ASA citation is commonly used in sociology and related social science courses. It helps students give credit to research, books, journal articles, reports, and data sources while keeping the paper clear and consistent.

ASA style can look similar to APA because both use author-date citations, but the reference formatting is different. This guide explains how ASA citation works, how to format common sources, and what to check before submitting a sociology paper.

Quick Answer to ASA Citation

ASA citation is the citation style of the American Sociological Association. It is used mainly in sociology papers, research reports, and manuscripts for sociology journals. ASA uses author-date in-text citations, such as:

(Miller 2023)

A full source entry appears at the end of the paper on a page titled References.

Basic ASA book reference format:

Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example:

Miller, Angela. 2023. Writing About Society. Boston, MA: Beacon Academic Press.

For official style guidance, students can review the American Sociological Association Style Guide, which provides the formal rules for ASA manuscripts and citations. The ASA describes the current guide as the reference for writing, editing, and submitting manuscripts that follow ASA style.

What Is ASA Citation?

ASA citation is a source documentation style used in sociology. It tells students how to cite sources inside the paper and how to list complete source details at the end.

ASA style is especially useful for writing about:

  • sociological theory

  • social inequality

  • race, class, gender, and identity

  • education and family studies

  • labor and organizations

  • crime, law, and deviance

  • social movements

  • demographic research

  • survey data and reports

ASA citations help readers see which studies, theories, data, or arguments support your claims. In sociology, readers often care about both the author and publication year because research findings and theoretical debates develop over time.

How ASA In-Text Citations Work

ASA in-text citations usually include the author’s last name and the publication year. Unlike APA, ASA does not use a comma between the author and year.

Basic format:

(Author Year)

Example:

Social networks can shape access to educational and professional opportunities (Lopez 2022).

If you mention the author’s name in the sentence, place the year in parentheses after the name.

Narrative example:

Lopez (2022) argues that social networks can shape access to educational and professional opportunities.

ASA Citation With Page Numbers

Use page numbers when you quote directly or refer to a specific passage.

Format:

(Author Year:Page)

Example:

“Social ties can influence how people find work” (Lopez 2022:47).

Notice that ASA uses a colon before the page number, not a comma. This is one of the easiest ways to tell ASA apart from APA.

ASA Citation With Two Authors

For two authors, include both last names.

Example:

Family structure can influence educational outcomes across different communities (Garcia and Reed 2021).

ASA Citation With Three Authors

For three authors, include all three last names the first time you cite the source.

First citation:

(Garcia, Reed, and Patel 2021)

For later citations, your instructor may allow et al., depending on the ASA rule or course guide you are following.

ASA Citation With More Than Three Authors

For sources with more than three authors, use the first author’s last name followed by et al.

Example:

(Garcia et al. 2021)

How the ASA References Page Works

The References page appears at the end of the paper. Purdue OWL’s ASA guide notes that references should be listed alphabetically by the first author’s last name and should include first names for authors rather than only initials, unless initials are used in the original source.

ASA Rule

What It Means

Page title

Use References.

Order

Alphabetize by author’s last name.

Author names

Use full first names when available.

In-text match

Every in-text citation should match a reference entry.

Hanging indent

Use hanging indents for reference entries.

Source details

Include enough information for readers to find the source.

ASA reference entries usually include the author, year, title, publication information, and page range or URL when needed.

ASA Citation Format by Source Type

Source Type

Basic ASA Reference Format

Book

Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Place: Publisher.

Journal article

Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume(Issue):Pages.

Chapter in edited book

Author Last Name, First Name. Year. “Chapter Title.” Pp. pages in Book Title, edited by Editor Name. Place: Publisher.

Website

Author or Organization. Year. “Title of Page.” Website Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year (URL).

Report

Organization or Author. Year. Title of Report. Place: Publisher.

Some instructors may simplify place of publication or retrieval details, so always follow your assignment prompt if it gives a specific ASA model.

Complete ASA Citation Example

Here is a complete example for a sociology journal article.

Source information:

  • Author: Maria Lopez

  • Article title: Social Networks and First-Generation College Students

  • Journal title: Journal of Sociology and Education

  • Year: 2023

  • Volume: 18

  • Issue: 2

  • Pages: 45–62

Sentence in the paper:

First-generation college students often rely on peer and institutional support networks when navigating academic expectations (Lopez 2023).

