Title pages are common in papers, essays, dissertations, and other pieces of academic writing. In this article you will learn how to format a Chicago style title page in line with current standards.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Chicago Style Title Page – In a Nutshell
In this article you will find:
- What’s a Chicago style title page and where it’s placed in academic writing.
- The main formatting rules to create a Chicago style title page.
- Examples of how to correctly produce a title page as per Chicago style guidelines.
Definition: Chicago style title page
A title page is the first page in a research paper, dissertation or thesis. There are specific Chicago style guidelines that you will need to follow to ensure your title page has the correct format.
Key points to remember include:
- Use a readable font.
- Use double spacing.
- Place the title one third down the page, not right at the top.
- Include other information below the title and subtitle, if applicable.
Adjusting the format according to your university’s requirements is typically the final step. After several times of proofreading, many become blinkered to their own work and miss formatting mistakes. A preview-function representing the real-life version that can be edited virtually creates a fresh eye for formatting mistakes and helps you to detect them again.
General format of a Chicago style title page
- A Chicago style title page is placed at the front or top of an academic paper. It should be the first thing the reader sees.
- In a Chicago style title page, you must make sure you use a consistent font format. This means you shouldn’t mix font types or sizes.
- Please note that in Chicago style, the title page does not have a page number.
The title of a Chicago style title page
The first element in a Chicago style title page is the title. Make sure you follow these formatting guidelines:
- Place the title one third down the page, ensuring it’s centered, in bold, and double spaced.
- There’s no mandatory font you must use, but ease of readability is a requirement.
- Use the same font as in the rest of the paper.
- Recommended font size is 12pt.
- Use title case or headline capitalization: only capitalize nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives and pronouns.1
If your paper title includes a subtitle, you must end the title with a colon and place the subtitle on a new line below. Keep the text double spaced and use bold font for the subtitle too.
Examples
✘ Women’s literature in 17th century Australia
✓ Women’s Literature in 17th Century Australia
✘ Satire through the centuries: from the Middle Ages to contemporary literature
✓Satire Through the Centuries: From the Middle Ages to Contemporary Literature
Other information of a Chicago style title page
The title page can also include other information, as requested by your instructor:
- Your name and student number.
- The course name and code.
- Submission date.
- The instructor’s name.
If you’re asked to include these items in a Chicago style title page, place them two thirds down the page, each on a new line.
FAQs
The guidelines don’t require a specific font, but Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial are acceptable choices2.
No, only headline capitalization or title case is allowed.
No, but if you use a title page, you must start page numbering at “2”3.
This isn’t mandatory, but if you do, end the title with a colon and place the subtitle on a new line below the title.
Sources
1 Texas Wesleyan West Library. “Chicago/Turabian Style: Title.” January 11, 2023. https://txwes.libguides.com/c.php?g=571755&p=6310521.
2 Modesto Junior College. “Ready, Set, Cite (Chicago).” January 19, 2023. https://libguides.mjc.edu/chicago/formatting.
3 Xavier, Andy. “Clear Instructions for Chicago Title Page.” Scientific Editing. August 2, 2021. https://www.scientific-editing.info/blog/clear-instructions-for-chicago-title-page/.