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SOC 1010 - Introduction to Sociology : ASA Style

American Sociological Association (ASA) Style


The American Sociological Association publishes the American Sociological Association Style Guide as its style manual for sociology. 

The most recent edition, the sixth edition, was published in 2019. The ASA Style Guide can be found by requesting it at the Reference Desk on the first floor of the Library. 

If you need help with other citation styles such as MLA or APA, please see our citation guide or contact the library. 

ASA Formatting Rules

Here are some general rules on how to format your paper: 

Margins

  • Margins should be at least 1 1/4 inches on all sides, or as required by the course instructor

Font

  • 12 font size

Double Space

  • Double-space throughout your paper, including footnotes

Title page

  • Include the full title of the article, authors' name and institution, a running head, the word count of the document (including footnotes and references), and a title footnote

Abstract

  • Begins on a separate page, following the title page, with the title repeated as a heading
  • One paragraph (max. 200 words)

Key Words

  • Include three to five keywords

Reference Page: General Rules

Here are some general rules on how to format your references page: 

  • The reference list appears at the end of your paper
  • Each cited source must be on the reference list and each entry on the reference list must be cited in the text
  • Begin the reference list on a new page
  • Label the page "References"; centered at the top
  • Double-space all the text on the page
  • Indent one-half inch from the left margin all the lines after the first line (hanging indentation)
  • Invert the authors' names; give the last name first, then the first name
  • List all authors. It is not acceptable to use et al. in the References section unless the work was authored by a committee.
  • Alphabetize the entries by the last name of the author of each work. If there is more than one work by the same author, arrange them in order of publication date, from oldest to most recent.

Please note: These are basic guidelines, for more detailed information, consult the ASA Style Guide.

Print Resources

Electronic Sources

Articles and books obtained from the Internet follow the same pattern as print sources, with the exception that the URL and date of access are included.

ASA Online Sources

Citation Help

Use this website to help you create citations.