Skip to Main Content

Citation Guides

American Sociological Association (ASL) Guide

What is ASA Style?

American Sociological Association (ASA) style is used for citing references in Sociology. 

All information contained in this guide is based on the American Sociological Association Style Guide 6th Edition Ref.  HM569.A54 2019. You will find a copy of the book at the reference desk on the main floor of the library. 

The American Sociological Association (ASA) style guide is based on the 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. This library guide will highlight some of the main items you might cite using ASA style. A complete list of citations can be found in the ASA Style Guide located in the Carmichael Library.

Where no rule is listed in the ASA Style Guide, you should use the Chicago Style Guide.
Quick Help
ASA Help from Purdue OWL 

Chicago Manual of Style Help from Purdue OWL

Referencing an Article

Print Journal Article Reference Format

LastName, FirstName, FirstName LastName, and FirstName LastName. Year. "Title of Article." Name of Publication Volume Number (Issue Number):page numbers. 

Colen, Cynthia G. 2011. "Addressing Racial Disparities in Health Using Life Course Perspectives: Toward a Constructive Criticism." Du Bois Review 8(1):79-94. 

Electronic Journal Article Reference Format

Journal Article with URL

LastName, FirstName, FirstName LastName, and FirstName LastName. Year. "Title of Article." Name of Publication Volume Number (Issue Number):page numbers. URL.

Demirkol, Ismail Cenk, and Mahesh K. Nalla. 2019. “How Does Police Culture Shape Officers’ Support for Community Policing?” Policing & Society 29(6):692-705. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=137507954&site=ehost-live.

Journal Article with DOI

LastName, FirstName, FirstName LastName, and FirstName LastName. Year. "Title of Article." Name of Publication Volume Number (Issue Number):page numbers. doi: xxxx.

Demirkol, Ismail Cenk, and Mahesh K. Nalla. 2019. “How Does Police Culture Shape Officers’ Support for Community Policing?” Policing & Society 29(6):692-705. doi: 10.1080/10439463.2017.1410149.

Referencing a Book

Print Book Reference Format

LastName, FirstName. Year. Title. City of Publication: Publisher.

Bender, Wolfgang. 1991. Sweet Mother. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

2 Authors

Edin, Kathryn, and Maria Kefalas. 2005. Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage. Berkley: University of California Press.

3 to 10 Authors

Edelman, Peter, Harry J. Holzer, and Paul Offner. 2006. Reconnecting Disadvantaged Young Men. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press. 
*Note: For more than 10 authors, list the first 7 author names followed by et al.

eBook Reference Format

LastName, FirstName, and FirstName LastName. Year. Title. City of Publication: Publisher. URL.

MacDonald, Ian Thomas. 2017. Unions and the City: Negotiating Urban Change. Ithica: ILR Press. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1529584&site=ehost-live. 

Referencing Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Print Newspaper/Magazine Format

LastName, FirstName. Year. "Title of Article." Newspaper/Magazine Title, Month Day, page Numbers. 

Anderson, Elijah. 1994. "The Code of the Streets." Atlantic Monthly, May, 81-94.

Electronic Newspaper/Magazine Format

LastName, FirstName. Year. "Title of Article." Newspaper/Magazine Title, Month Day, page Numbers. URL.

Friedman, Thomas L. 2017. "Climate Shifts Aren't Limited to the Weather." Opinion, New York Times, April 2. https://www.newyorktimes.com/2017/08/02/opinion/climate-change.html. 

Referencing a Website

Website Format - No Author

Company/Institute/Association Name. Year. "Page Title." URL.

American Anthropological Association. 1998. "AAA Statement on Race." https://www.americananthro.org/ConnectWithAAA/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2583

Blog Post

LastName, FirstName. Year. "Title of Article." Blog Title. Month Day. URL. 

Carrigan, Mark. 2014. “Qualitative Self-tracking and the Qualified Self.” The Sociological Imagination Blog. July 31. http://sociologicalimagination.org/archives/15674.