Trinity requires Kate Turabian's A Manual of Style of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, (6th edition) for all written work submitted to Trinity. Turabian allows for three kinds of notes: footnotes, endnotes, and parenthetical notes. When footnotes and endnotes are used, a bibliography is required. When parenthetical references are used, a reference list is required. The formatting differs according to each style. (Note: you do not need to get the 7th edition if you have the 6th.)

Although Turabian requires abbreviations for books of the Bible, spelling out the names is preferable for assignments at Trinity. Title pages, tables of contents, spacing, the use and style of headings, etc. are all covered in the manual. Generally, for all work EXCEPT Major Writing Projects, Master Theses, Capstone Ministry Projects, and Doctoral Dissertations use one inch margins at the top, bottom, right side, and left side of the paper. Twelve point Times New Roman font should be used throughout and double spacing. No color print should be used. Hyperlinks should be turned off, be the same size as the document text, and not appear in blue.  These general rules are also true for your Major Writing Project, Master Thesis, Doctoral Thesis, or Capstone Ministry Project except a one and one-half inch margin should be used on the left hand side of the page.

Different departments and/or concentrations require different styles of footnoting. For example, the Biblical Studies and Theology Departments require footnoting, whereas Biblical Counseling and the Leadership and Ministry Departments recommend parenthetical referencing. Please refer to the appropriate sections of Turabian for rules related to these styles. Before beginning your Major Writing Project, Master Thesis, Capstone Ministry Project, or Dissertation, check with your committee to see if one style of notes is preferred over another.

Dr. Stephen Williams, Ed.D.
Trinity College of the Bible
Trinity Theological Seminary
swilliams@trinitysem.edu