Citing in SBL

Citing in SBLAcademic Integrity

SBL is a citation style based off the Chicago Manual of Style that is typically reserved, as the cover to the manual states, "for Biblical Studies and Related Disciplines." While most Tyndale Seminary professors use the more generic Chicago style, there are some professors who require SBL citation for their assigments. 

Formatting 

Title Page

SBL papers require title pages, which are not included in your page count. Use all capital letters for the title page and centre all parts. Title pages should include the name of the institution, the title of your paper (with subsequent lines double spaced), your professor's name, your course code and title, your name, and the due date. Leave approximately two inches between each of these elements, as well as two-inch margins on the top and bottom of the page. 

Visit page 14 of the SBL Student Supplement for a sample title page. 

Page Numbers

On the first page of your paper or a new chapter, include a page number centred at the bottom of your page. For subsequent pages, place the page number in the top right corner. Do not include page numbers on your title page.

Headings

SBL encourages the use of headings. Before and after each heading, leave two blank single-spaced lines. While SBL offers formatting for up to four levels of headings (listed below), it is recommended not to go beyond level three as this may confuse the reader.

PRIMARY HEADING: USED FOR CHAPTER TITLES AND SUBTITLES (ALL CAPS, REGULAR FONT, SINGLE-SPACED)

Level 1: Centred, Bold, Title-Style Capitalization

Level 2: Centred, Regular Font, Title-Style Capitalization

Level 3: Flush Left, Bold, Title-Style Capitalization

Level 4: Flush Left, Regular Font, Title-Style Capitalization

Font

An SBL paper should be written in 12 pt. font, Time New Roman, and double spaced. Do NOT include extra spacing between paragraphs; instead, indent the first line of each paragraph by one half-inch.

Citation Rules and Common Sources in SBL

Formatting Footnotes

SBL cites sources using superscript numbers in the body of your paper which correspond to footnotes (at the bottom of the page) or endnotes (on a separate page at the end of the paper). NOTE: You should use footnotes unless your professor indicates otherwise.

Each time you use a source, whether as a direct quotation (enclosed in quotation marks), a paraphrase, or a summary, you must include a footnote in your paper. To add a footnote to your paper, use the “Insert Footnote” function under the “References” tab in Microsoft Word.

The first time you cite a source, you must include the source’s entire citation information:

In this example, we have a paraphrase of Dr. Shepherd's book dealing with the difference between adapting to and adopting culture.1 The superscript number for this paraphrase comes after the punctuation, and it corresponds to the footnote below.

1 Victor Shepherd, "The 'Charge' We Have to 'Keep': Enhancing Gospel Integrity in Christian Higher Education," in Christian Higher Education in Canada: Challenges and Opportunities, eds. Stanley E. Porter and Bruce G. Fawcett, (Eugene: Pickwick Publications, 2020), 296-297.

Subsequent citations of the same source should use a shortened citation. These shortened citations should always include the author’s last name, a shortened version of the title (no more than 4 words but still clearly representative of the source), and the page number.

2 Shepherd, “The ‘Charge’ We Have,” 12.

Block Quotations

For a quotation of 5 or more lines / 100+ words of prose OR of 4 or more lines of poetry, you need to use block formatting. Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase and colon. Forgo quotation marks (except to note quotations within the quotation) and indent the quoted material 1 half-inch from the left margin. Block quotations are singled spaced in SBL, but still leave a blank line before and after it. For example:

...(Let's pretend this block quotation comes in the middle of a paragraph. Before starting the quotation, provide a contextualizing sentence like the next one.) Later in the article, Turner and Pérez-Quiñones describe some of the pitfalls of electronic notetaking:

The results showing that most students in our survey do not modify their notes (or even review them) frequently imply that the benefit of easy modification, which comes with a digital medium, may not be that important. Similarly, since there was only a lukewarm response to the sharing of notes between students, that may also not be of much use.3

More study will need to be done to determine if these cons outweigh the pros of taking notes on a computer.... (And then you would keep going with more sentences that elaborate on your quotation and continue your paragraph. Note that you do not indent the beginning of this part because it is not a new paragraph.)

