Citation Guide
Most professionally written anthropological and sociological papers today use a streamlined way of referring to other people's work, based more or less on the author-date system recommended by the Chicago Manual of Style: "Sources are cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author's last name and the date of publication. These short author-date citations are then amplified in a list of references, where full bibliographic information is given." (University of Chicago Press 1993, 493)
In this method, numbered footnotes or endnotes are used only for material that digresses from the text; they are never used to cite an author. In general, avoid endnotes. When used, they are for additional, parenthetical information which relates to a point in your paper, but is not a part of your thesis. These endnotes may be placed on a special sheet at the end of your paper, before the bibliography.
At the back of your paper, then, should be a page entitled "References," listing the references you cited alphabetically by author and by date of publication. If you want to list other works that you consulted but did not specifically refer to, you should append a separate list called "Additional Works Consulted."
The major sociology and anthropology journals use several stylistic variants. Examples of two are given below: those of the American Ethnologist and the American Journal of Sociology. More generally, you should use the styles of the American Anthropological Association (pdf -- Acrobat needed) or the American Sociological Association.
The important point is consistency: stick to whatever patterns you choose.
Helpful Links
- AAA Style Guide From the American Anthropological Association, a complete guide of the AAA style
- ASA Style Guide From the California State University's Library, a guide to the ASA style with extensive examples
- ASA Style Guide From Buffalo State University's Library, a guide to the ASA style with internet source examples
- Chicago-Style Citation From the Chicago Manual of Style, a guide with many examples of the fifteenth edition
- Endnote From the Library, a useful citation management software
- General Research Guides From the library, provides links to citations resources and information on citing internet sources
The ASA style guide can be found in the Library (HM586 .A54 1997).
In-Text Citations
Basic form
When you wish to cite the author for a point your are mentioning, or for a quotation, you should use one of the following forms (and then stick with it):
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The "poverty of culture" is also one of the aspects of the culture of poverty concept (Lewis 1966:6). The "poverty of culture" is also one of the aspects of the culture of poverty concept (Lewis 1966, p. 6). |
Author and/or title in text
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The first man to define the discipline of anthropology in modern terms was Edward B. Tylor. His books, Primitive Society (1871) and Anthropology (1896) set the tone... |
Multiple works by same author in same year
If you cite two or more works by the same author that are published in the same year, you should distinguish those works by adding the letters "a," "b," etc., to the year:
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I am using here the definition of prescriptive marriage rule as defined by Needham (1962a:9). |
Paper in edited volume
To avoid confusion, you must cite the actual paper or chapter you are referring to, NOT the entire book. An article by Geertz in a book edited by Banton would be cited as follows, and would be listed under Geertz—not under the name of the editor of the volume—in your list of references. Of course in list of references you would have to include all the usual publication data for the book, and you would give the pages of the book where the article you used is to be found. This is very similar to the procedure for citing an article in a journal.
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One way of looking at culture is to discuss it as public imagery (Geertz 1966:5-8). |
Two books in reference to one point
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One way of looking at culture is to discuss it as public imagery (Geertz 1966:5-8; Goodenough 1963:263). |
Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) sources
It is imperative that you cite the original source for materials that you get from the HRAF. Thus be sure to copy the codes for the sources at the top of each microfilmed page so that if you want to refer to them in your paper you can retrieve where they came from.
Form for List of References
Your list of references should take one of the following forms. (Either form is acceptable, but you must be consistent!) Style A is anthropological, as outlined by the American Anthropological Association; it can be found here. Style B is sociological, as outlined in the American Sociological Association; it can be found here.
Style A
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Style B
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Davis, K. 1963a. "Social Demography." Pp. 124-37 in The Behavioral Sciences Today, edited by Bernard Berelson. New York: Basic. ------. 1963b. "The Theory of Change and Response in Modern Demographic History." Population Index 29: 345-66. Goode, W.J. 1967. "The Protection of the Inept." American Sociological Review 32: 5-19. Moore, Wilbert E., and Arnold S. Feldman. 1960. Labor Commitment and Social Change in Developing Areas. New York: Social Science Research Council. Sanford, Nevitt, ed. 1962. The American College. New York: Wiley. Weber, Max. (1921) 1968. "Society's Problems." Pp. 12-16 in Economy and Society, edited by Guenther Roth and Claus Wittich. New York: Bedminster. |