Turabian Footnotes: Complete Guide With Examples

Turabian footnotes are used to document sources in the Notes and Bibliography citation system. When you quote, paraphrase, or use information from a source, you place a superscript number in your text and provide the corresponding source information in a footnote.

For many students, the most confusing part of Turabian style is that the first citation, shortened citation, and bibliography entry are not formatted exactly the same way.

This guide explains how Turabian footnotes work and provides examples for books, journal articles, websites, and other common sources.

What Are Turabian Footnotes?

Turabian style offers two main citation systems:

• Notes and Bibliography
• Author-Date

The Notes and Bibliography system uses numbered footnotes or endnotes to identify sources. A bibliography is also usually included at the end of the paper.

The Author-Date system works differently and uses parenthetical citations in the text.

When an instructor asks for Turabian footnotes, they are usually referring to the Notes and Bibliography system.

The official Turabian citation guide explains that Notes and Bibliography uses numbered notes that correspond to superscript numbers in the text, while full source information is generally provided in a bibliography.

How Do Turabian Footnotes Work?

A footnote has two parts:

1. A superscript number in the main text.
2. The corresponding citation at the bottom of the page.

For example:

Historical events are often interpreted differently depending on the evidence available to researchers.¹

The footnote at the bottom of the page would provide the citation:

1. First Name Last Name, Book Title (City: Publisher, Year), page number.

The superscript number should appear immediately after the information being cited.

Basic Turabian Footnote Format

For a book, the general format is:

1. First Name Last Name, Title of Book (City: Publisher, Year), page number.

Example

1. Katie Kitamura, A Separation (New York: Riverhead Books, 2017), 25.

Notice several important features:

• The author's name appears in normal order: first name followed by last name.
• The publication information is placed inside parentheses.
• The specific page cited appears at the end.
• The citation ends with a period.

Turabian's Notes and Bibliography examples use this structure for full book notes and then use shortened forms for later references to the same source.

First Footnote vs. Shortened Footnote

One of the most important Turabian rules involves repeated sources.

The first time you cite a source, provide a full citation.

First footnote

1. Katie Kitamura, A Separation (New York: Riverhead Books, 2017), 25.

If you cite the same source again later, use a shortened citation.

Shortened footnote

1. Kitamura, Separation, 91–92.

The shortened note usually includes:

• Author's last name
• Shortened title
• Relevant page number

You do not normally repeat all publication information every time you cite the same source.

How to Cite a Book in a Turabian Footnote

One Author

Format:

1. First Name Last Name, Book Title (City: Publisher, Year), page number.

Example:

1. Katie Kitamura, A Separation (New York: Riverhead Books, 2017), 25.

Shortened Footnote

1. Kitamura, Separation, 91.

How to Cite Two Authors in a Turabian Footnote

When a book has two authors, include both names in the order shown on the source.

Format

1. First Name Last Name and First Name Last Name, Title (City: Publisher, Year), page number.

Example

1. Sharon Sassler and Amanda Jayne Miller, Cohabitation Nation: Gender, Class, and the Remaking of Relationships (Oakland: University of California Press, 2017), 114.

Shortened Footnote

1. Sassler and Miller, Cohabitation Nation, 205.

How to Cite Three or More Authors in a Turabian Footnote

For sources with multiple authors, the citation may use the first author's name followed by et al., depending on the citation context and the number of authors.

Example

1. Jesse N. Weber et al., “Resist Globally, Infect Locally: A Transcontinental Test of Adaptation by Stickleback and Their Tapeworm Parasite,” American Naturalist 189, no. 1 (January 2017): 45, https://doi.org/10.1086/689597.

Shortened Footnote

1. Weber et al., “Resist Globally,” 48–49.

How to Cite a Journal Article in a Turabian Footnote

Journal articles require additional publication information.

Format

1. First Name Last Name, “Article Title,” Journal Name volume number, no. issue number (Month Year): page cited, DOI or URL.

Example

1. Jesse N. Weber et al., “Resist Globally, Infect Locally: A Transcontinental Test of Adaptation by Stickleback and Their Tapeworm Parasite,” American Naturalist 189, no. 1 (January 2017): 45, https://doi.org/10.1086/689597.

Shortened Footnote

1. Weber et al., “Resist Globally,” 48.

A journal article's bibliography entry uses a different structure. For a detailed explanation, see CiteHelp's guide on How to Cite a Journal Article in Turabian Style.

