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In this brief guide, we will discuss the topic of ASA paper format. Many scholars, professors, and students use this style when creating research papers, essays, and other kinds of academic writing. So, the ASA format is a widely applied one among academics and scientists. Particularly, this style is used by the students who study sociology and those who would like to publish their research papers and so on. ASA (American Sociological Association) format varies according to the primary sources. American Association of Sociologists constantly updates a specially created style guide, which contains a thorough description of the standards for writing in ASA format.

Please note that not all the examples in this guide are presented according to the particular ASA requirements; they are only possible and approximate examples for general understanding. So, you should check everything in detail and follow all the necessary rules and requirements.

What Is ASA Style?

Please note that this brief guide is only for the overall overview, as it does not comply with all the requirements needed for writing in ASA format. You should carefully study this topic in detail further, view several ASA format examples, learn the official information as well as recommendations of the American Association of Sociologists, and investigate their style guide in detail. It is necessary to study the official complete ASA style and formatting guide meticulously. Please keep in mind that the requirements can differ depending on a particular assignment, so be sure to check all the requirements by asking your professor.

The ASA style and formatting guide contains sections with info on editorial styles, guidelines to organize as well as present content, strategies for formatting in-text citations, mechanics of style, references, headers, body text, more in-depth and detailed information regarding referencing the scholarly sources, and many other crucial things. You ought to extensively study all the requirements, check them by asking your teacher, and strictly follow them.

Here below, you may observe only some basic points of writing in ASA format. Please remember that this is not an exhaustive list of rules and strategies. The full-style guide is much more extended. This short guide is only for the general understanding of the conceptions of writing in ASA style; it only illustrates some general traits, not every single point.

Recommend reading: APA essay format - how to format the paper correctly using APA style.

Structure of ASA Paper

  • The title page: Contains complete title followed by an asterisk, the name(s), the author`s (authors`) institution(s), a full word count, a running head, a title footnote with the name as well as the author`s (authors`) address, acknowledgments, credits, grant information (if available)
  • The abstract: It should be started on a new page headed by the title; it is usually a brief paragraph (within the limits of 200 words) that is jargon-free. It summarizes the work. After this, there are three to five keywords
  • Body: Start on a new page headed by the title. Include the headings as well as the subheadings after the introduction
  • Notes: Indicate the footnotes and endnotes in the text with the help of superscripted numbers. You can type the notes at the foot of a page (footnotes) or in a separate section marked Notes or Endnotes. You should choose one option and perform it. Also, start each note with its superscript number
  • References: Make a list in alphabetical order in a new section marked References
  • Appendices: The appendices ought to be marked with the title. In case there is more than one, you should label them, for instance, Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on

You should carefully investigate the topic of how to write a paper in ASA format and how to structure it depending on the requirements.

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Some Facts About ASA Citation

  • The reference list ought to be included at the end of the scientific paper
  • You should make a one-half-inch margin from the left side
  • Begin writing a list of links on the new page
  • Include the title of the references at the top, located in the central part of the page (in the center)
  • Each source that is cited ought to be included in the reference list; each of them ought to be cited in the paper
  • Point out the authors` names, then indicate the authors` surnames
  • It is unacceptable to use et al. if a committee has written the paper
  • One more aspect of ASA citation refers to the need to place authors` last names (the authors of each work) alphabetically. When the same author has several works, you should write them in accordance with the publication (in such an order- the old publications go first and then the new works)

Of course, you should study the complete guide for writing in ASA format correctly in conformity with particular sources, specific requirements of the task, and many other nuances.

Headings and Subheadings

Let us present some key info about the headings and subheadings in the ASA style. Please be sure to pursue your investigation of this topic further, as multiple peculiarities are not highlighted in this brief synopsis.

First-Level Headings

These headings should be left-justified as well as in caps. You should not use a bold font. Avoid starting your manuscript with the heading, such as, for instance, "Introduction". You ought to start using the headings after the introduction.

Second-Level Headings

These headings should be left-justified, italicized; all the words except for conjunctions and prepositions ought to be capitalized. Avoid using a bold font. You should utilize the title case.

Third-Level Headings

These headings should be left-justified, indented, italicized as well as they ought to end with a period. You ought to use only the first word as well as any proper nouns capitalized. Avoid using a bold font.

