ASA Format and Citation Guide (7th Edition) With Examples

Key takeaways

• ASA style is the American Sociological Association's format, used for sociology papers and in some other social sciences.
• In-text citations use author and year with no comma, and page numbers follow a colon: (Smith 2021:45).
• The reference list is titled REFERENCES, is alphabetical, double-spaced, uses hanging indents and gives authors' full first names.

If your sociology instructor asks for "ASA format," they mean the rules in the ASA Style Guide, now in its 7th edition (2022). It looks a lot like Chicago author-date style, with a few details of its own. This guide covers everything a student paper needs.

General formatting rules

• Font: Times New Roman (or a similar readable font), 12 pt
• Spacing: double-spaced throughout, including block quotes, notes and references
• Margins: at least 1 inch on all sides (many instructors ask for 1¼ inches)
• Page numbers: top right, starting on the first page of text
• Paragraphs: indent the first line of each paragraph by ½ inch
• Language: clear, bias-free wording. Describe groups the way they describe themselves.

Your instructor's rules always come first, so check the assignment sheet before you start.

Title page

ASA papers have a separate title page with:

1. The full title of the paper, centered
2. Your name and institution
3. The word count of the whole paper (including notes and references)
4. A running head: a short version of the title
5. A title footnote marked with an asterisk (*) for acknowledgments, funding or a contact address, if needed

Student papers often also list the course, instructor and date, so follow your instructor's preferences.

ASA essay heading (short papers without a title page)

The ASA Style Guide is written for journal manuscripts, so it doesn't set a heading for short class essays. When your instructor doesn't want a separate title page, the usual approach is a heading block at the top left of page 1, double-spaced:

Your Full Name
Professor's Name
SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
26 October 2026

Then center the paper's title on the next line and begin the text. Keep everything else in ASA style (citations, headings, REFERENCES). If the assignment sheet shows a different heading, use theirs.

Abstract and keywords

If your paper needs an abstract, put it on a separate page after the title page, headed by the paper's title. Keep it to 150–200 words in one paragraph summarizing your question, method, main findings and conclusion. Below it, list 3–5 keywords. Our abstract guide explains what to include.

Headings

ASA uses up to three heading levels:

Don't start the paper with an "INTRODUCTION" heading. Begin the text directly after the title on the first page.

ASA report format: typical sections

Research papers and reports in sociology usually follow this order, with first-level headings in capitals:

1. Title page (and abstract with keywords, if required)
2. Introduction (no heading)
3. BACKGROUND or LITERATURE REVIEW
4. DATA AND METHODS
5. RESULTS
6. DISCUSSION
7. CONCLUSION
8. NOTES (if you use endnotes)
9. REFERENCES
10. Tables, figures and appendices

Shorter essays and reflections often need only the introduction, a few first-level headings for the main points, and a conclusion.

In-text citations

ASA uses the author's last name and the year of publication.

Note the details: no comma between author and year, and no space after the colon before a page number. When you cite several sources at once, list them in alphabetical or date order, and keep the same order throughout your paper.

The reference list

Start the list on a new page with the heading REFERENCES (all capitals, flush left). Then:

• List sources alphabetically by the first author's last name.
• Use hanging indents (½ inch) and double spacing.
• Give full first names where available. Only the first author is inverted (last name first).
• Put the year after the author names.
• Capitalize the main words of titles (title case).
• Include a DOI for journal articles when there is one.

Journal article

Pattern: Last, First, and First Last. Year. "Article Title." Journal Name Volume(Issue):pages. DOI.

Example: Morales, Daniel R., and Grace Kim. 2021. "Neighborhood Ties and Mental Health in Later Life." Journal of Health and Social Behavior 62(3):301–18. https://doi.org/10.0000/example.

Book

Pattern: Last, First. Year. Book Title: Subtitle. City, State: Publisher.

