Here’s how to format the main text of a Chicago-style paper following the guidelines in Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. (See sections A.1.2 and A.1.3 in the appendix called “Paper Format and Submission.”)
- Choose a single, readable, and widely available font such as ten-point Arial or twelve-point Times New Roman for the body of the text.
- Indent the first line of each new paragraph half an inch. (Use tabs or indents rather than spaces.)
- Double-space.*
- Leave the right margin “ragged.”
- Put only one space, not two, between sentences.
For more details, see the sample page below and sections A.1.2 and A.1.3 of Turabian.
*Some departments or universities allow or require single spacing or one and a half spaces between lines in the body of the text. Check your local guidelines.
Sample Main Text Page
IMPORTANT: Your instructor’s requirements may overrule Chicago’s formatting recommendations!
Turabian Tip Sheets
The Turabian tip sheets illustrate everything you need to know for formatting a student paper in Chicago style. They are fully compatible with The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.). You can print them and download them.
- Margins and Page Numbers
- Title Page
- Table of Contents
- List of Tables and Figures
- Introduction or Conclusion
- Main Text
- Sections and Subheads
- Chapter Opening Page
- Figure and Figure Caption
- Bibliography
- Endnotes
- Footnotes
- Parenthetical Citations
- Reference List
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