How Do You Cite In AAA Format?

If citations still look wrong, ensure et al. is used in-text for three+ authors, page numbers are included only for direct quotes, and organizations or titles replace missing authors.

Stuck on a citation that just won’t cooperate? Try these quick fixes:

• Too many authors: AAA lets you list all authors in the reference list even with three or more, but in-text citations should use et al..
• Page numbers missing or extra: Only include them when you’re referencing a direct quote or specific data point. Skip them for general mentions.
• No author listed: Use the organization or title as the author instead, and put it first in the in-text citation: (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides examples of organizational authorship. For more on reliable sources, explore our discussion on newspaper reliability.

Prevent citation errors by using reference managers, maintaining a cheat sheet, including volume and issue numbers, and bookmarking the official AAA Style Guide.

Want to keep your citations clean and consistent? Follow these tips:

• Use a reference manager: Tools like Zotero or EndNote can export in AAA Style. Just pick “AAA (Anthropology)” in your library settings.
• Keep a style cheat sheet: Maintain a running list of sources with the correct formatting templates so you don’t have to guess every time.
• Watch those journal numbers: Always include both volume and issue in journal references (e.g., 142(3)). Leaving out the issue is a surprisingly common mistake.
• Bookmark the official guide: The AAA Style Guide is your go-to for updates and examples. The American Anthropological Association also clarifies style questions. For broader citation guidance, consider reviewing the IRC citation rules in APA.

The Chicago Manual of Style provides foundational context for author-date systems that AAA adapts, and the Oxford Reference offers concise overviews of citation styles.

For an AAA interview citation, use: Interviewee’s Last Name, First Name. Interview. By Interviewer Name. Date of interview.

1. Interviewee’s last name, First name. ...
2. Velez, Emma.

To cite a newspaper article in AAA format, use: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Newspaper Name, Date of Publication.

For in-text citations, the general format is the author’s last name and the source’s publication date enclosed in parentheses, at the end of the sentence before any punctuation. Examples: ... (Smith 2010). ... (Wells and Morgan 2007). If you're unsure about citing movie quotes in your work, our guide on movie quote citations may help clarify the process.

For multiple authors in AAA, use “et al.” in text citations of three or more authors, but list all names in the reference list.

When citing sources with three or more authors, use “et al.” in your in-text citations (e.g., Brown et al. 2003). In your reference list, though, include all authors. Place text citations as close to the author’s name as possible, except place quotation citations after the quote. If you mention the author’s name in the sentence, put the year of publication in parentheses.

AAA Style citation is a close cousin of the Chicago Manual of Style, tailored specifically for anthropology.

The American Anthropological (AAA) Documentation Style is basically Chicago Style with a few tweaks for anthropology. The AAA Style Manual is an online guide that spells out those differences for writers and scholars. For a deeper comparison, you might also find our article on Bluebook citation rules useful.

To cite an online news article in AAA format, use: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article: Subtitle if Any.” Title of website, Name of Newspaper, Date of Publication, URL. Accessed [access date].

In a Chicago style paper, there are no headings or subheadings, and the title page serves as the header.

In a Chicago paper, you won’t find any headings or subheadings. The title page doubles as your header, so there’s no need to write the title at the top of the page. Most papers should be written in third-person unless your instructor says otherwise. If you're working with abstracts in your research, understanding informative abstracts can be particularly helpful.

To cite a person in AAA format, use: Last name of person interviewed, First name. Interview. By Interviewer Name. Date of interview.

1. Last name of person interviewed, First name. Interview. By Interviewer Name. Date of interview.
2. Example: Mars, Bruno. Interview. By Julie Chapman. 10 May 2020.

For an in-text interview citation in MLA style, the interviewee’s name is the author in the citation.

To reference an interview in APA format, use: Interviewee Last name, F. (Year, Month date).

In anthropology citations, use: (Author’s Last Name Year:page).

The citation goes in parentheses, with the author’s last name, year of publication, and page(s) cited. Example: (Lee 1993:17-18). Use a colon between year and page number(s). Skip the comma between author and year.

Sociologists typically use APA citation style.

If you’re writing in sociology, psychology, or education, chances are you’ll be using APA style. It’s the dominant citation style in the social sciences. For more on energy transformations in everyday contexts, which often require citations, see our article on energy transformations.

The correct citation for a book is: Last Name, First Name, et al. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.

To cite an online article in APA format, include: author name(s), date, title, source title, volume/issue, page numbers, and DOI if available.

1. Author name(s)
2. Date of publication.
3. Title of article.
4. Title of source (e.g. journal, etc.) plus volume number and issue number.
5. Inclusive page numbers of article.
6. DOI (if included)