3 Scott A. Turner and Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones, "Requirements for Electronic Note Taking Systems: A Field Study of Note Taking in University Classrooms. Education and Information Technologies 14, no. 3 (2009): 266, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=lsdar&AN=ATLAn3820493&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

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Formatting Bibliography

In addition to footnotes, SBL requires a Bibliography. This is an alphabetized list of every source quoted and paraphrased in your paper.

On a new page, make a two-inch margin at the top of your page and centre the capitalized title BIBLIOGRAPHY. Leave two blank single-spaced lines between the title and the first entry. Alphabetize entries by authors’ surnames.

Start each entry at the left margin, leaving a blank line between each entry. For each entry of 2 or more lines, keep them single spaced and use a hanging indent of one half inch.

When including titles in your Bibliography entries, use “Title-Style Capitalization.” This means that you should capitalize the first letter of all titles, the first letter of all subtitles, and any other major words in those titles (e.g., “Mission” and “Physical” but not “for” or “a”).

When citing online sources, provide a DOI number whenever possible. If there is no DOI number available, provide a Permalink or Stable URL.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Shepherd, Victor. "The 'Charge' We Have to 'Keep': Enhancing Gospel Integrity in Christian Higher Education." Pages 283-303 in Christian Higher Education in Canada: Challenges and Opportunities. Edited by Stanley E. Porter and Bruce G. Fawcett. Eugene: Pickwick Publications, 2020.

Citation Examples

Each of the following sections provide examples of footnotes and Bibliography entries for common types of sources used at Tyndale. Whenever possible, we provide footnote examples for full and shortened citations. For more information on these and other types of sources, please consult The SBL Handbook of Style, 2nd edition.

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AUTHORS, EDITORS, AND TRANSLATORS

Two-Three Authors

Include both/all three authors’ names in footnotes and Bibliography entries.

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname and Anothername Lastname, Title of the Work (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), pg##.

1 James M. Robinson and Helmut Koester, Trajectories through Early Christianity (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1971), 225.

2 Robinson and Koester, Trajectories through Early Christianity, 237.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname and Antohername Lastname. Title of the Work. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Robinson, James M. and Helmut Koester. Trajectories through Early Christianity. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1971.

Four or More Authors

For footnotes, give the first author’s name followed by the acronym “et al.”

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname et al., Title of the Book (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), pg##.

3 Eugene Toy et al., Case Files: Pediatrics, 3rd ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009), 39.

4 Toy et al., Case Studies, 32.

Bibliography

All authors’ names are typically listed in the Bibliography entry, but it is permissible, especially for large lists of authors, to just list the first person’s name, followed by “et al.”

(Template) Lastname, Firstname, Anothername Lastname, Thirdname  Lastname, and Onemore Lastname. Title of the Book. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Toy, Eugene, Robert Yetman, Rebecca Girardet, Mark Hormann, Sheela Lahoti, Margaret McNeese, and Mark Jason Sanders. Case Files: Pediatrics. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009.

Editors

If you need to cite a book where you need to cite an editor instead of an author, add “ed./eds.” after the name(s) at the beginning of the full footnote and Bibliography entry.

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, ed./eds., Title of the Book (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), pg##.

5 Helen Christiansen and Sharon Ramadevi, eds., Reeducating the Educator: Global Perspectives on Community Building (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2002), 14.

6 Christiansen and Ramadevi, Reeducating the Educator, 16.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname, ed. Title of the Book. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Christiansen, Helen and Sharon Ramadevi, eds. Reeducating the Educator: Global Perspectives on Community Building. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2002.

Translators

If you need to cite a book where there is a translator, include their name(s) as well as “trans.” in the footnote and “Translated by” in the Bibliography entry. Do not include the translator’s name in shortened footnotes.

Footnote

(Template) # Author Name, Title of the Book, trans. Translator’s Name (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), pg.##.

7 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Christ the Center, trans. Edwin Robertson (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1978). 43.

8 Bonhoeffer, Christ the Center, 49.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Book. Translated by Translator’s Name. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Christ the Center. Translated by Edwin Robertson. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1978.

