Turabian 9 Author-Date Style

Books available in a commercial database are cited just like their print counterparts but need the name of the database listed at the end of the reference.

R: Wolf, Kenneth Baker. 2005. The Poverty of Riches: St. Francis of Assisi Reconsidered. New York: Oxford University Press. Ebscohost eBook Collection.

If page numbers are available, use the page number in the parenthetical note as shown here.

P: (Wolf 2005, 45)

When citing an item freely available on the internet, such as Google Books, utilize the entire URL.

R: Habermas, Gary. 1996. The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ. Joplin, MO: College Press. Accessed January 30, 2014. https://books.google.com/books?id=pMMeqKHZIDkC&lpg=PP1&dq=historical%20Jesus&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Indicate the page number in the parenthetical citation if available.

P: (Habermas 1996, 56)

If page numbers are not indicated, utilize a locator such as a chapter number (19.1.8.1) or name (19.1.9.1) to indicate a location in the parenthetical citation. Turabian strongly recommends using electronic sources that reproduce the printed pagination if possible.

Citations for books downloaded to an ebook reader or app must include the format or ebook reader name after the complete book citation. This example is for a book available through an ebook reader such as Kindle.

R: Wright, N. T. 2010. Small Faith—Great God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Kindle.

If page numbers are not available, indicate the location of a cited passage by using the chapter name or number which is described in section 19.1.8.1 and 19.1.9. 

P: (Wright 2010, chap. 2)

Turabian indicates you must always include the full publication information in addition to the URL. Turabian 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), Turabian 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, Turabian indicates it is permissible to use the name of the database being used.

Turabian indicates to include access dates only for those items where a publication date, posting date, or last modified date is not available.  In those cases the access date is used in place of a publication date.  Turabian does note that instructors may require an access date be used and recommends recording access dates "just in case."