How does ASA in-text citation work?

ASA uses author-date citations in parentheses in the text, for example (Smith 2018) or (Smith 2018:45) when citing a specific page. The full reference appears in the alphabetical reference list.

Is ASA different from APA?

Both are author-date styles, but ASA has its own rules for punctuation, author name presentation, and title capitalisation that differ from APA.

What disciplines use ASA style?

ASA is used primarily in sociology and is required by many sociology journals and university sociology departments in the United States.

ASA Citation Generator

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What is ASA?

ASA (American Sociological Association) style is a citation style used in sociology and related social science disciplines. It uses author-date in-text citations and an alphabetical reference list, following conventions similar to APA but with its own specific formatting rules.

How to cite in ASA

Worked examples generated by CiteOrbit:

Book: Kuhn, Thomas S. 1962. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Journal article: Hilal, Nishida. 2026. “Anxiety and Depression among Medical Students.” European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences 8(1):1–2. doi:10.24018/ejmed.2026.8.1.1.
Website: CiteOrbit. 2026. “What Is a Citation?” https://citeorbit.com/citation-generator.

ASA FAQ

How does ASA in-text citation work?: ASA uses author-date citations in parentheses in the text, for example (Smith 2018) or (Smith 2018:45) when citing a specific page. The full reference appears in the alphabetical reference list.
Is ASA different from APA?: Both are author-date styles, but ASA has its own rules for punctuation, author name presentation, and title capitalisation that differ from APA.
What disciplines use ASA style?: ASA is used primarily in sociology and is required by many sociology journals and university sociology departments in the United States.