Formatting Text & Page in ASA Format

Many sociology students use the style guide developed by the American Sociological Association for academic writing. 

The ASA style not only provides instructions for citations and referencing but also has some guidelines for formatting the paper. These guidelines ensure that the papers are readable, consistent, and follow the academic standards.

So, what are its page formatting rules? Read on to find out!

Text Formatting

In ASA format, use these settings to format your text throughout the paper, including the title page, abstract, and main body:

Font Style:     Arial or Times New Roman

Font Size:       12-pt size

Abstract & Keywords

The abstract should provide a brief summary of your paper and be placed on a separate page following the title page. Provide the title of the paper as the heading. 

The abstract should briefly talk about important aspects such as the research question, methodology, results, and conclusions. It should be between 150-250 words.

Moreover, you should also provide keywords related to your topic below the abstract.

A correctly-formatted abstract should look like this:

Note: The abstract always comes after the title page. Check out how to format your title page in our ASA title page guide. 

Page & Paragraph Settings

When writing your ASA paper, set your page and paragraphs along the following instructions:

Margins 

The ASA doesn’t precisely specify the margins; it relies on the journal’s instructions in most cases. However, your margins should be at least 1^1/4 inches.

Page Numbers & Running Head

Page numbers should be placed in the top right corner of each page, starting from the title page. 

The running head, which is a shortened version of your title, should be aligned to the left and written in ALL-CAPS. It should not exceed 60 characters, including spaces and punctuation.

Line Spacing & Indentation

The text should be double-spaced throughout the document, including the abstract and references. Paragraphs should be indented 0.5 inches from the left margin.

Headings & Subheadings

Headings and subheadings should be used to organize the content of your paper.  Here is how to format different levels of headings:

Footnotes & Endnotes

Footnotes and endnotes should be used rarely in ASA format. They should be numbered with superscripts (e.g., ⁶) sequentially throughout the paper.

Footnotes are placed at the bottom of the page where the reference occurs. Endnotes, which appear at the end of the paper, can be used if you have a large number of notes or if your instructor prefers them.

You can use footnotes and endnotes to provide additional information, usage, and copyright permissions or a short explanation that would otherwise disrupt the flow of your text.

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Are you looking for a fast and easy way to cite your sources in ASA style? You can use PerfectEssayWriter.ai’s reference generator, a handy tool that helps you find and generate accurate ASA citations. 

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