A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
The gold standard for generations of college and graduate students writing research papers, now thoroughly updated to reflect today's expectations.
Whether you are writing your first college research paper or your dissertation, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations – also known as "Turabian" – remains a classic resource because of its timeless focus on the fundamentals of good research writing. For more than eight decades, it has offered comprehensive guidance on current expectations for academic writing. Based on the idea that writing a paper means engaging in a conversation with others in your field, it shows you how to conduct research, craft an argument, and produce an original work based on evidence and reasoning that responds to and builds on what others have previously written. Along the way, it also serves as a reference for cultivating consistent and respectful practices toward your readers in citations, language choices, and paper format.
The tenth edition reflects the continuing evolution in academic writing conventions. It has been updated to reflect the most current editions of The Craft of Research and The Chicago Manual of Style and features the following additional changes:
- A redesign for easier navigation
- Extensive coverage of the appropriate use of generative AI
- A rewritten chapter on visual communication
- Greater attention to writing centres and tutors
- New notes for students and instructors on how to use the book
- Refreshed examples throughout
Further, new ancillary written and video materials to support your use of the book are available online at Turabian.org. With nearly 10 million copies sold, A Manual for Writers remains the most trusted and time-tested reference for writing research papers. Authoritative, clear, easy to read, and with plenty of examples, it is the essential guide for any student or teacher concerned with research and good writing.
