A brief guide
to citing sources in the reference style of the
American
Anthropological Association.
This document is intended to serve as an
introduction and quick reference for writing papers in undergraduate courses
that conform to the AAA style of citation and reference. The following rules
will cover most situations for papers in this context. Further examples can be
gleaned from any anthropology journal that follows the AAA style, such as American
Anthropologist, which is available in the Alexander Mack library. The
official style guide of the AAA is available at http://www.aaanet.org/pubs/style_guide.htm.
Make sure to observe all instructions and
handouts from the particular class for which you are writing. If instructions
from the professor ever contradict AAA style, go with the professor.
The basic in-text citation is a parenthetical
reference including the year and page number of the source. The page number or
page range is separated from the year with a colon, no spaces. Include the
author’s name if it is not clear from the text whose work you are citing.
Examples:
Stoller argues for a “tasteful” ethnographic practice
(1989:34).
The Christmas play created a sense
of cultural citizenship (Rosaldo 1999:12-14).
Dodson suggests that “the main issue facing the café is a
public concern for the health effects of caffeine” (2004:109).
When more than one work by a single author is
cited in a paper, distinguish them with letters:
This is a
strong position against what Benjamin calls “historicism” (1968b:10).
When referring to a general argument or
approach, it is acceptable to omit page numbers and cite an entire book or
article:
The overall effect of the crowd control at the county
fair was very similar to “discipline” in Foucault’s sense (1984).
Following the last page of the body of the
paper, begin a new page with “References Cited” centered at the top.
Alphabetize all cited sources by the author’s last name. The author’s name is
on a line by itself. The citation begins, indented, on a new line. All lines
after the first of the citation should be indented as well:
Benjamin, Walter
1968 Theses on the Writing of History. In
Illuminations. Hannah Arendt, ed. Pp. 101-138. New York: Schocken Books.
Please note:
Following is a sample reference list with the
most common kinds of sources. Additional examples and rules can be found at the
official AAA style guide
on the web.
Bonacich, Edna
1975
The Economic Basis of Ethnic Solidarity: Small Business in the Japanese
American Community. Berkeley: University of California Press.
2001
Try to Remember: A Memoir. New York: Picador.
Castles, Stephen, and John Modell
1990
Here for Good. London: Pluto Press.
Diskin, Martin, ed.
1970
Trouble in Our Backyard: Central America in the Eighties. New York: Pantheon
Books.
Dollimore, Ronald
1983a
A Christmas Feast. New York: Oxford University Press.
1983b
Holiday Gatherings in the Pacific Northwest. Berkeley: University of California
Press.
Dollz, Luis C.
2000
Writing as Communication: Creating Strategic Learning Environments for
Students. Journal of Theory into Practice 25(3):202–208.
Editorial
1992
Washington Post, February 14: B2.
High School Movie 2
1998
Carmela Carvajal, dir. 120 min. Paramount Pictures. USA.
Reinhold, Robert
2000
Illegal Aliens Hoping to Claim Their Dreams. New York Times, November 3: A1,
A10.
Rheingold, Howard
2000
A Slice of Life in My Virtual Community. Electronic document,
http://well.sf.ca.us/serv/ftp.htm, accessed July 5, 2005.
Rohlen, Thomas P.
1993
Education: Policies and Prospects. In Koreans in Japan: Ethnic Conflicts
and Accommodation. Cameron Lee and George De Vos, eds. Pp. 182–222. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
Sarret, Rusty
2001
Review of Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity. In Journal of
Linguistic Anthropology 12(2):315.
1.24.2005