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Books (eBooks, Chapters in a Collection)

Print Book

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, Title of the Work (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), pg##.

1 James A. Beverly, Religions A to Z: A Guide to the 100 Most Influential Religious Movements (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 187.

2 Beverly, Religions A to Z, 191.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Work. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Beverly, James A. Religions A to Z: A Guide to the 100 Most Influential Religious Movements. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005.

eBook

When an ebook has no page numbers/non-stable pagination, use the smallest identifiable locator instead (e.g., paragraph or chapter number, section name, etc.) in the footnotes. Note that in the example below, the footnote provides both the chapter number and the section title. Include the DOI number, URL, or ebook edition (e.g., Kindle edition, etc.) as applicable.

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, Title of the Work (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), DOI/URL/ebook edition, pg##. 

3 Jacob L. Wright, David, King of Israel, and Caleb in Biblical Memory (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014), Kindle Edition, ch. 3, “Introducing David.”

4 Wright, David, King of Israel, ch. 5, “Evidence from Qumran.”

Bibliiography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Work. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year. DOI/URL/ebook edition.

Wright, Jacob L. David, King of Israel, and Caleb in Biblical Memory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Kindle Edition

Chapter/Essay in an Anthology

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Title of the Chapter,” in Title of the Anthology, ed. Editor’s Name (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), pg##.

5 Richard B. Davis, “Evil and Agent-Causal Theism,” in Explaining Evil: Four Views, ed. W. Paul Franks (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019), 13.

6 Davis, “Evil and Agent Causal Theism,” 17.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Chapter.” Pages ##-## in Title of the Book. Edited by Editor’s Name. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Davis, Richard B. “Evil and Agent-Causal Theism.” Pages 11-28 in Explaining Evil: Four Views. Edited by W. Paul Franks. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

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Class Materials (lectures, PowerPoints, etc.)

Lecture

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Title of the Lecture” ([Course Code if applicable] lecture, School or Organization Giving the Lecture, City, Day Month Year).

1 Rebecca Idestrom, “Undersatnding Biblical Genre: Narrative” (BIBL 0501 lecture, Tyndale University, Toronto, 1 November 2022).

2 Idestrom, “Undersatnding Biblical Genre: Narrative.”

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Lecture.” [Course Code if applicable] Lecture presented at/by School or Organization Giving the Lecture, City, Day Month Year.

Idestrom, Rebecca. “Undersatnding Biblical Genre: Narrative.” BIBL 0501 lecture presented at Tyndale University, Toronto, 1 November 2022.

PowerPoint/Lecture Notes

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Title of the Lecture” ([Course Code if applicable] Power Point presentation/Lecture notes, School or Organization Giving the Lecture, City, Day Month Year), slide or pg.##.

3 Eric K. C. Wong, “Delirium in Dementia: A Learning Module for Clinicians” (PowerPoint presentation, Senior Friendly Care, Toronto, January 2020), slide 4.

4 Wong, “Delirium in Dementia,” slide 6.

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Lecture.” Power Point presentation/Lecture notes, School or Organization Giving the Lecture, City, Day Month Year.

Wong, Eric K. C. “Delirium in Dementia: A Learning Module for Clinicians” Power Point presentation, Senior Friendly Care, Toronto, January 2020.

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Commentaries (Multi-volume, in a Series, on STEP Bible)

Multi-Volume Commentaries

This refers to any commentary (or other multi-volume work) that includes at least two volumes. Note that in both the footnotes and the Bibliography entry, the titles for both the individual volume and the larger multivolume work are italicized. For shortened footnotes, you should include the volume number and a colon before providing the page number. 

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, Title of the Individual Book/Volume, vol. # of Title of the Larger Multi-Volume Work, ed. Editor’s Name(s) (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), pg.##.

1 Bruce W. Winter and Andrew D. Clarke, eds. The Book of Acts in Its Ancient Literary Setting, vol. 1 of The Book of Acts in Its First Century Setting, ed. Bruce W. Winter (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), 25.

