Citation at Hekman
Calvin Theological Seminary papers and theses are academic scholarly works that need to include proper citation of sources. CTS papers are normally written using the Turabian citation style (which is basically the same as the Chicago style, but modified slightly for students) in Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th ed.(Chicago, 2013). It presents two basic documentation systems:
- Notes-bibliography style (or simply bibliography style)
- Parenthetical citations–reference list style (or reference list style)
Papers written for biblical studies courses should follow the SBL Handbook of Style for Biblical Studies and Related Disciplines (this generally follows Turabian/Chicago, with some significant differences). You can use the links below for a quick guide to the SBL format, or find the full handbook in the library.
Citation can get pretty complicated, but we have a few resources you can use for help. The links below include some quick guides and overviews for citation, as well as citation generators. For more instruction on citation, check out the library's Citation 101 guide.
Quick Links for Citation Tools
- Chicago Manual of Style Online
Online version of the Chicago style manual, with full details and examples, a quick guide, and video tutorials - Turabian Citation Guide
Brief overview of Turabian style, with helpful examples of the most commonly cited materials - Student Supplement for the SBL Handbook
Quick print guide to the SBL format - you can also find the full SBL handbook in the library in the 2nd floor reference - SBL Citation Builder
Online citation generator tool specifically for SBL, maintained by Pitts Theology Library - KnightCite
Calvin's own citation generator - basic tool that works for most source types in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles
You can ask a librarian or visit the Rhetoric Center to walk through citations with personal help!