This section provides bsic information and examples about citing references in the text and the bibliography of a research paper.
American Sociological Association (ASA) style is generally used for papers in sociology.
ASA requires in-text citations and a list of references at the end of the paper.
Each in-text citation must provide the information necessary to identify the source in the list of references, and each reference must provide the information necessary to locate exactly that source.
The Writing Centre can help you by providing feedback on your writing and instruction for improving your communication skills.
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American Sociological Association (ASA) style is generally used for papers in sociology.
ASA requires in-text citations and a list of references at the end of the paper.
Each in-text citation must provide the information necessary to identify the source in the list of references, and each reference must provide the information necessary to locate exactly that source.
The Writing Centre can help you by providing feedback on your writing and instruction for improving your communication skills.
Check out The Writing Centre Blog, too!
American Sociological Association (ASA) style is generally used for papers in sociology.
ASA requires in-text citations and a list of references at the end of the paper.
Each in-text citation must provide the information necessary to identify the source in the list of references, and each reference must provide the information necessary to locate exactly that source.
The Writing Centre can help you by providing feedback on your writing and instruction for improving your communication skills.
Check out The Writing Centre Blog, too!
Put page numbers of articles after the issue numbers of the journal:
Basic Book
Book with Editor
Book with Translator
Book with More Than One Author or Editor
Chapter or Article in Edited Book
Article in Reference Book
Book Accessed Online
Edition other than 1st
Government Publication
Cite government documents much as you would other documents, but be sure to include any additional identifying information, such as report or catalogue numbers:
If no author is given, list the item according to the name of the government body that produced it:
Basic Article
Article with More Than One Author
Article Retrieved from an Online Database
Article Retrieved from an Open Access Journal
Magazine Article
Newspaper Article
Article from an Online Newspaper/Magazine
When citing poplular magazine articles, use the month and year of the magazine in place of the volume and issue:
Cite newpaper and magazine articles accessed online just as you would articles accessed in pint, with the addtion of the date on which you retrieved it and the URL from which you retrieved it. If you have accessed the article through a database, include page numbers.
Basic Web Page
Web Page with No Place of Publication
Web Page with No Author
Online Reference Work
Article in Online Newspaper/Magazine
Online Government Document
Blog Post
To find the physical location of an institution or organization, click on the “Contact Us“ link. If a webpage appears to have no place of publication, then leave it out:
If a web site has no author, then list it by the institution or organization that publishes it on the web:
Last Name of Author, First Name of Author. Year. "Title of Article” in Title of Reference Book, edited by First name of Editor Second name of Editor. Place of Publication (if known): Publisher (if known). Retrieved November 18, 2011 (http…).
If a reference work that exists only online does not give a publisher or a physical location, omit both:
Please see the Government Publication section under the Books tab.
Note: The ASA Style guide is not at all clear on how to site a standard blog, so these examples represent my attempt to cite blogs in a manner consistent with the overall ASA style. The basic idea is you give your readers all the information they need to locate the blog post, so you give the URL of the post, but in case that URL changes, you also give the title of the post, etc.
Cite articles from online-only news sites as you just would articles from print magazines or newspapers that you have accessed online: