SBL Handbook of Style

Articles come in a variety of publications and article types and each type requires variations in how the bibliography entry and footnote are constructed. In the examples below, the bibliography entry is listed first followed by the accompanying footnote.

SBL describes how to cite scholarly journal articles in section 6.3.1.  

Journal article citations included in the bibliography must include the following elements:

• Author's name listed last name, first name separated by a comma and ending with a period.
• Article title, including subtitle, in quotation marks with all major words capitalized.  Separate the title from the subtitle with a colon and place a period at the end of the title inside the quotation mark.
• Journal titles should be abbreviated using the abbreviations provided in the SBL Handbook of Style, unless the journal is not included in the SBL list.
• Issue information should include the volume number in arabic numerals.
  • Do not include the issue number unless each issue begins with page 1.
  • If each issue begins wth page 1, separate the volume and issue number with a single period. 
• Year of publication appears after the volume in parentheses.
• Page numbers are the final element in a journal article citation.  A colon separates the date of publication from the page numbers and a period is placed at the end.

This example shows a bibliography citation for a journal article containing both volume and issue number as well as month and year. Note that SBL does not include the issue number or month.

B: Stewart, Kenneth J.“Evangelicalism and Patristic Christianity: 1517 to the Present.” EvQ 80 (2008): 307-321.

This example is for a journal article containing a volume number as well as season and year. Note that SBL does not include the season in the citation. 

B: Aponte, Edwin, and Evelyn L. Parker. “Strangers No More: African American and Latinas/os Moving Toward Coalitions as Colleagues.” Perspectivas 12 (2008): 61-74.

Note: This journal is not included in the SBL list so it is written out in entirety.

Journal article citations included as footnotes are slightly different from the bibliography citation.

• Author's name listed in standard order (first name last name) and followed by a comma.
• A comma rather than a period is placed after the article title.

N: Kenneth J. Stewart, “Evangelicalism and Patristic Christianity: 1517 to the Present,” EvQ 80 (2008): 310.

N: Edwin Aponte and Evelyn L. Parker, “Strangers No More: African American and Latinas/os Moving Toward Coalitions as Colleagues,” Perspectivas 12 (2008): 70.

This example is for an article found online through one of the library's databases. SBL in section 6.3.10 requires use of the entire permanent URL or a DOI. Lincoln Christian University indicates that using the database name is permissible but check with your professor. Both examples are shown below. 

B: Ronning, John L. "The Targum of Isaiah and the Johannine Literature." WTJ 69, no. 2 (Fall 2007): 247-278. EBSCOhost ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials.

N: John L. Ronning, “The Targum of Isaiah and the Johannine Literature,” WTJ 69, no. 2 (Fall 2007): 254, EBSCOhost ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials.

B: Ronning, John L. "The Targum of Isaiah and the Johannine Literature." WTJ 69 (2007): 247-278. https://library.lincolnchristian.edu:2443/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001631728&site=ehost-live

N: John L. Ronning, “The Targum of Isaiah and the Johannine Literature,” WTJ 69 (2007): 254, https://library.lincolnchristian.edu:2443/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001631728&site=ehost-live

This example is for an online journal article found through one of the library's journal databases that has a DOI.

Note:  SBL now recommends conforming to Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian and add the text http://dx.doi.org/ before the DOI number.

B: Kelemen, Katalin, and Märta C. Johansson. "Still Neglecting the Demand that Fuels Human Trafficking: A Study Comparing the Criminal Laws and Practice of Five European States on Human Trafficking, Purchasing Sex from Trafficked Adults and from Minors." European Journal Of Crime, Criminal Law & Criminal Justice 21 (2013): 247-289. doi:10.1163/15718174-21042030.

N: Katalin Kelemen and Märta C. Johansson, "Still Neglecting the Demand that Fuels Human Trafficking: A Study Comparing the Criminal Laws and Practice of Five European States on Human Trafficking, Purchasing Sex from Trafficked Adults and from Minors," European Journal Of Crime, Criminal Law & Criminal Justice 21 (2013): 247-289, doi: 10.1163/15718174-21042030.

This example is for an article found in an online journal such as a journal only found online or an article posted to the author's website. As this journal begins each issue with page 1 instead of a consecutive number volume, include the issue number with a single period separate the volume and issue number.

B: Lederleitner, Mary Mallon. “Perspective Transformation: Application for Mission Curriculum in Churches.” Common Ground Journal 5.2 (2008): 33-43.  http://www.commongroundjournal.org/volnum/v05n02.pdf.

N: Mary Mallon Lederleitner, “Perspective Transformation: Application for Mission Curriculum in Churches,” Common Ground Journal 5.2 (2008): 37, http://www.commongroundjournal.org/volnum/v05n02.pdf.

A magazine contains brief articles and focuses on current events and news.  Magazine articles are more likely to be written by journalists and not have bibliographic citations.  For more information on the difference between scholarly journal articles and magazine articles, please refer to the Scholarly Article guide listed below.

SBL describes how to cite magazine articles in 6.3.9. Magazines are cited using volume and issue number with the two numbers separated by a single period. Page numbers should be included in the bibliographic citation and footnote.  Use a colon to separate the page number from the publication date.  

B: Jackson, Chris. “Launching a Church Outward.” Ministry Today 26.6 (2008): 63.

N: Chris Jackson, “Launching a Church Outward,” Ministry Today 26.6 (2008): 63.

When an author's name is not given, Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style on which SBL is based indicates the citation should begin with the article title as in the following example.

B: “Reject Apathy: Embracing Justice the Right Way.” Relevant 45.3: (2010) 82.

N: “Reject Apathy: Embracing Justice the Right Way,” Relevant 45:3 (2010) 82.

For magazine articles found online, add the DOI or permanent URL to the citation. Lincoln Christian University allows utilizing the database name, but check with your professor. Both examples are displayed. 

B: Morgan, Timothy C., and Isaac Phiri. "Hunger Isn't History." Christianity Today 52.11 (2008): 26-33. https://library.lincolnchristian.edu:2443/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001684718&site=ehost-live.

N: Timothy C. Morgan and Isaac Phiri, “Hunger Isn’t History,” Christianity Today 52.11 (2008): 31. https://library.lincolnchristian.edu:2443/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001684718&site=ehost-live.

B: Morgan, Timothy C., and Isaac Phiri. "Hunger Isn't History." Christianity Today 52.11 (2008): 26-33. EBSCOhost Academic Search Complete.

N: Timothy C. Morgan and Isaac Phiri, “Hunger Isn’t History,” Christianity Today 52.11 November (2008): 31. EBSCOhost Academic Search Complete.

SBL does not provide any specific mention of how to cite newspaper articles. In this absence, writers should refer to Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian which indicates newspaper articles should be cited only as a footnote unless the article forms a substantial or critical part of the argument. If uncertain whether an item is a critical part of the argument, the safest decision is to include the item in the bibliography.

A newspaper article should be cited in the same format as a magazine article but does not include the page number. 

For newspaper articles found online, include the DOI or permanent URL. Using a database name and provider may be used with permission from your professor. 

B: Chick, Kirsten. “How Bad is Gulf Oil Spill? A Global Q&A on Offshore Oil Spills.” Christian Science Monitor, May 24, 2010. https://library.lincolnchristian.edu:2443/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=50840260&site=ehost-live.

N: Kristen Chick, “How Bad is Gulf Oil Spill? A Global Q&A on Offshore Oil Spills,” Christian Science Monitor, May 24, 2010, ttps://library.lincolnchristian.edu:2443/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=50840260&site=ehost-live.

B: Chick, Kirsten. “How Bad is Gulf Oil Spill? A Global Q&A on Offshore Oil Spills.” Christian Science Monitor, May 24, 2010. EBSCOhost Newspaper Source.

N: Kristen Chick, “How Bad is Gulf Oil Spill? A Global Q&A on Offshore Oil Spills,” Christian Science Monitor, May 24, 2010, EBSCOhost Newspaper Source.

Another option for citing newspaper articles it to weave citation elements into the text instead of using a note.  Minimally include the name and date of the paper and article author as indicated in the example below.

In an article in the May 24, 210 Christian Science Monitor, Kirsten Chick indicates the gulf oil spill  . . .

Book and performance reviews appear in a variety of publications.  SBL provides information for both a bibliography citation and a footnote. SBL has slight differences in the format of the citation depending on if the review is untitled or titled. 

The following components should be included in a footnote or bibliography citation for an untitled review:

• The name of the reviewer followed by a comma for a footnote. The bibliography will have the name last name first and end with a period. 
• The words review of followed by the title of the item being reviewed and the author or originator of the item.
• The abbreviation for the journal where the review appeared followed by the appropriate publication information.

This example is for an untitled review in a journal. Note the title in this example ends in a question mark.  No punctuation should appear after a title ending in a question mark or exclamation mark.

B: Irvine, Suzanne. Review of Mend the Gap: Can the Church Reconnect the Generations? by Jason Gardner, Journal of Education & Christian Belief 12 (2008): 183-184.

N: Suzanne Irvine, review of Mend the Gap: Can the Church Reconnect the Generations? by Jason Gardner, Journal of Education & Christian Belief 12 (2008): 183.

SBL indicates that a titled book review should be cited like a normal journal article.

SBL indicates you must always include the full publication information in addition to the URL. SBL states to use the full URL when citing personal websites.  However, when using commercial databases such as those provided by the Jessie C. Eury Library, there are three possible options for providing the URL.

1. If a commercial database lists a recommended permanent URL for the source, use the permanent URL. Permanent URLs are available in EBSCO eBooks and on Ebook Central.

2. If a commercial database lists a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), SBL indicates to use it as a DOI provides a more stable and permanent URL and is the best option.

3. If no permanent URL or DOI exists, LCU indicates it is permissible to use the name of the database being used but check with your professor.

SBL does not recommend using access dates but notes the date of publication should be included.