Example: Turner, Alicia M. 2019. Working Families: Time, Money, and Care. Chicago, IL: Example University Press.

Chapter in an edited book

Example: Okafor, Ngozi. 2020. "Migration and Belonging." Pp. 45–67 in Global Sociology Today, edited by L. Chen and R. Diaz. New York: Example Press.

Website or online report

Pattern: Author or Organization. Year. "Title of Page." Retrieved Month Day, Year (URL).

Example: National Center for Education Statistics. 2024. "College Enrollment Rates." Retrieved October 1, 2026 (https://nces.ed.gov/example).

Unpublished paper or manuscript

Example: Lopez, Maria R. 2023. "Neighborhood Trust and Civic Participation." Unpublished manuscript, Department of Sociology, Example University, Chicago, IL.

Conference paper

Example: Lopez, Maria R. 2023. "Neighborhood Trust and Civic Participation." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, August 18, Philadelphia, PA.

Newspaper or magazine article

Example: Rivera, Sofia. 2025. "Why Young Adults Are Moving Home." The Example Times, March 3. Retrieved October 1, 2026 (https://www.example.com/young-adults).

Video or podcast

Example: Example Sociology Channel. 2024. "What Is Social Stratification?" YouTube video, 9:41. Retrieved October 1, 2026 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example).

The authors, titles and links in these examples are made up to show the format.

Titles of books, films and TV shows

ASA uses title case (capitalize the main words) for titles in the text and the reference list. Whether a title is in italics or "quotation marks" depends on whether it's a whole work or a part of one:

So yes, the name of a TV show is capitalized and italicized: The Wire, Grey's Anatomy.

Tables, figures and notes

• Number tables and figures in order (Table 1, Figure 1) and give each a short title.
• In manuscripts, tables and figures usually go at the end of the paper, each on its own page, with a note in the text such as [Table 1 about here]. For class papers, many instructors prefer them placed in the text. Ask which they want.
• Use footnotes or endnotes sparingly, for explanations that would interrupt the text, numbered consecutively.

ASA format checklist

• ✓ Title page with title, names, word count and a title footnote (if required)
• ✓ 12-pt font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, page numbers
• ✓ Abstract of 150–200 words, if required
• ✓ In-text citations as (Author Year:page), no comma
• ✓ REFERENCES heading, alphabetical, hanging indent, full first names
• ✓ Tables and figures numbered and titled

Common ASA mistakes

• Adding a comma in citations: (Smith, 2021) is APA style. ASA uses (Smith 2021).
• Writing page numbers as "p. 45". ASA uses a colon: (Smith 2021:45).
• Using initials instead of full first names in the reference list
• Titling the list "Works Cited" or "Bibliography" instead of REFERENCES
• Mixing ASA with APA, which looks similar but differs in many small details

ASA vs APA at a glance

For APA, see our APA 7th edition guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the latest edition of ASA style?

The 7th edition of the ASA Style Guide, published in 2022. Older guides online may follow the 6th edition, which handled works with three authors and online sources slightly differently.

Does ASA format need a title page?

Yes. Formal ASA papers have a separate title page with the title, author, institution, word count and running head. Some instructors accept a simpler title block, so check your assignment.

How do you cite a source with no author in ASA?

Use the organization as the author. If there is none, start with the title of the work and use a shortened title in the in-text citation.

How do you cite an unpublished paper in ASA?

Give the author, year, title in quotation marks, then "Unpublished manuscript," followed by the department, university and location. For a paper given at a conference, write "Paper presented at…" with the meeting name, date and city instead.

Are TV shows italicized in ASA format?

Yes. Titles of TV series, films, books and journals are italicized and in title case. Episode, chapter and article titles go in quotation marks.

Is ASA the same as Chicago style?

They're closely related, since ASA is based on Chicago author-date style. But ASA has its own rules, such as the colon before page numbers and the all-capitals REFERENCES heading, so follow the ASA guide when it's required.