Search WestSearch for books and e-books, videos, articles, digital media, course reserves, and more

Depending on the requirements of your instructor, you may find it necessary to use American Sociological Association citation style for your research papers.  ASA formatted papers include in-text citations, and a list of references.  If you provide a list of references, but fail to include parenthetical citations, your paper is not formatted in correct ASA style.  Be sure to include both!

The following examples are based on the information contained within the ASA Style Guide, 4th edition.

Parenthetical citation

Author's name is mentioned within the sentence: use parenthetical citation to indicate date of publication:

Gell-Mann's findings refute this statement (1995).

Author's name is not mentioned within the sentence: include the author's name in the parenthetical citation, along with the date of publication:

Recent findings refute this statement (Gell-Mann 1995).

Multiple authors (up to three): include authors' names and dates of publication in the citation:

A double-blind study supports Gell-Mann's findings (Feynman and Levy 2001).

Ongoing studies support Gell-Mann's findings (Feynman, Levy, and Zweig 2003).

Multiple authors (more than three): use the first author's name, as listed on the publication, with the term "et al."  Be sure to include the date of publication:

Gell-Mann's findings were supported by no fewer than two studies (Feynman et al. 2005).

When including page numbers, be sure to place them within the parenthetical citation after the date of publication.  Colons are used to separate the date from the page number:

Recent findings refute this statement (Gell-Mann 1995:27).

References

Audiovisual material, one director:

Last name, First name. Year of release. Title of film. [Format]. Production location: Studio or Production company.

Bergman, Ingmar. 1972. Husmanskost. [VHS]. Skellefteå: Europafilm.

Book, one author:

Last name, First name. Year of publication. Title. Location of publication: Publisher.

Dickens, Charles. 2001. What's a girl to do? : teens and dating. Stoke-on-Trent, UK: Junior Miss, Inc.

Book, two or more authors:

Last name, First name and First name Last name. Year of publication. Title. Location of publication: Publisher.

Brontë, Charlotte and Emily Brontë. 1989. It's my party : decorating tips for festive occasions. Detroit: Tiddly and Scrum.

Electronic book:

Last name, First name. Year of publication. Title. Location of publication: Publisher. Retrieved Month day, year (URL).

Melville, Herman. 2008. Green living for the modern day. Boulder: ICR. Retrieved June 13, 2009 (http://library.wcsu.edu/gofish).

Journal article, print:

Last name, First name. Year of publication. "Article title." Journal title volume#(issue#):page numbers.

O'Flaherty, Catherine. 1953. "Makeovers for mothers." Plantation living 13(5):29-37.

Journal article, electronic:

Last name, First name. Year of publication. "Article title." Journal title volume#(issue#). Retrieved Month day, year (URL).

Clemens, Samuel. 1982. "Dangerous dictators and the idiots who love them." Equivocator 9(2). Retrieved March 2, 1999 (http://library.wcsu.edu/liarliar).

Journal article, from full-text database:

Last name, First name. Year of publication. "Article title." Journal title volume#(issue#):page numbers if available. (Retrieved from Database name on Month day, year).

Lugosi, Béla. 1973. "Schrödinger's bat." Pegasoferae 17(1):23-56. (Retrieved from Academic Search Premier on October 29, 2005).

Newspaper article, print:

Last name, First name. Year of publication. "Article title." Newspaper title, Month day of publication, p. page number(s).

Russell, Rosalind. 1985. "Short pants." New York Tribune, August 13, pp. A5, A12.

Newspaper article, electronic:

Last name, First name. Year of publication. "Article title." Newspaper title, Month day of publication. Retrieved Month day, year (URL).

Bogart, Humphrey. 1954. "Training birds of prey." San Juan Star, May 5. Retrieved December 12, 2007 (http://library.wcsu.edu/tiercel).

Newspaper article, from full-text database:

Last name, First name. Year of publication. "Article title." Newspaper title, Month day of publication, p. page number(s). (Retrieved from Database name on Month day, year).

Thompson, Hunter S. 1997. "Teetotalers and tipsy parsons." El Grito del Norte, April 3, p. B7. (Retrieved from Expanded Academic ASAP on July 14, 2009).

Internet site:

Corporate name or Last name, First name. Year of publication. "Title of site." Retrieved Month day, year (URL).

Western Connecticut State University. 2006. "Nullum Crimen." Retrieved October 19, 2001 (http://library.wcsu.edu/expostfacto).