: Publisher name, year), page #, URL.

2. Jules Kiesler, Practical Anatomy: The human body dissected, second edition (Johannesburg: Wits University Press, 2020), 57, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.18772/22020015720.8

Shortened notes

3. Surname, Shortened Book Title, page #.

4. Kiesler, Practical Anatomy, 57.

Bibliography

AUTHOR-DATE

In-text citations

(Surname Year, page)

 (Kiesler 2020, 57)

Reference list entry

 Citing a YouTube video in Turabian style

NOTES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes

1. Artist First Surname, “Video Title,” directed by First M. Surname, Month Day, Year, video medium, length, URL.

2. Ed Sheeran, “Perfect,” directed by Jason Koenig, November 9, 2017, music video, 4:39, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vv-BfVoq4g.

Shortened notes

Artist Surname, “Video Title.”

Sheeran, “Perfect.”

Bibliography

AUTHOR-DATE

In-text citations

(Artist Surname Year)

 (Sheeran 2017)

Reference list entry

Citing an online image in Turabian style

NOTES-BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes

1. First M. Surname, “Image Title,” Webpage Title, Website Title, last modified/accessed Month Day, Year, URL.

2. Solomon D. Butcher, “House of A.G. Staerlen, Kearney, Buffalo County, Nebraska,” Prairie Settlement: Nebraska Photographs and Family Letters, 1862-1912, Library of Congress, accessed December 4, 2020, http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/psbib:@field(DOCID+@lit(p14067)).

Shortened notes

3. Surname, “Shortened Image Title.”

4. Butcher, “House of A.G. Staerlen.”

Bibliography

AUTHOR-DATE

In-text citations

(Surname Year)

(Butcher, n.d.)

Reference list entry

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