Skip to content

How to Cite a Book in AAA (current)

Learn how to cite printed and electronic books in AAA format (current). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

AAA Reference List Format

Here is the standard AAA format for citing a book in your reference list:

AAA Example for a Book

A complete AAA reference for a book, formatted by the official AAA CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Okafor, Amara 2019 The Craft of Research Writing. 2nd edition. Cambridge: University Press.

Matching in-text citation: (Okafor 2019)

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your book.
  2. Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the AAA (current) template shown above.
  3. Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
  4. Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
  5. Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match AAA requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: aaa.csl

Metadata to collect

  • author or editor
  • book title
  • edition
  • publisher
  • publication year
  • ISBN

Common metadata traps

  • Match the ISBN and year to the edition you actually used.
  • Do not cite the whole book when your source is a chapter by another author.
Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a book in AAA?
To cite a book in AAA (current), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the AAA format for a book citation?
The AAA format for a book is: Okafor, Amara 2019 The Craft of Research Writing. 2nd edition. Cambridge: University Press.
What does the in-text citation look like for a book in AAA?
In AAA, the in-text citation for the example above is (Okafor 2019)

Generate This Citation Automatically

Skip the manual formatting. Paste a DOI, URL, or ISBN into CitationEasy and get a perfectly formatted AAA citation in seconds.

Cite in AAA Now →

Generate this citation

Paste a URL, DOI, ISBN, or the source details and get a finished AAA citation for a Book.

Open the Book Citation Generator →

Bibliography Studio

Saved citations build a full bibliography in the Studio

Open Bibliography Studio

Cite a Book in Other Styles

Cite Other Sources in AAA

More Resources