2 Winter and Clarke, Book of Acts, 25. 

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Individual Book/Volume. Vol. # of Title of the Larger Multi-Volume Work. Edited by Editor’s Name(s). Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Winter, Bruce W., and Andrew D. Clarke, eds. The Book of Acts in Its Ancient Literary Setting. Vol. 1 of The Book of Acts in Its First Century Setting. Edited by Bruce W. Winter. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.

Commentary in a Series (Non-Volumed)

This refers to commentaries that do not have different volumes BUT are included in a larger series of commentaries published by the same group. Note that the series title is not italicized. 

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, Title of the Book, Title of the Commentary Series (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), pg.##.

3 Peter Enns, Exodus, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 126.

4 Enns, Exodus, 128. 

Bibliography

(Template) Firstname, Lastname. Title of the Book. Title of the Commentary Series. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Enns, Peter. Exodus. The NIV Application Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000.

Commentary on STEP Bible

When citing a commentary found on STEP Bible, cite it like a regular commentary (including title of book and series as applicable) but also include information for the website title and the URL.

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, Title of the Book, Title of the Commentary Series, Title of the Website (Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year), URL.

5 Sulu Kelley and Bill Brown, 1 Samuel, John Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, STEP Bible (Cambridge: Tyndale House, 2020), https://www.stepbible.org/?q=version=Wesley|reference=1Sa.1.

6 Kelley and Brown, 1 Samuel, https://www.stepbible.org/?q=version=Wesley|reference=1Sa.1.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Book. Title of the Commentary Series. Title of the Website. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year. URL.

Kelley, Sullu and Bill Brown. 1 Samuel. John Wesley’s Notes on the Bible. STEP Bible. Cambridge: Tyndale House, 2020. https://www.stepbible.org/?q=version=Wesley|reference=1Sa.1.

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Periodicals (Journals, Newspapers, etc.)

Peer-Reviewed Journal

The example reference below assumes you are looking at an electronic journal article. Whenever possible, include a DOI (digital object identifier) number in place of a Permalink or Stable URL. If you are citing a print version of a journal article, everything is the same except no DOI number or URL is included.

NOTE: Unlike other citation styles, SBL does NOT require issue numbers. Volume numbers alone are sufficient. 

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Title of the Article,” Title of the Journal [volume] # (Year): pg.##, DOI or URL if applicable.

1 James E. Pedlar, “Universal Atonement or Ongoing Incarnation?: Comparing the Missional Theologies of William Booth and Isaac Hecker,” Wesleyan Theological Journal 50 (Spr 2015): 141, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=l....

2 Pedlar, “Comparing the Missional Theologies,” 144.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Journal [volume] # (Year): pg. range. DOI or URL if applicable.

Pedlar, James E. “Universal Atonement or Ongoing Incarnation?: Comparing the Missional Theologies of William Booth and Isaac Hecker.” Wesleyan Theological Journal 50 (Spr 2015): 134–52. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=l....

Magazine Article

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Title of the Article,” Title of the Magazine (Day Month Year): pg.## if applicable, URL if applicable.

3 Tiare Tuuhia, “How One Tiny Island is Rallying to Save a Critically Endangered Parrot,” National Geographic (5 July 2022): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-one-tiny-island-i....

4 Tuuhia, “How One Tiny Island,” https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-one-tiny-island-i....

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Magazine (Day Month Year): pg. range if applicable. URL if applicable.

Tuuhia, Tiare. “How One Tiny Island is Rallying to Save a Critically Endangered Parrot.” National Geographic (5 July 2022): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-one-tiny-island-i....

Newspaper Article

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Title of the Article,” Title of the Newspaper (Day Month Year): pg.## if applicable, URL if applicable.

5 Megan Margulies, “Kids Need Superheroes Now More than Ever,” The New York Times (21 September 2020): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/parenting/kids-superheroes.html.

6 Margulies, “Kids Need Superheroes Now,” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/parenting/kids-superheroes.html.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Newspaper (Day Month Year): pg. range if applicable. URL if applicable.

Margulies, Megan. “Kids Need Superheroes Now More than Ever.” The New York Times (21 September 2020): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/parenting/kids-superheroes.html.

