A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, Ninth edition - Kate L. Turabian 2018
Line breaks
Spelling
Style
20.4.1 Breaks within Words
For most papers, the only words that should be hyphenated at the ends of lines are those you have deliberately hyphenated, such as compounds (see 20.3). Set your word processor to align text flush left (with a “ragged” right margin), and do not use its automated hyphenation feature.
If, however, you are required to use full justification (where both the left and right margins are aligned), you may have to hyphenate lines to avoid large gaps between words. If you use your word processor’s automatic hyphenation feature, set it to limit to three the number of consecutive lines ending with hyphens. As your paper nears completion, review word breaks in case you need to make any exceptions. You may need to turn off hyphenation for individual paragraphs or words. To manually add an end-of-line hyphen, insert an optional hyphen from your word processor’s menu for special formatting characters. When in doubt, consult a your dictionary, which should indicate acceptable breaks with centered dots or similar devices in the main word entry.
20.4.2 Breaks over Spaces and Punctuation
Your word processor may allow certain types of undesirable or even unacceptable line breaks to occur over spaces or punctuation. Especially if you will be submitting a PDF file or a printout, it is a good idea to review the final draft of your paper for such breaks.
✵ ▪ Initials. If initials are used in place of both a person’s first and middle names, include a space between them but do not allow them to break over a line (you can, however, allow a break before the last name). Because lines will reflow as you write your paper, it is best to replace such spaces with nonbreaking spaces, available in most word processors. See also 24.2.1.
o M. F. K. Fisher
o M. F. K. / Fisher
but not
o M. / F. K. Fisher
✵ ▪ Numbers and dates. Never allow a line break within numbers expressed as numerals (25,000) or any terms consisting of numerals plus symbols, abbreviations, or units of measure (10%; £6 4s. 6d.; 6:40 p.m.; AD 1895; 245 ml). Use nonbreaking spaces as needed. See chapter 23 for more on numbers and date systems.
✵ ▪ Punctuation. Never allow a line to begin with a closing quotation mark, parenthesis, or bracket (and if this happens, it may be a sign of an extra, unneeded space before the mark). Never allow a line to end with an opening quotation mark, parenthesis, or bracket (also a sign of a possible errant space, after the mark). It is also best to avoid ending a line with (a) or (1), as at the beginning of a list. Use nonbreaking spaces as needed. See chapter 21 for more on punctuation and 23.4.2 for lists. Never allow an ellipsis ( . . . ) to break over the line; use your word processor’s ellipsis character to prevent this problem. For more on ellipses, see 25.3.2.
✵ ▪ URLs and email addresses. Avoid breaking URLs and email addresses over lines. If you have to break one, insert the break after a colon or a double slash; before or after an equals sign or ampersand; or before a single slash, a period, or any other punctuation or symbol. (Avoid inserting a hard return; instead use the optional break character in your word processor.) Hyphens are frequently included as part of a URL or email address, and it’s okay if a URL or email breaks at such a hyphen. To avoid confusion, however, never add a hyphen to indicate the break.
o http://
o www.press.uchicago.edu
o http://www
o .press.uchicago.edu
o http://www.press.uchicago.edu
o /books/subject.html