ASA In-Text Citations
Master ASA (7th edition) in-text citations with this complete guide. Learn the correct format for every scenario, including single and multiple authors, direct quotes, and sources with missing information.
In-Text Citation Rules
Below are the ASA in-text citation rules for every common scenario you will encounter when writing your paper.
Single Author
(Smith 2024)
Two Authors
(Smith and Jones 2024)
Three or More Authors
(Smith et al. 2024) for 3+ authors
Direct Quote
(Smith 2024:15) — use a colon before the page number (not p. or pp.)
No Author
("Article Title" 2024) — use the title in double quotation marks
No Date
(Smith n.d.)
Quick Examples
Here are real-world ASA in-text citation examples for different source types:
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Cite in ASA Now →Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I format an ASA in-text citation?
- For a single author in ASA, use the format (Smith 2024). For two authors, use (Smith and Jones 2024). For three or more authors, use (Smith et al. 2024) for 3+ authors.
- How do I cite a direct quote in ASA?
- For direct quotes in ASA (7th edition), use the format: (Smith 2024:15) — use a colon before the page number (not p. or pp.).
- What if there is no author or no date in ASA?
- When there is no author in ASA, use: ("Article Title" 2024) — use the title in double quotation marks. When there is no date, use: (Smith n.d.).