Practical examples of Turabian style paper examples for students

Let’s start with a concrete picture. Imagine you’re writing a 6–8 page history paper for a college class. Your professor says: “Use Turabian, notes-bibliography style.” Here’s how one of the best examples of Turabian style paper examples for students might look, piece by piece.

The title page is centered, double-spaced, with the title in the upper half of the page, your name, course, instructor, and date in the lower half. Page numbers begin on the first text page, not on the title page. Your main text is double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and a readable 12-point font like Times New Roman.

When you quote a book, you insert a superscript number at the end of the sentence, then give a footnote at the bottom of the page:

1. John Lewis Gaddis, The Cold War: A New History (New York: Penguin, 2006), 45.

Later, in the bibliography, that same source appears slightly differently:

Gaddis, John Lewis. The Cold War: A New History. New York: Penguin, 2006.

This kind of small but consistent difference between notes and bibliography is what separates real examples of Turabian style paper examples for students from “close enough” attempts.

Real examples of Turabian style paper examples for students (by assignment type)

Instead of talking in the abstract, let’s walk through several realistic scenarios. These are the kinds of examples of Turabian style paper examples for students that actually match what instructors assign in 2024–2025.

Example 1: High school history paper (3–5 pages)

You’re in an AP U.S. History class, and your teacher wants you to use Turabian for a short paper on the causes of the Great Depression.

In this example of a Turabian-style paper:

• You include a simple title page: paper title, your name, course, teacher, and date, all centered.
• The first page of text starts with the title centered at the top (no bold, no underline), then your introduction.
• You use footnotes for quotations from your textbook and one library book. For instance:
  • Footnote: 1. David M. Kennedy, *Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945* (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 22.
• Your bibliography includes at least three entries: the textbook, one monograph, and one reputable website from a .gov or .edu domain.

This is one of the best examples of a starter Turabian style paper for students because it forces you to practice the basic building blocks: title page, page numbers, footnotes, and a short bibliography.

Example 2: Community college sociology research paper using online sources

Now imagine a 10-page sociology paper on social media and mental health at a community college. The professor requires Turabian notes-bibliography, but most of your sources are online.

In this real example of a Turabian-style paper:

• You still use a traditional title page and double-spaced text.

• Many of your notes point to journal articles accessed online. A footnote might look like:

  2. Jean M. Twenge and W. Keith Campbell, “Associations between Screen Time and Lower Psychological Well-Being among Children and Adolescents: Evidence from a Population-Based Study,” *Preventive Medicine Reports* 12 (2018): 271–83, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003.

• In the bibliography, the same article appears as:

  Twenge, Jean M., and W. Keith Campbell. “Associations between Screen Time and Lower Psychological Well-Being among Children and Adolescents: Evidence from a Population-Based Study.” *Preventive Medicine Reports* 12 (2018): 271–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003.

• You also cite a government health resource, such as:

  3. National Institute of Mental Health, “Digital Shareables on Child and Adolescent Mental Health,” National Institutes of Health, accessed March 3, 2025, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health.

This kind of paper shows how examples of Turabian style paper examples for students are adapting to 2024–2025 trends, where online journals and government resources like NIH and NIMH are standard sources.

Example 3: Undergraduate history seminar paper using primary sources

For a 15–20 page history seminar paper, Turabian really shines. You might be using archival documents, letters, or speeches.

In this example of Turabian formatting:

• You use subheadings (Level 1, Level 2) to organize long sections.

• Footnotes handle complex citations of primary sources, such as:

  4. Franklin D. Roosevelt to Frances Perkins, March 2, 1933, in *The Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt*, vol. 2, ed. Samuel I. Rosenman (New York: Random House, 1938), 15.

• The bibliography separates Primary Sources and Secondary Sources with headings (left-aligned, bold or caps, according to your professor’s preference).

This is one of the best examples of Turabian style paper examples for students who are moving toward upper-division work or thinking about graduate school.

Example 4: Graduate-level theology or philosophy paper (Turabian, notes-bibliography)

Turabian is heavily used in theology, biblical studies, and philosophy. A graduate paper might include:

• Long block quotations for passages over 5 lines, indented and single-spaced.

• Repeated references to the same source using shortened notes:

  5. Alasdair MacIntyre, *After Virtue*, 3rd ed. (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2007), 115.
6. MacIntyre, *After Virtue*, 119.

• A bibliography with a mix of classic works and recent scholarship from university presses.

Seeing this kind of real example of Turabian style paper shows how the same rules you learn as an undergrad scale up to more advanced work.

Example 5: Science or health paper using Turabian author-date

Not every instructor uses the notes-bibliography version. Some prefer the author-date system, especially in the social and health sciences.

In an author-date example of Turabian style paper for a public health course:

• In-text citations look like: (Mayo Clinic 2024, 3) instead of footnotes.
• The reference list is labeled References instead of Bibliography.

• A source might be formatted as:

  Mayo Clinic. 2024. “Teen Depression.” Mayo Clinic. Updated March 15, 2024. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/.

• A government source such as CDC might appear as:

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023. “Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011–2021.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/.

