Procedures

Footnotes

Footnotes are used to acknowledge sources, provide additional explanations, or refer readers to supporting material without interrupting the main flow of the text. In academic and theological writing, footnotes should follow the Turabian/Chicago style prescribed by the institution.

Footnotes should appear at the bottom of the page and be separated from the main text by a short horizontal line (footnote separator). The first line of each footnote should be indented 0.5 inch, while subsequent lines should be formatted with a hanging indent. Footnotes should be single-spaced, left-aligned, and typed in 10-point font. Each footnote number in the main text must correspond to the appropriate footnote at the bottom of the page.

Examples of Footnotes

1. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 85.
2. Ibid., 85.
   (Used when citing the same source and the same page as the immediately preceding note.)
3. Grudem, Systematic Theology, 90.
   (Used when citing the same source but a different page.)

Students may use appropriate electronic sources, including online academic journals, e-books, scholarly databases, and reputable academic websites. Electronic sources must be properly cited with the required bibliographic information, including the author's name, title, publication information, and, where applicable, the DOI, URL, and date of access, in accordance with the required Turabian/Chicago style.

Quotations

Quotations are used to support an argument by presenting the exact words of another author or source.

Short quotations of fewer than four lines should be incorporated into the main text and enclosed in quotation marks.

Long quotations of four or more lines should be presented as block quotations. Block quotations should be indented from the left margin, single-spaced, and presented without quotation marks. Every quotation must be properly documented with a corresponding footnote, following the required Turabian/Chicago citation style.

Punctuation and Citation Rules

1. Punctuation

Periods and commas should generally be placed inside quotation marks.

2. Footnote Number Placement

Footnote numbers should normally be placed after the punctuation mark, including after periods and commas.

Note: This placement follows standard Turabian/Chicago practice. The footnote number should not normally be placed between the closing quotation mark and the punctuation.

3. Scripture References

Scripture references should normally be placed immediately after the quotation and before the final punctuation, when the reference is part of the quotation itself.

When a footnote is also required, the footnote number should follow the punctuation according to the institution's prescribed citation format.

4. Hyphens and Em Dashes

Use a hyphen (-) for compound words, such as:

• well-known
• God-given
• Christ-centered

Use an em dash (—) to indicate a break in thought or for emphasis. An em dash should normally be used without spaces on either side.

5. Scripture References and Ranges

Use a semicolon to separate Scripture references from different books.

Use an en dash (–) for verse and chapter ranges rather than a hyphen.

Bibliography

The bibliography should contain a complete list of the sources cited in the thesis or research paper. Sources should be arranged alphabetically according to the author's last name.

Bibliographic entries should be typed in 12-point font, single-spaced, with a hanging indent of 0.5 inch. One blank line may be left between individual entries if required by the institution's formatting guidelines.

General Bibliographic Principles

1. Arrange entries alphabetically by the author's last name.
2. Use a hanging indent of 0.5 inch.
3. Use 12-point font for the bibliography.
4. Single-space each bibliographic entry.
5. Maintain consistent punctuation and capitalization throughout the bibliography.
6. Italicize the titles of books, journals, and other works that require italics.
7. Include complete publication information for books and other published sources.
8. For electronic sources, include the DOI or URL and access date when required by the prescribed citation style.
9. Ensure that every source cited in a footnote is properly represented in the bibliography when required by the institution's chosen Turabian/Chicago format.
10. The bibliography should reflect sources that are academically relevant and directly related to the subject of the research.

Students are expected to maintain consistency in footnotes, quotations, Scripture references, and bibliographic entries throughout the entire research paper or thesis.