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Reference Works (Dictionaries, Encyclopaedias, Lexicons, STEP Bible)

NOTE: The rules for how to format footnote and bibliographical entries for reference works have been modified by SBL since the manual was published. We acknowledge that there are discrepencies below between both the manual and the modifications, but the following information is the best estimate by Writing and Tutoring Services for how to cite reference entries in a way that is faithful to both SBL and Tyndale's Academic Integrity policies. 

Signed Dictionary/Encyclopedia Entries

Many theological dictionaries and encyclopedias have authored entries, with the author’s name included at the end of the entry. When this is the case, include the author’s name in the footnote along with the entry name in quotation marks. Do not include publishing information for reference works in your footnotes.

Sections 8.4.1-2 of The SBL Handbook of Style include a list of commonly used theological dictionaries, encyclopedias, lexicons, and journals. If the reference work you are using is included in this list, use the abbreviated title in your footnote and Bibliography entries instead of the full title.

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Entry You Looked up,” Title of the Work (Abbreviated if Possible), pg##.

1 Benjamin E. Reynolds, “Logos,” DJG, 523.

2 Reynolds, “Logos,” 524.

Bibliography

There should be a separate Bibliography entry for each “Entry You Looked up,” even if you have multiple entries from the same dictionary. 

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Entry You Looked up.” Pages ##-## [in vol. # if applicable] of Full Title of the Work. Edited by Editor’s Name(s). # ed. and/or # vols. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Reynolds, Benjamin E. “Logos.” Pages 523-526 of Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Edited by Nicholas Perrin, Jeannine Brown, and Joel Green. 2nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2013.

Lexicons and Unsigned Dictionary/Encyclopedia Entries

Footnote

Many of the commonly used theological dictionaries, encyclopedias, lexicons, and journals for SBL have standardized abbreviations (see section 8.4.1-2 of The SBL Handbook of Style). When that is the case, your footnotes for lexicons/unsigned reference entries only need to include the abbreviated title of the reference work, the abbreviation “s.v” (sub verbo, or “under the word”), and the term being looked up. Make sure to include any vowel or accent markers for the word you are looking up.

(Template) # Title of the Work (abbreviated if possible), s.v., “Word you looked up.”

3 PGL, s.v. “ἐπιστασία.”

NOTE: If you are citing from a multivolume work, include the volume number after the abbreviated title.

(Template) # Title of the Work (abbreviated if possible) [vol.] #, s.v., “Word you looked up.”

4 CAD 20, s.v. “ubšukkinakku.”

NOTE: If you use a lexicon/reference work that does not have a standardized abbreviation, use the full name of the work in your footnote instead of the abbreviation.

Bibliography

For student papers, use the standard book/ebook bibliographical model:

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. Full Title of Lexicon. # vols and/or # ed. [if applicable]. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year.

Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Chrales A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Boston: Houghton and Mifflin, 1906.

NOTE: In professional SBL publications, the bibliographical information should appear under the section “List of Abbreviations” instead of in your Bibliography. For more information, visit https://sblhs2.com/2017/03/30/citing-reference-works-2-lexica/.

Reference Works on STEP Bible

Reference works on STEP Bible will follow the standards set out above for footnotes and bibliography, but you must add additional publication for STEP Bible as well.

Footnote

(Template) # Title of the Work (abbreviated if possible), s.v., “Word you looked up,” Title of the Website, URL.

5 LSJ, s.v. “Agapaō,” STEP Bible, https://www.stepbible.org/?q=version=ESV|strong=G0025&options=VNHUG.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. Full Title of the Work. # vols and/or # ed. [if applicable]. Publishing City: Publishing Company, Year. Title of the Website. URL.

Liddell, H. G. and R. Scott. A Greek-English Lexicon. 9th ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1999. STEP Bible. https://www.stepbible.org/?q=version=ESV|strong=G0025&options=VNHUG.

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The Bible

Citation information for the Bible and other sacred works are NOT placed in footnotes. Instead, use in-text parenthetical citations with abbreviations for the books of the Bible as applicable (see section 8.3.1-2 of the SBL manual for a list of acceptable abbreviations). For example:

Paul explains that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Rom 8:28).