Reference entry:

Lopez, Maria. 2023. “Social Networks and First-Generation College Students.” Journal of Sociology and Education 18(2):45–62.

This example is correct because the in-text citation includes the author’s last name and year without a comma. The reference entry begins with the author’s last name and first name, followed by the year. The article title appears in quotation marks, the journal title is italicized, and the volume, issue, and page range appear at the end.

If you directly quote page 51 of the article, the in-text citation should include the page number:

(Lopez 2023:51)

ASA Book Citation Example

Reference entry:

Johnson, Rebecca. 2022. Studying Social Life. New York, NY: Academic Press.

In-text citation:

Sociological research often connects individual experiences to larger social patterns (Johnson 2022).

For a book, include the author, year, italicized title, place of publication, and publisher.

ASA Edited Book Chapter Example

Reference entry:

Patel, Anika. 2021. “Community Organizations and Youth Identity.” Pp. 88–109 in Youth and Social Change, edited by Michael Turner and Sara Kim. Chicago, IL: Northview Press.

In-text citation:

Community organizations can shape how young people understand civic participation (Patel 2021).

This format is useful when you cite one chapter written by a specific author inside an edited book.

ASA Website Citation Example

Reference entry:

Pew Research Center. 2024. “Social Media and News Consumption.” Pew Research Center. Retrieved June 26, 2026 (https://www.pewresearch.org/example).

In-text citation:

News consumption habits vary across age groups and social media platforms (Pew Research Center 2024).

For websites, include the author or organization, year, page title, website name, retrieval date, and URL when your instructor requires it. Use reliable organizations, universities, government agencies, or research centers whenever possible.

ASA Citation vs. APA Citation

ASA and APA both use author-date citations, but they are not the same.

Feature

ASA

APA

Common field

Sociology

Psychology, education, social sciences

Basic in-text citation

(Smith 2023)

(Smith, 2023)

Page number format

(Smith 2023:45)

(Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Reference page title

References

References

Author names in references

Full first names when available

Initials

Article title capitalization

Title case is common in examples

Sentence case

A common mistake is writing ASA citations with APA punctuation. In ASA, write (Smith 2023), not (Smith, 2023).

Common ASA Citation Mistakes

Mistake

Correct Approach

Adding a comma between author and year

Use (Smith 2023), not (Smith, 2023).

Using APA page number format

Use (Smith 2023:45), not (Smith, 2023, p. 45).

Forgetting the References page

Include full source entries at the end.

Using initials instead of first names

Use full first names when available.

Missing page numbers for direct quotes

Add page numbers after a colon.

Not matching in-text citations to references

Every in-text citation should have a matching reference entry.

Mixing ASA with APA or MLA

Use ASA rules consistently throughout the paper.

Tips for Checking ASA Citations Before Submitting

First, scan your in-text citations. Make sure each citation includes the author and year with no comma between them. If you quoted exact words, check that the page number appears after a colon.

Next, review the References page. Entries should be alphabetized by the first author’s last name. Author first names should be written out when available. Journal article titles should appear in quotation marks, and journal titles should be italicized.

Finally, make sure the paper uses one citation style from beginning to end. Do not use ASA in-text citations with APA-style reference entries or MLA-style Works Cited formatting.

FAQ About ASA Citation

What is ASA citation?

ASA citation is the American Sociological Association citation style. It is mainly used in sociology papers, sociology journals, and related social science assignments.

What does an ASA in-text citation look like?

A basic ASA in-text citation includes the author’s last name and year, such as (Smith 2023). There is no comma between the author and year.

How do you cite a quote in ASA?

For a direct quote, include the author, year, and page number with a colon before the page number: (Smith 2023:45).

Is ASA the same as APA?

No. ASA and APA both use author-date citations, but they have different punctuation, page number formats, and reference entry rules.

Does ASA use a Works Cited page?

No. ASA usually uses a page titled References, not Works Cited.

How do you cite a website in ASA?

Use the author or organization, year, page title, website name, retrieval date if required, and URL. The in-text citation uses the author or organization and year.

Conclusion

ASA citation is designed for sociology writing and uses an author-date system that connects in-text citations to a References page. The key details to remember are simple: no comma between author and year, a colon before page numbers, and full first names in reference entries when available. Before submitting your paper, check that each citation matches the References page and that you have not accidentally mixed ASA with APA or MLA rules.