This is one of the most practical examples of Turabian style paper examples for students in nursing, psychology, or public health, where current data and updated reports are non-negotiable.

Example 6: Short reflection paper with minimal citations

Not every assignment is a full research project. Sometimes you’re asked for a 2–3 page reflection with only one or two sources.

In this lighter example of Turabian formatting:

• You still use the same margins, font, and spacing.

• You might have only one or two footnotes, such as:

  7. bell hooks, *Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom* (New York: Routledge, 1994), 12.

• Your bibliography might list only that one book and a course article.

Even simple assignments like this are valid examples of Turabian style paper examples for students, because they help you build habits without the stress of a long research project.

Key formatting patterns you’ll see across the best examples

When you look at many real examples of Turabian style paper examples for students, some patterns repeat over and over. Getting these right will make your paper look correct before your professor even reads it.

Title page and first page

• Title page is separate, with the title in the upper half of the page, other information in the lower half.
• No page number on the title page; the first page of text is page 1.
• Title on the first text page is centered at the top, with the first paragraph starting two or three lines below.

Margins, spacing, and font

• Standard 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Double-spacing throughout the main text; single-spacing in block quotations and footnotes.
• A clean, readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman.

Headings and subheadings

Turabian allows a flexible heading system. In student papers, you’ll often see:

• Centered, bold or regular type for major sections.
• Left-aligned subheadings for smaller sections.

The main thing is consistency. When you look at the best examples of Turabian style paper examples for students, you’ll notice they pick one heading style and stick with it.

Notes and bibliography vs. author-date

Most humanities instructors prefer notes-bibliography (footnotes or endnotes with a bibliography). Many social science and science instructors prefer author-date (in-text citations with a reference list).

When you examine examples of Turabian style paper examples for students, pay attention to which system is being used. Mixing them is a common beginner mistake.

Where to find reliable, current Turabian examples online

If you want to see more examples beyond what’s in this guide, focus on sources that stay updated with the latest Turabian and Chicago Manual of Style changes.

Helpful starting points include:

• University writing centers – Many U.S. universities post sample Turabian papers and citation guides. For instance, schools like Harvard and other major universities maintain writing resources that, while often focused on other styles, still model academic formatting and citation.
• Library guides – Academic libraries often host Turabian quick guides with real examples of footnotes and bibliographies. Search for “Turabian quick guide site:.edu” in your browser.
• Official Chicago Manual of Style Online – Turabian is based on Chicago style. While the full Chicago site is subscription-based, their free Chicago style Q&A and sample citations are helpful for tricky cases.

These external examples of Turabian style paper examples for students can show you edge cases, like how to cite a YouTube lecture, a dataset, or an online government report.

2024–2025 trends: how instructors are using Turabian now

In 2024–2025, a few trends are shaping how Turabian is assigned and how examples include newer source types:

• More digital sources – Students are citing online journals, preprint servers, and government dashboards more often. This means footnotes and bibliographies increasingly include DOIs, stable URLs, and access dates.
• Hybrid assignments – It’s common to see a traditional Turabian paper paired with a presentation or infographic. The paper still follows Turabian, but you might also cite in slides using a simplified form.
• Emphasis on academic integrity – With AI tools in the mix, many instructors are doubling down on accurate citation. Real examples of Turabian style paper examples for students are being used in class as models of how to credit sources clearly.
• Accessibility and clarity – Instructors are encouraging headings, clear topic sentences, and logical structure, all of which Turabian supports well.

If you compare older handouts to newer ones, you’ll notice that newer examples of Turabian style paper examples for students almost always show how to cite websites, online PDFs, and streaming media—things that barely appeared a decade ago.

FAQ: Common questions about Turabian style and examples

How do I see full examples of Turabian style paper examples for students?
Look for sample papers from university writing centers or library guides. Many provide downloadable PDFs of student-style Turabian papers with annotated notes explaining each formatting choice.

Is Turabian the same as Chicago style?
They’re closely related. Turabian is essentially Chicago style adapted for student papers. Most examples of Turabian style paper examples for students will look very similar to Chicago, but with a few student-focused tweaks.

Can I mix footnotes and in-text citations in one paper?
Generally, no. You should use either the notes-bibliography system (footnotes or endnotes plus a bibliography) or the author-date system (in-text citations plus a reference list). A well-formatted example of a Turabian paper will stick with one system throughout.

What’s an example of a good Turabian bibliography entry for a website?
In notes-bibliography style, a strong example might be:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “COVID-19: Vaccines.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Last modified February 20, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/.

You’ll see similar patterns across the best examples of Turabian style paper examples for students: author or organization, title, site or publisher, date, and URL.

Do all professors require a title page in Turabian?
Most Turabian examples include a title page, but some instructors skip it for shorter assignments. Always follow your syllabus or ask directly. When in doubt, look at the examples your department or writing center provides.

If you treat these examples of Turabian style paper examples for students as templates rather than rigid scripts, you’ll find the style much less intimidating. Start with one model that matches your assignment type, copy the structure (not the words), and then adjust the details to fit your own topic and sources.