FORMAT GUIDE FOR BIBLICAL STUDIES PAPERS
The Biblical Studies Department has adopted Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, latest edition, and Nancy Jean Vyhmeister, Quality Research Papers, as its writing manuals. While these include everything necessary for a paper, it is not always easy to find the specific information. This brief guide will serve as a supplement. If there are differences between Turabian or Vyhmeister and this Format Guide and the accompanying Format Sample for Maranatha Biblical Studies Papers, follow the Maranatha Format Guide and Sample.
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NEW! Check out our guide to citing commentaries and other religious writings (such as Bible dictionaries) in your papers! |
FORMAT PARTICULARS
Type
The type should be a standard “Courier” (typewriter style) or a book style print (“Times” is the preferred proportional space print style). The body of the paper is double-spaced. Bibliography entries and footnotes are single-spaced, with one blank space between footnotes and between bibliography entries.
Reference Notations
Use Turabian’s Note and Bibliography citation formats “N” and “B” entries. Do not use the Parenthetical Reference (“PR”) or the Reference-List (“RL”) styles.
Margins
Margins must measure 1¼ inch for the left margin, and 1 inch for the top, bottom and right margins. Full justification may only be used if the word processor makes incremental additions; do not use full justification if the word processor adds multiple spaces between some words.
Pagination
Preliminary pages (title page, table of contents, etc.) are numbered with lower case Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, etc.) centered at the bottom of the page immediately above the one-inch bottom margin. The title page is counted in the numbering, but does not display the page number. Preliminary pages are not necessary for standard term papers, although a title page is frequently appropriate.
The body of the paper is numbered with arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) with the first page of the actual content of the paper being page 1. Page numbers are centered at the top of the page (centered between the margins, not between the paper edges) immediately below the one-inch margin. On pages requiring a two-inch top margin (the first page of a chapter, appendix title page, reference list pages, bibliography title page), the usual requirement is to place the page number centered at the bottom of the page immediately above the one-inch bottom margin. Page numbering then resumes at the top of the next page. Word, however, does not do this gracefully. It is acceptable, therefore, to not place the page number on the bottom of such pages.
Widows and Orphans
Before printing check for widow and orphan lines. Widow text is the last line of a paragraph that prints on the top of the next page as a single line. Orphan text is the first line of a paragraph that begins as a single line at the bottom of a page. The general rule is to keep a minimum of two lines of text together at the bottom of a page when beginning a paragraph or at the top of a page when ending a paragraph.
There are two special rules to remember:
1. If you use subheadings in your paper, there must be at least two lines of text following the sub-heading; otherwise, move the subheading to the next page.
2. Bibliography references are not to be divided across two pages. If the reference does not fit on the bottom of the page, move the entire reference to the top of the next.
Title Page
The Title Page is already prepared in the Maranatha sample paper and templates. If the title is longer than four inches, it must be typed single-spaced in inverted-pyramid form.
ON A TITLE PAGE THE TITLE IS SINGLE SPACED AND APPEARS
IN UPPERCASE AND INVERTED-PYRAMID FORM
Major Headings
Major headings (the first page of the following: table of contents, a chapter, the bibliography, abstract, appendix, etc.) are typed in all capital letters and centered at the top of the page immediately below a two-inch margin (remember, the page number on these pages is centered at the bottom of the page immediately above the one-inch margin or is not included at all). Two blank lines follow a heading, and the text begins on the third line. Chapter headings are double-spaced and all other headings are single-spaced, if they are longer than one line.
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TITLE IN UPPERCASE AND FORMATTED
IN INVERTED-PYRAMID FORM
Chapters are not required in short papers.
Subheadings
Turabian allows for five levels of subheadings. Subheadings are the normal form of division for a short paper which does not use chapters. Use the following forms of subheads (in a paper there would always be text between these various levels of subheadings):
First Level Subheadings Centered, Italicized, Headline Style
Second Level Subheadings Centered and Headline Style, but not Italicized
Third Level Subheadings Flush with the Left Margin, Italicized, Headline Style
Fourth Level Subheadings Flush with the Left Margin, Headline Style, Not Italicized
Fifth level subheadings paragraph indented, underlined, and sentence style. A period follows a fifth level subheading, which is then followed by two spaces. The rest of the paragraph begins as the next sentence. “Headline style” means that the major words are capitalized. “Sentence style” means that only the first word and any proper nouns, names, places, etc. are capitalized.
