STH: African-American and Womanist Theologies

Using the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS): 

The humanities, like theology, use the Notes-Bibliography format of CMoS. Use the content list for Chapter 14: Source Examples: Citations to look up questions related to variation from those forms (ex: three authors rather than one, edited works, series, etc.) 

Try the CMoS Quick Guide for basic formats like books and journal articles.

For Scripture and Ancient Sources: 

• How to Cite the Bible. The Chicago Manual of Style covers scriptural references in sections 14.138-14.141. Bible abbreviations are covered in 10.50-10.54, including abbreviations for the Hebrew Bible (10.51), Apocrypha (10.52) and New Testament (10.53), as well as Bible versions (10.54)
• Classical Greek and Latin Sources (including Medieval). The Chicago Manual of Style covers Greek and Latin sources in sections 14.142-14.152.
• Ancient works reprinted online. The Chicago Manual of Style discusses "Freely available electronic editions of older works" in section 14.61.

Supplementation by the SBL Handbook of Style

CMoS 14.138 states "Any writer or editor working extensively with biblical material should consult the latest edition of The SBL Handbook of Style (bibliog. 1.1), which offers excellent advice and numerous abbreviations."

• Q. What is the relationship between the CMoS and Turabian's work? A. Turabian's work is a derivative work of the CMoS, explaining it to students. Both are published by and endorsed by the University of Chicago Press.
• Q. How do I know which to use? A. Consult the syllabus or ask your professor if not listed on the syllabus. Some faculty prefer CMoS while others use Turabian. In rare cases, another guide like APA or ASA may be requested. 
• Q. Aren't they interchangeable? A. In many cases, there is little noticeable difference between a citation in Chicago or Turabian, as Turabian is derivative of CMoS. However,  be careful - they are not exactly the same. They have different editions (CMoS is in its 18th edition, Turabian in its 9th) and some subtle differences that an expert will notice. If you want to use Turabian instead of Chicago (or vice versa), make sure to clear this with your professor first. 
• Q. Which is preferred for the final draft of my doctoral dissertation? A. The School of Theology requires dissertation writers and format reviewers to use the Turabian manual for citation formatting.

CMoS is available online through BU Libraries at: www-chicagomanualofstyle-org.ezproxy.bu.edu/home.html. 

All Boston University students are expected to have read and follow our Academic Code of Conduct.

From the Boston University Code of Academic Conduct: 

III. B. Plagiarism. Representing the work or ideas of another* as one’s own and/or using another’s work or ideas without appropriately crediting the source. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following: copying the answers of another student on an examination; copying or restating the work or ideas of another person/persons or artificial intelligence software in any oral or written work (printed or electronic) without appropriately citing the source; using visuals, audio, or video footage that comes from another source (including work done by another student) without permission and/or acknowledgement of that source; and collaborating with someone else in an academic endeavor without acknowledging their contribution. Plagiarism can consist of acts of commission (appropriating the words or ideas of another as one’s own), or omission (failing to acknowledge/document/credit the source or creator of words or ideas).

*“Another” may refer to anything that can be a source of information or work product, including (but not limited to) individuals, books, online sources, academic journals, and software/programs (e.g., artificial intelligence software/programs).

The full Academic Code of Conduct can be viewed at: www.bu.edu/academics/policies/academic-conduct-code.

Turn-It-In Feedback Studio within Blackboard Learn 

Students who submit coursework and assignments through Blackboard Learn will notice that their assignments are analyzed by a plagiarism checker called Turn-It-In Feedback Studio. This is part of the grading process and results are not confidential from the university administration and faculty. 

• Learn more about Turn-It-in Feedback Studio from BU TechWeb.

Turn-It-In Draft Coach for Students to Self-Check

However, there is a Turn-It-In Draft Coach extension within Google Docs or Microsoft Word that can be used by students to check their work, privately, before submitting it through Blackboard. 

• Learn more about how to use Turn-It-In Draft Coach as a student.

Zotero

Zotero is a free, open-source citation manager.

• Documentation: www.zotero.org/support
• Video Tutorials: www.zotero.org/support/screencast_tutorials​

Zotero is most popular among doctoral students and faculty in the humanities. It is highly recommended for STH students in the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Ministry (DMin) programs. 

Library Workshop: Introduction to Citation Managers:  Zotero

The following workshop recording explains what citation managers are, how to download Zotero, and the benefits of using it.

For an in-person experience, see our STH Library Workshops page for this semester's dates.

Mendeley

Mendeley is a (mostly) free citation manager from the publishing company Elsevier, and can be found at www.mendeley.com.

• Documentation: www.mendeley.com/guides.
• Video tutorials: www.youtube.com/c/mendeley

Mendeley is most popular among doctoral students, faculty, and researchers in the sciences. It offers Mendeley Data to store datasets.