How to Cite in ASA Format: Complete 7th Edition Guide

This guide will help you understand how to properly cite sources in ASA format, the standard citation style for sociology and criminology research, ensuring that your academic work meets the American Sociological Association Style Guide's current standards and conventions.

The Official Source

The American Sociological Association Style Guide, 7th Edition (2022) is published by the American Sociological Association. Order from asanet.org.

The 7th edition includes updated guidance on electronic sources, social media citations, singular "they" usage, and capitalization for racial/ethnic categories.

Quick Overview

ASA uses an author-date system with two components:

• In-text citations — Author's last name and year in parentheses
• References — Full source details alphabetized at the end

ASA style is similar to APA but has distinct formatting differences.

In-Text Citations

Place the author's surname and year in parentheses. No comma between author and year.

One Author

Two Authors

Three or More Authors

Use "et al." after the first author.

Direct Quotes

Include page numbers after a colon.

Multiple Works, Same Parentheses

Separate with semicolons, ordered alphabetically or chronologically.

Same Author, Same Year

Add lowercase letters after the year.

Reference List Basics

The reference list is titled "References" and alphabetized by author surname. Use hanging indentation.

Basic Structure

Journal Article

Journal Article with DOI

Book

Edited Book

Chapter in Edited Book

Website

Key ASA Conventions

• No comma before year — Write (Smith 2023), not (Smith, 2023)
• Colon before page numbers — Write (Smith 2023:45), not (Smith 2023, p. 45)
• Sentence-case article titles — Capitalize only first word and proper nouns
• Headline-style book titles — Capitalize major words in book titles
• "Pp." for page ranges — Use "Pp. 45–67" in book chapters
• "Retrieved" for websites — Include retrieval date and URL
• Full journal names — Do not abbreviate journal titles
• Racial/ethnic capitalization — The 7th edition recommends capitalizing Black and White, though it acknowledges some scholars prefer not to capitalize "white"

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Adding comma before year — ASA uses (Smith 2023), not (Smith, 2023) like APA.
• Using "p." or "pp." in-text — ASA uses a colon: (Smith 2023:45), not (Smith 2023, p. 45).
• Wrong title capitalization — Article titles use sentence case; book titles use headline style.
• Forgetting "et al." — Use "et al." for three or more authors from the first citation.
• Abbreviating journal names — ASA uses full journal titles, unlike APA.
• Missing retrieval information — Websites need "Retrieved [date]" before the URL.

Who Uses ASA Style?

ASA is the standard for:

• Sociology journals (especially ASA publications)
• Criminology and criminal justice
• Social work research
• Demography
• Urban studies
• Some interdisciplinary social science journals

If you're submitting to a sociology journal or writing for a sociology course, ASA is likely required.

ASA vs. APA

ASA and APA are both author-date systems but differ in key ways:

Further Resources

• ASA Style Guide — Purchase from ASA
• Purdue OWL ASA Guide — Free tutorial
• Your university library — Many have ASA quick guides