Some Tips for Providing Citations in ASA Format

Place the notes in the same sequence as they emerge on the page, make a numbering under the line. Notice that the order is an important point in the ASA citation format. In the case when the writer`s work is specified at first, you should indicate the writer`s full name as well as the year of publication. You ought to specify the page number appropriately in the ASA format. In the present case, it should be separated from the year of publication with the help of a column without any spaces.

ASA Format suggests the author-date method of creating in-text citations to cite the sources and/or presenting relevant commentary. Well, the author`s last name, the year of source publication ought to be written in the text. Be sure that the same info is presented on the Reference page, too.

In general, the in-text citations are placed at the end of the paraphrased idea as well as they include both the writer`s name and the publication of the source. It is not necessary to repeat the writer`s name in the practical citation in case this name has already been written. In this case, you should only state the year of the publication into the parenthesis.

Please, get acquainted with the detailed description and guidelines when considering the ASA citation format. Follow all the requirements according to your specific assignment .

Several Tips on How to Cite Direct Quotations in ASA Format?

You can use the direct quotations (the exact phrases from the source) when citing in ASA format. The usage of direct quotes differs from using paraphrased quotations. Based on the ASA format, you should utilize the quotation marks in direct quotes used in the paper. The closing quotation mark ought to be followed by the parenthetical citation (in parenthesis), including the writer`s name, the publication year, the page. For example: “The direct quotation” (The author`s name Year of publication: the page).

You should check all the points in detail according to your particular assignment.

Basic Tips for ASA Format Paper Model

You ought to write the assignment in simple words, use the Active Voice. Do not utilize slang, general expressions, jargon, etc. in this writing format. The words (such as “versus”, percent” and so on) should be written in words, not in the form of abbreviations. If there should be some abbreviations in ASA paper, you ought to use them in graphs or tables. You can use the gender terms in case they provide significance in the analysis that is undertaken.

Keep in mind that you should be careful about racial as well as ethnic stereotypes, precisely and correctly describe the ethnicity or race. If one utilizes an abbreviation in the text, it is necessary to indicate its complete name in the brackets. When you have done this, you can use the abbreviations.

Of course, there are a lot of other peculiarities and rules to study. So, check all the detailed requirements thoroughly.

Some Facts about ASA Bibliography Format

You should write the reference list on another page. Note that in the ASA bibliography format, it is necessary to create this list alphabetically by the author`s name. When using two or more authors` names of the same work, you ought to apply the hanging indent. Remember to write all the elements in compliance with the rules and recommendations of ASA format. Utilize six hyphens as well as a period instead of names if you need to point out the writer for the second time. To distinguish the papers of the same author, put the letter, for example, 2018a, 2020 b, etc. You should check all these peculiarities in detail according to your assignment.

To make ASA format citation for the titles of books or periodicals, you ought to use italics or underline them. In case there isn`t a publishing date, you should use such a combination as " N. d. ". It is usually not necessary to indicate the city of publication, just specify the state of the place of publication. Draw upon the abbreviations of the U.S. postal code. Point out the name of the country in case the author is from another city.

You should benefit from various printed as well as online materials to check the ASA format and get acquainted with the example of writing in ASA style. You should attentively study the information on how to write your particular assignment, how to format, to cite it, etc. in the ASA writing style correctly and appropriately.

Conclusion

Please, remember to study all the necessary information thoroughly; check all the requirements for the assignment by asking your teacher. Pay attention that this is only a brief description of some basic points. Note that the requirements can vary, so that be sure to check everything in detail.

There are multiple rules about the important characteristics, the structure, the format of ASA paper, providing citations in ASA format, writing ASA bibliography, organizing the ASA heading format, the title page in ASA style and many other crucial things. All the examples in this guide are for general understanding and are not written according to the necessary rules of ASA style.

Of course, remember to carefully check the ASA paper. Proofread and edit as many times as necessary, as it is a very important assignment to write an ASA paper correctly. Your work should contain no mistakes of any kind; it should be with no plagiarism. Check all the requirements to the font, margins, spaces in the text, the application of different styles of writing (capitalized, italicized words, and so on), etc. You should meticulously study this topic, become familiar with the official writing guide for ASA academic paper.

If you need any assistance, feel free to contact us. Good luck to you!

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