How to Cite a Book in Turabian (9th Edition)

This guide explains how to format a book citation in Turabian (9th Edition). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a book in Turabian (9th Edition):

Template

Note: First Name Last Name, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), page. Bibliography: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place: Publisher, Year.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

1. Robert M. Sapolsky, Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (New York: Penguin Books, 2017), 78.

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Sapolsky, Robert M. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. New York: Penguin Books, 2017.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Format the author name
In notes: First Name Last Name. In bibliography: Last Name, First Name.
2
Write the book title
Italicize the title and use headline-style capitalization. Include the subtitle after a colon if there is one.
3
Add publication details
In notes, place the city, publisher, and year in parentheses. In bibliography, write them after a period without parentheses.
4
Include edition if applicable
If not the first edition, add the edition number before the publication information, e.g., "2nd ed."
5
Add page number in notes
Include the specific page number after the closing parenthesis in the footnote, preceded by a comma.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to italicize the book title.
Omitting the place of publication (Turabian still requires it, unlike APA 7th).
Using sentence case for the book title instead of headline-style capitalization.
Leaving out the specific page number in the footnote.
Using the wrong name order in notes vs. bibliography.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Turabian require a place of publication for books?

Yes. Unlike APA 7th edition, Turabian still requires the city of publication. This is one area where it follows Chicago closely.

How do I cite an edited book in Turabian?

List the editor(s) in the author position and add "ed." (one editor) or "eds." (multiple editors) after the name(s).

What is the shortened note form in Turabian?

After the first full citation, subsequent notes use a shortened form: Last Name, Shortened Title, page. For example: Sapolsky, Behave, 102.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your book:

Author(s) or Editor(s)
Year of publication
Title
Edition (if not the first)
Publisher
DOI or URL (if electronic)

Generate citations automatically with CiteDash

Stop formatting citations by hand. CiteDash automatically generates accurate Turabian (9th Edition) citations for all your sources while you research and write.

Start Free Trial More Turabian (9th Edition) Guides

Step-by-Step Guide

Format the author name

In notes: First Name Last Name. In bibliography: Last Name, First Name.

Write the book title

Italicize the title and use headline-style capitalization. Include the subtitle after a colon if there is one.

Add publication details

In notes, place the city, publisher, and year in parentheses. In bibliography, write them after a period without parentheses.

Include edition if applicable

If not the first edition, add the edition number before the publication information, e.g., "2nd ed."

Add page number in notes

Include the specific page number after the closing parenthesis in the footnote, preceded by a comma.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to italicize the book title.

Omitting the place of publication (Turabian still requires it, unlike APA 7th).

Using sentence case for the book title instead of headline-style capitalization.

Leaving out the specific page number in the footnote.

Using the wrong name order in notes vs. bibliography.