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.
Jan 3, 2026
By
Joe Pacal, MSc
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TL;DR
ASA style uses author-date citations like (Smith 2020:45)—note the colon before page numbers, not a comma like APA. This guide covers in-text formats, reference list structure titled "References Cited," and entries for journals, books, and websites. The 7th edition is current. Perfect for sociology, criminology, and social work research.
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
Social mobility patterns vary by region (Smith 2023).
Smith (2023) found that social mobility patterns vary by region.
Two Authors
The study confirmed earlier findings (Smith and Jones 2022).
Three or More Authors
Use "et al." after the first author.
Research supports this conclusion (Garcia et al. 2021).
Direct Quotes
Include page numbers after a colon.
The results were "statistically significant" (Smith 2023:45).
Multiple Works, Same Parentheses
Separate with semicolons, ordered alphabetically or chronologically.
Several studies support this view (Adams 2020; Chen 2021; Smith 2019).
Same Author, Same Year
Add lowercase letters after the year.
Recent work (Johnson 2023a, 2023b) addresses this question.
Reference List Basics
The reference list is titled "References" and alphabetized by author surname. Use hanging indentation.
Basic Structure
Last, First. Year. "Article Title." Journal Title Volume(Issue):Pages.
Journal Article
Innocente, Nathan and Jayne Baker. 2018. "The Sociology Teaching Fellowship: A Mentorship Model for Graduate Student Teacher Training." Teaching Sociology 46(4):335–45.
Journal Article with DOI
Bateman, Tyler, Shyon Baumann, and Josée Johnston. 2019. "Meat as Benign, Meat as Risk: Mapping News Discourse of an Ambiguous Issue." Poetics 76:101356. doi: 10.1016/j.poetic.2019.04.001.
Book
Wilson, William Julius. 1987. The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Edited Book
Smelser, Neil J. and Paul B. Baltes, eds. 2001. International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Chapter in Edited Book
Clawson, Dan. 2007. "Neo-liberalism Guarantees Social Movement Unionism." Pp. 161–71 in Labor in the New Urban Battlegrounds, edited by L. Turner and D. Cornfield. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Website
American Sociological Association. 2023. "Code of Ethics." Retrieved January 15, 2024 (https://www.asanet.org/about/governance-and-leadership/code-ethics).
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:
Element | ASA | APA |
|---|---|---|
Author-year separator | No comma | Comma |
Page numbers | Colon (:45) | "p." (p. 45) |
Journal titles | Full names | Full names |
Article titles | Sentence case | Sentence case |
"et al." threshold | 3+ authors | 3+ authors |
Retrieval dates | Required for websites | Only if content may change |
Further Resources
ASA Style Guide — Purchase from ASA
Purdue OWL ASA Guide — Free tutorial
Your university library — Many have ASA quick guides
Need help generating ASA citations? Research tools like Wonders can export your sources in ASA format automatically.