You may leave out some of the subheadings if you prefer, but you may not rearrange their order. For instance, you could use First, Third and Fifth level subheadings and not use the Second and Fourth level in a short paper.
Indentation and Spacing
Indent a paragraph .8 inches. Indent block quotations .4 inches (see below for a discussion of block quotations). Block quotations are single-spaced.
Footnote text is indented just like a paragraph, but is single-spaced.
Bibliography entries begin flush with the left margin, but are indented .5 inches for each successive line of text. Entries are single-spaced, with one blank line of text between entries.
Block Quotations
Short quotations are included as part of the text of the paper and are set off using quotation marks. A quotation of two or more sentences which runs four or more lines long is set in block quotation format. A block quotation does not use quotation marks, is single spaced, and each line of text is indented .4 inches. If the block quotation includes the beginning of a paragraph, indent the first line of that paragraph an additional .4 inches to bring it into line with the beginning of a paragraph in the body of the paper.
Continued Numbers in Footnotes or Bibliography
Citations of continued page numbers in footnotes or the bibliography is based on the following scheme:
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FIRST NUMBER |
SECOND NUMBER |
EXAMPLES |
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Less than 100 |
Use all digits |
1-3; 91-92 |
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Multiples of 100 |
Use all digits |
200-203 |
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Multiples of 101 through 109 |
Use changed part only |
201-3; 1909-10 |
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Multiples of 110 through 199 |
Use two or more digits as needed |
210-12; 1991-92; 21891-991 |
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Four digit numbers |
If three digits change, use all four digits |
1776-1992 |
Punctuation
Ellipses: Ellipses identify when material has been deleted in a quotation. Material which alters the meaning of a quotation should never be left out. Within a sentence, an ellipsis is three dots; at the end of a sentence it is four dots. Ellipses are not used at the beginning or end of a quotation. Ellipses have a space between each dot, i.e., text . . . text, not text…text.
Quotation Marks: A final comma or period is always inclosed within the quotation marks. A question mark or exclamation mark precedes the quotation mark if it is part of the quotation and follows the quotation mark if it is not part of the quotation.
Footnotes
Footnotes should appear on the same page where noted by the numeral in the text of the paper. Endnotes are not an option. One purpose of footnotes is to identify the source of the material in the paper, whether exactly quoted or merely referred to. Another purpose is to add material pertinent to the topic, but which would be out of place in the flow of the text of the paper. Theological writing frequently includes these expanded footnotes.
1. A footnote begins on the bottom of the page on which it is referenced. It can be carried over to the following page.
2. A two-inch long rule (underlining) separates the footnotes from the text of the paper. This line begins on the line immediately following the text and is followed by a blank line before the footnote begins.
3. The footnote is typed indent style (identical to the text of the paper). The footnote number is elevated; there is no space between the number and the footnote. Footnotes are single-spaced, with one blank line between footnotes.
4. Footnotes are numbered consecutively within a chapter. If you do not use chapters, the numbers run consecutively through the entire paper.
Citations
Footnotes should use the following format for a book, article in a book, and article in a periodical. Check Turabian for additional examples.
FirstName LastName, Title of Book in Italics (City of publication: Publisher, date), page number.
FirstName LastName of the writer of the article, “Title of the Article” in Title of the Book in Italics, ed. FirstName LastName of editor(s) (City of publication: Publisher, date), page number.
FirstName LastName, “Title of Article in a Periodical,” Title of Periodical in Italics Volume No. (Date of the specific issue): page number.
Bibliography entries should be as follows:
LastName, FirstName of author. Title of Book in italics. City of publication:
Publisher, date.
FirstName LastName of the writer of the article, “Title of the Article.” In Title of the Book in Italics, ed. FirstName LastName of editor(s). City of publication: Publisher, date.
LastName, FirstName of author. “Title of Article in a Periodical.” Title of Periodical in italics Volume No. (Date of the specific issue): pages of the entire article.
Second footnote references to a book or article should include the author’s last name (unless there are multiple authors with the same last name; then include the first), title of the book or article (this may be abbreviated if the title is lengthy), and the page number.
Second bibliographic references to the same author should include a one-inch underline taking the place of the author’s name.