ASA (7th ed.) Citation Style Guide: Paper Format Guidelines

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations of books, articles, and other sources, along with an evaluative summary (usually a few sentences) that you have written for each. The summary offers critical analysis of the source and your reasons for selecting it for your research.

For more details on how to write such a summary and how to format the list, see the excellent How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography from Cornell University.

• The reference list should be on a new page after the text and before any tables, figures or appendices. 
• The word References should appear centered at the top of the page and in bold.
• Double space all entries in the reference list -including between and within references.
• Use a hanging indent for all references (meaning indent the second and subsequent lines of an entry 5-7 spaces.
• Entries are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author. Works with no author are listed under the first significant word of the title.
• Include first and last names of all authors (unless author listed by only initials in original publication)
• If several references have the same author(s), list them in the order they were published, earliest first.
• Use "and," not &
• Include all references in one alphabetical listing from A-Z.

Font and Size - Check with your instructor for their preferences. Use the same font throughout the text of the paper; double-space all text. ASA states that text "must be in 12-point serif type face (e.g., Times New Roman)."

Line Spacing - Double space throughout the entire document, including the title page, reference. list, and block quotations. There are a few exception such as table body and figure image.

Margins - at least 1 inch margins on all sides - top, bottom, left and right.  

Page Numbers - number pages sequentially. Location not specified in ASA guide but top right is a good default.

Paragraph Indentation - Paragraphs should be indented 1/2 inch. "Do not use space bars or indents to achieve tabs, align texts, or create hanging indents."

Footnotes and Endnotes - use only when necessary. "Footnotes or endnotes can (1) explain or amplify text, (2) cite materials of limited availability, or (3) be added to a table to present additional information." Denote in text with a superscript Arabic number; double-space footnotes at the bottom of a page or a separate section.

Appendices - Use letters to name appendices (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B). Give appendixes a title. 

For further information, see American Sociological Association Style Guide, 7th ed., 2022:75-76,116-20.

Title pages should include: 

• full title of article
• names and institutions for all authors, listed vertically
• running head (60 characters or less)
• manuscript word count (including text, notes, and references)
• title footnote, including the name, address, and email of the corresponding author, acknowledgements, credits, grant information, and keywords. 

American Sociological Association Style Guide, 7th ed., 2022:118-19

THIS IS A FIRST-LEVEL HEADING

- all caps, left-justified

- do not indent the paragraph following

This Is a Second-Level Heading

- italics, capitalized, left-justified

- paragraph following can be indented or not

            This is a third-level heading.

              - italics, indented, followed by period

              - paragraph starts on same line, after period

For more information about ASA headings, see American Sociological Association Style Guide, 7th ed., 2022:54.