You should also use the abbreviated book title as part of your sentence (unless the book name starts your sentence - then use the book's full name). You do not need to include the biblical reference again in brackets. For example:

Paul says in Rom 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

NOTE: The first time you reference a translation, you must provide the abbreviated translation name in regular font as part of your parenthetical citation. See section 8.2.1 for a list of acceptable abbreviations. For example:

Paul says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Rom 8:28 NIV).

If you only use one translation in your assignment, subsequent Scripture references do not need to list translation again. However, if you use multiple translations, you must provide the full name the first time each translation is referenced and abbreviations (NIV) for subsequent references.

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Theses, Dissertations, and Monographs

When referencing a thesis, dissertation, or monograph, you must include the type of document and university name in place of publication information. Sample “types of documents” include “master’s thesis,” “unpublished dissertation,” and more.

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Title of the Thesis/Dissertation/Monograph” (type of document, University Name, Year), pg.##.

1 Michael Ignatieff, “A Just Measure of Pain: The Penitentiary in the Industrial Revolution, 1750-1850” (Dissertation, Harvard University, 1978), 12.

2 Ignatieff, “Just Measure of Pain,” 16.

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Thesis/Dissertation/Monograph.” Type of document, University Name, Year.

Ignatieff, Michael. “A Just Measure of Pain: The Penitentiary in the Industrial Revolution, 1750-1850." Dissertation, Harvard University, 1978.

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WEBSITES

The following guide lists how to cite websites in SBL style. Please note, however, that websites are not considered scholarly sources. Therefore, they should only be used in particular contexts (e.g., when calling attention to a church’s mission statement or statement of faith) rather than as a foundational part of your research.

A “webpage” is the specific page you got your information from (like a chapter in a book). A “website” is the larger domain where all the pages on that site are housed (like the book the chapter is in). Since there are no page numbers on websites, include the URL instead as part of your footnotes and Bibliography entries. 

Webpage with Author

If the webpage provides an author, such as a blog, use the author’s name. Sometimes, an organization’s name may be used in place of an individual author (e.g., Microsoft Corporation).

Footnote

(Template) # Firstname Lastname, “Title of the Webpage,” Title of the Website, [Day Month Year], URL.

1 Avery Carr, “3 Revolutionary Women of Mathematics,” Scientific American, 24 March 2016, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/3-revolutionary-women-of....

2 Carr, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/3-revolutionary-women-of....

Bibliography

(Template) Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Webpage.” Title of the Website. [Day Month Year]. URL.

Carr, Avery. “3 Revolutionary Women of Mathematics.” Scientific American. 24 March 2016. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/3-revolutionary-women-of....

Webpage without Author

When a website does not have an author listed, start the footnote and Bibliography entry with the title of the webpage.

Footnote

(Template) # “Title of the Webpage,” Title of the Website, [Day Month Year], URL.

3 “Rules for Using Commas,” Grammarly, 19 April 2023, https://www.grammarly.com/blog/comma/.

4 “Rules for Using Commas,” https://www.grammarly.com/blog/comma/.

Bibliography

(Template) “Title of the Webpage.” Title of the Website. [Day Month Year]. URL.

“Rules for Using Commas.” Grammarly. 19 April 2023. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/comma/.

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CITING SOMETHING SOMEONE ELSE CITED

Sometimes, you will find a quotation or a paraphrase in another text that perfectly fits what you want to say. Whenever possible, try to find the original source so that you can double check the accuracy and context of what the original author said. But when you can’t locate the original source, how do you cite their ideas properly?

In SBL, you need to list both the source you have AND the original source in your footnote. Start the footnote by listing as much citation information as you have for the original source (you may need to look through your source’s footnotes/Bibliography to find this information). Then, put a comma and “quoted in” or “paraphrased in,” and then provide the citation information for the source you have. For example:

1 Louis Zukofsky, “Sincerity and Objectification,” Poetry 37 (February 1931): 269, quoted in Bonnie Costello, Marianne Moore: Imaginary Possessions (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1981), 78.

You do NOT need to cite the original source in your Bibliography. Only include a Bibliography entry for the source you have. So for the footnote above, the Bibliography entry would be:

Costello, Bonnie. Marianne Moore: Imaginary Possessions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1981.

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