Skip to content

How to Cite a Journal Article in Turabian (9th edition)

Learn how to cite peer-reviewed and academic journal articles in Turabian format (9th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

Turabian Bibliography Format

Here is the standard Turabian format for citing a journal article in your bibliography:

Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Journal Name volume, no. issue (Year): pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx.

Turabian Example for a Journal Article

A complete Turabian reference for a journal article, formatted by the official Turabian CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Rivera, Maria, and David Chen. 2021. “The Mapping of Meaning: A Study of Citation Practice.” Journal of Scholarly Communication 12 (3): 145–62. https://doi.org/10.1000/jsc.2021.145.

Matching in-text citation: (Rivera and Chen 2021)

Turabian In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(Smith and Jones 2024, 12)

Narrative

Smith and Jones (2024) conclude...

Key Turabian Formatting Rules

  • Put the article title in quotation marks.
  • Italicize the journal name.
  • Include DOI or URL.
  • Follows Chicago Notes-Bibliography format with minor differences.
  • For footnotes use a shortened form after the first full citation.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your journal article.
  2. Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Turabian (9th edition) template shown above.
  3. Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
  4. Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
  5. Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match Turabian requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: turabian.csl

Metadata to collect

  • authors
  • article title
  • journal title
  • year
  • volume and issue
  • page range or article number
  • DOI

Common metadata traps

  • Confirm that the DOI resolves to the same title, authors, and version.
  • Distinguish a preprint from the final version of record.
Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a journal article in Turabian?
To cite a journal article in Turabian (9th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the Turabian format for a journal article citation?
The Turabian format for a journal article is: Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Journal Name volume, no. issue (Year): pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx.
What does the in-text citation look like for a journal article in Turabian?
In Turabian, the in-text citation for the example above is (Smith and Jones 2024, 12)

Generate This Citation Automatically

Skip the manual formatting. Paste a DOI, URL, or ISBN into CitationEasy and get a perfectly formatted Turabian citation in seconds.

Cite in Turabian Now →

Generate this citation

Paste a URL, DOI, ISBN, or the source details and get a finished Turabian citation for a Journal Article.

Open the Journal Article Citation Generator →

Bibliography Studio

Saved citations build a full bibliography in the Studio

Open Bibliography Studio

Cite a Journal Article in Other Styles

Cite Other Sources in Turabian

More Resources