How to Cite a Website in a Turabian Footnote

Website citations can vary depending on whether the page has an author, publication date, revision date, or responsible organization.

Website Footnote Format

1. Author or Organization, “Title of Webpage,” Website Name, publication or modification date, URL.

Example

1. “Privacy Policy,” Privacy & Terms, Google, last modified April 17, 2017, https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

If no publication or revision date is available, an access date may be used.

Example

1. “History,” Columbia University, accessed May 15, 2017, http://www.columbia.edu/content/history.html.

Shortened Footnote

1. Google, “Privacy Policy.”

For a complete breakdown of website citations, see CiteHelp's How to Cite a Website in Turabian Style guide.

How to Cite a Source Multiple Times in Turabian

When citing the same source more than once, use shortened notes after the first full citation.

First citation

1. John Smith, History of Modern Europe (Chicago: Academic Press, 2020), 42.

Later citation

1. Smith, History of Modern Europe, 88.

The shortened title should be clear enough to distinguish the source from other works by the same author.

Do Turabian Footnotes Need Page Numbers?

When you quote or refer to information from a specific page in a source with page numbers, include the relevant page number.

Example

1. John Smith, History of Modern Europe (Chicago: Academic Press, 2020), 42.

However, not every source has page numbers.

For example:

• Websites may not have page numbers.
• Videos may use timestamps instead.
• Some online sources may not provide stable location numbers.

Do not invent a page number.

Use location information only when it genuinely exists and helps readers locate the material.

Footnotes vs. Bibliography in Turabian

A common mistake is copying a footnote directly into the bibliography.

They are not identical.

Footnote

John Smith, History of Modern Europe (Chicago: Academic Press, 2020), 42.

Bibliography

Smith, John. History of Modern Europe. Chicago: Academic Press, 2020.

The main differences include:

• Footnotes use the author's normal name order.
• Bibliography entries usually invert the first author's name.
• Footnotes include the specific page being cited.
• Publication information is formatted differently.
• Bibliography entries are alphabetized.

Turabian's official Notes and Bibliography examples show distinct formats for notes and bibliography entries, including differences in author-name order and the inclusion of specific pages in notes.

Common Turabian Footnote Mistakes

1. Copying the bibliography entry into a footnote

Footnotes and bibliography entries are related, but they use different formats.

2. Using a full citation every time

After the first full citation, use a shortened note when citing the source again.

3. Forgetting the page number

Include the specific page when the source has page numbers and you are referring to a particular passage.

4. Inventing page numbers for websites

Do not create page or paragraph numbers that are not part of the original source.

5. Using inconsistent shortened titles

Use a clear shortened title consistently throughout your paper.

6. Forgetting to match the footnote with the source

The footnote number should correspond to the source information at the bottom of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Turabian Footnotes

Are Turabian footnotes the same as Chicago footnotes?

Turabian citation systems are closely related to Chicago style. The official Turabian guide states that its Notes and Bibliography and Author-Date citation systems correspond to the systems presented in The Chicago Manual of Style. However, students should follow the specific Turabian requirements assigned by their instructor or institution.

Do I need a bibliography if I use Turabian footnotes?

In the Notes and Bibliography system, sources are usually included in a bibliography. However, instructors or institutions may have specific requirements.

Do I repeat the full citation in every footnote?

Usually, no. After the first full citation, later references generally use shortened citations.

Where does the footnote number go?

Place the superscript number immediately after the information being cited.

Can I use endnotes instead of footnotes?

The Notes and Bibliography system can use footnotes or endnotes, depending on your assignment requirements.

Turabian Footnote Quick Reference

Final Checklist for Turabian Footnotes

Before submitting your paper, make sure that you:

• Used superscript numbers in the text.
• Included the correct source information in the footnote.
• Used the author's first name followed by the last name in notes.
• Included page numbers when relevant and available.
• Used shortened notes for repeated citations.
• Did not copy bibliography entries directly into footnotes.
• Included a bibliography if required by your instructor.
• Checked punctuation and italics carefully.

Create Turabian Footnotes Faster

Creating footnotes manually can be time-consuming, especially when you are citing multiple source types.

CiteHelp's citation generator can help create citations for books, websites, journal articles, and other sources. Before submitting your work, always review the generated citation and compare it with your assignment requirements.

For more help, visit the **Turabian Citation Guide**on CiteHelp.