Sociology has its own citation style: ASA Style from the American Sociological Association. However, your instructor may ask you to use APA or another citation style for your sociology papers. Check your assignment guidelines to be certain you're using the correct citation style. The resources on this page will help you learn how to accurately format ASA, APA, and MLA citations, and you can always contact the library or the UVU Writing Center for help.
Many library databases include a citation tool that automatically generates citations for you, in a variety of styles—this is a great time-saving feature! When you've found an article, book, or other item in a library database that you'd like to use, look for a button labeled Cite or Citation, then copy the citation in the style you need. However, these citations may contain formatting errors or missing information, since they're not actually made by a human. Be sure to proofread citations made by citation generators, and edit any mistakes! Use the citation resources on this page to help with this.
ASA Note: Unfortunately most library databases don't include an option to generate citations in ASA Style. Our recommendation is to copy your source's citation in MLA style, and then use one of the ASA resources on this page to help you edit the citation into ASA style. MLA is very similar to ASA style, so it's best to use MLA as your starting point for editing.
ASA is the citation style commonly used for research in sociology. The following resources will help you learn how to format ASA citations.
American Sociological Association Style Guide (Print Book)APA is the citation style commonly used for research in the social and behavioral sciences, business, education, and the sciences. The following resources will help you learn how to format APA citations.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: The Official Guide to APA Style, 7th Edition (Print Book)The process for citing content created by AI tools is still evolving and the information in this section is subject to change. Before you use AI tools in your assignments, read your class syllabi and consult with your professors; your professor might not allow the use of AI tools.
When you use AI-generated content, you must cite it both in the text of your paper and in your bibliography (list of sources you used).
APA, MLA, and other citation styles now include instructions for citing AI-created content. The best places to find up-to-date guidelines are online. Older printed style guides may not cover how to cite AI content. Not all citation styles have developed guidelines for citing AI-generated content as of December 2023.