A Note to Students
A Note to Instructors
Acknowledgments
Part I: Research and Writing, by Joseph Bizup and William T. FitzGerald
Overview of Part I
1. What Research Is and How Researchers Think About It
1.1. What Research Is
1.2. How Researchers Think About Their Aims
1.3. Conversing with Your Readers
2. Defining a Project
2.1. Starting from a Topic
2.2. Defining Your Research Question
2.3. Understanding Research Problems
2.4. Mapping Out Your Project
3. Finding Useful Sources
3.1. Three Kinds of Sources and Their Uses
3.2. Planning Your Library Search
3.3. Finding Specific Sources
3.4. Locating Sources on the Public Internet
3.5. Evaluating Sources for Relevance and Reliability
3.6. Looking Beyond the Usual Kinds of References
3.7. Recording Your Sources Fully, Accurately, and Appropriately
3.8. Engaging People to Further Your Research
3.9. Using Generative AI for Research
4. Engaging Your Sources
4.1. Reading Generously to Understand, Then Critically to Engage
4.2. Taking Notes Purposefully
4.3. Annotating Sources for Your Future Use
4.4. Managing Doubts About Your Project
5. Constructing Your Argument
5.1. What a Research Argument Is and Is Not
5.2. Building Your Argument Around Answers to Readers' Questions
5.3. Stating and Evaluating Your Claim
5.4. Supporting Your Claim with Reasons and Evidence
5.5. Acknowledging and Responding to Anticipated Questions and Objections
5.6. Establishing the Relevance of Your Reasons with Warrants
5.7. Assessing Your Progress
6. Planning a First Draft
6.1. Using a Storyboard to Plan and Guide Your Work
6.2. Avoiding Three Common but Ineffective Patterns
6.3. Planning for Your Readers' Needs
6.4. Filing Away Leftovers
6.5. Joining a Writing Group
7. Drafting Your Paper
7.1. Developing Effective Writing Habits
7.2. Using Key Terms and Headings to Stay on Track
7.3. Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting Sources
7.4. Creating a Fair Summary
7.5. Creating a Fair Paraphrase
7.6. Using Direct Quotations
7.7. Mixing Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation
7.8. Using Footnotes and Endnotes Judiciously
7.9. Showing Readers How Evidence Is Relevant
7.10. Remaining Open to Surprises
7.11. Seeking Assistance: Some Advice and a Caveat
7.12. Managing Anxiety as a Writer
8. Communicating Graphically
8.1. Types of Graphics
8.2. Principles for Presenting Information Graphically
8.3. Examples of Effective Graphics
9. Revising Your Draft
9.1. Checking Your Frame
9.2. Revising Your Argument
9.3. Revising Your Organization
9.4. Revising Your Paragraphs
9.5. Guarding Against Inadvertent Plagiarism
9.6. Letting Your Draft Cool, Then Revisiting It
10. Writing Your Final Introduction and Conclusion
10.1. Drafting Your Final Introduction
10.2. Drafting Your Final Conclusion
10.3. Writing Your Title Last
11. Revising for Style
11.1. Writing Clear Sentences
11.2. Adopting the Right Register
11.3. Using Inclusive Language
11.4. Editing and Proofreading
11.5. Using Generative AI for Writing
11.6. Finishing
12. Learning from Feedback on Your Paper
12.1. Two Kinds of Feedback: Advice and Data
12.2. Interpreting Your Feedback
12.3. Talking with Your Readers
12.4. Using Generative AI for Feedback
13. Presenting Research in Alternative Forums
13.1. Presenting to Auditors
13.2. Planning Your Oral Presentation
13.3. Planning Your Poster Presentation
13.4. Planning Your Conference Proposal
14. On the Spirit of Research
Part II: Source Citation
Overview of Part II
15. General Introduction to Citation Practices
15.1. What Is a Source Citation?
15.2. Reasons for Citing Your Sources
15.3. The Requirements of Citation
15.4. Two Citation Styles
15.5. Electronic Sources
15.6. Preparation of Citations
15.7. Citation Management Tools
16. Notes-Bibliography Style: The Basic Form
16.1. Basic Patterns
16.2. Bibliographies
16.3. Notes
16.4. Short Forms for Notes
17. Notes-Bibliography Style: Citing Specific Types of Sources
17.1. Books
17.2. Journal Articles
17.3. Magazine Articles
17.4. Newspaper Articles
17.5. Websites, Blogs, and Social Media
17.6. Interviews and Personal Communications
17.7. Papers, Lectures, and Manuscript Collections
17.8. Older Works and Sacred Works
17.9. Reference Works and Secondary Citations
17.10. Visual and Performing Arts and Multimedia
17.11. Public Documents
17.12. Datasets and AI
18. Author-Date Style: The Basic Form
18.1. Basic Patterns
18.2. Reference Lists
18.3. Parenthetical Citations
19. Author-Date Style: Citing Specific Types of Sources
19.1. Books
19.2. Journal Articles
19.3. Magazine Articles
19.4. Newspaper Articles
19.5. Websites, Blogs, and Social Media
19.6. Interviews and Personal Communications
19.7. Papers, Lectures, and Manuscript Collections
19.8. Older Works and Sacred Works
19.9. Reference Works and Secondary Citations
19.10. Visual and Performing Arts and Multimedia
19.11. Public Documents
19.12. Datasets and AI
Part III: Style
Overview of Part III
20. Spelling
20.1. Plurals
20.2. Possessives
20.3. Compounds and Words Formed with Prefixes
20.4. Line Breaks and Hyphenation
21. Punctuation
21.1. Periods
21.2. Commas
21.3. Semicolons
21.4. Colons
21.5. Question Marks
21.6. Exclamation Points
21.7. Hyphens and Dashes
21.8. Parentheses and Brackets
21.9. Slashes
21.10. Quotation Marks
21.11. Apostrophes
21.12. Multiple Punctuation Marks
22. Names, Special Terms, and Titles of Works
22.1. Names
22.2. Special Terms
22.3. Titles of Works
23. Numbers
23.1. Words or Numerals?
23.2. Plurals and Punctuation
23.3. Date Systems
23.4. Numbers Used Outside the Text
24. Abbreviations
24.1. General Principles
24.2. Names and Titles
24.3. Geographical Terms
24.4. Time and Dates
24.5. Units of Measure
24.6. The Bible and Other Sacred Works
24.7. Abbreviations in Citations and Other Scholarly Contexts
25. Quotations
25.1. Quoting Accurately and Avoiding Plagiarism
25.2. Incorporating Quotations into Your Text
25.3. Modifying Quotations
Appendix: Paper Submission and Format
A.1. File Preparation and Submission Requirements
A.2. General Format Requirements
A.3. Format Requirements for Specific Components
A Brief Guide to Bibliographic and Other Resources
Index
Kate L. Turabian (1893-1987) was the graduate school dissertation secretary at the University of Chicago from 1930 to 1958. She is the author of A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations and the Student's Guide for Writing College Papers.
Joseph Bizup is an associate professor in the Department of English at Boston University. He revised the last three editions of Joseph M. Williams's Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace.
William T. FitzGerald is an associate professor in the Department of English and Communication at Rutgers University-Camden and has published widely on writing and research, the rhetoric of prayer, and style.
Juli Parrish is a teaching professor and director of the writing centre at the University of Denver.
The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff represents the collective judgment of Press editors past and present, going back to 1892.
| Pm Supplier | Wiley & Sons Ltd |
|---|---|
| Pm Publisher | University of Chicago Press |
| Pm Isbn 10 | 0226816257 |
| Pm Isbn 13 | 9780226816258 |
| Pm Publication Date | 1987-12-31 |
| Pm Width | 158 |
| Pm Height | 234 |
| Pm Author | Turabian,Kate L, Bizup,Joseph, FitzGerald,William T, Parrish,Juli, The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff |
| Pm Longness | 0 |
- The Chicago Manual of Style for Student Researchers
- Key Info: 14 b/w photos, 21 b/w illustrations, 2 tables
- Author: Turabian,Kate L, Bizup,Joseph, FitzGerald,William T, Parrish,Juli, The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff
- Page Count: 464
- Publication Date: 2026-12-09
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations
- The Chicago Manual of Style for Student Researchers
- Key Info: 14 b/w photos, 21 b/w illustrations, 2 tables
- Author: Turabian,Kate L, Bizup,Joseph, FitzGerald,William T, Parrish,Juli, The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff
- Page Count: 464
- Publication Date: 2026-12-09
