Caleb S.
Caleb S.

A Complete AAA Citation Guide with Examples

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Published on: Jun 3, 2018

Last updated on: Dec 28, 2022

AAA citation and format

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Looking to have a simple-to-follow AAA style guide? This blog covers all the needed and necessary information about AAA style. It will help you format and style your papers, citations, and references accordingly. Like other citation styles, the AAA style has different guidelines and reference formats.

When working with a particular style, the student has to make sure that he follows all the guidelines and given format.

The AAA style is no different and has some formatting elements that are different from the other citations. Below, we have mentioned and explained all the main elements of the AAA style citation.

What Is AAA Citation Style?

The AAA style is the abbreviated form of the American Anthropological Association. It is similar to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) and is also a variation of the Chicago style referencing. The AAA style is usually used in anthropology as it provides guidance to the writers, researchers, and scholars of anthropology.

The format structure includes separate referencing guidelines for books, journals, articles, and other sources.

Here are some of the key AAA citation guidelines:

  • The book titles are not underlined
  • The date of publication is added after the name of the author
  • The last name of the author is added, followed by the first name
  • Multiple references from the same author are arranged with adding the first published work
  • The title of the page, book, or journal is not italicized
  • The list of references is titled ‘References Cited’
  • The References Cited page is double spaced when added to the work of a student. But is single-spaced when added in an anthropological publication

Some of the elements are similar to other referencing styles while some are quite different and distinct.


How to Create AAA In-Text Citation?

In-text citations are different from the references and the reference list that are added at the end of the paper. They are added within the paper content. It will make it easier for the readers to know about the primary source of the direct and paraphrased content.

Different citation formats use different in-text citation style formats. In the case of the AAA style citation, the last name of the author is followed by the year of publication.

To put the in-text citation, add the direct quote and add the last name and the year of publication in the parenthesis. If not adding the details in the parenthesis, mention the author’s name and the date of publication in the parenthesis.

  • Add the quotation marks at the beginning and end of the direct quote or the author’s words
  • Add the in-text citation after adding the quote
  • Use and add the original writer’s full name to the content. You can also add the last name in the parenthesis where possible or relevant
  • When adding the last name of the author, year of publication, and page number, use a colon. It will separate the name and year of the publication
  • If you are adding the reprinted material then add the date of the publication that you have read or quoted
  • If a quote is more than four lines longer then add it like a blockquote. The bibliographic information or its in-text citation will be added in brackets rather than a parenthesis


AAA Referencing Format for Different Sources

The list of references is added at the end of the paper. The list is titled the ‘References Cited’ and contains all the works that have been added to the paper. The title is different from what we add in the APA and MLA references. This format of the references is also different from them.

To know how to format different paper sections and work sources, read the below sections of the blog.

For the AAA Style Title Page: The title page is the very first section of the paper. It contains information like the student’s name, the instructor’s name, the paper’s title, course number, and the deadline. When making the title page for your AAA paper, add all of these details to the cover page.

For the references for different sources, we have added some examples to help you understand how to make the references

For Books with Single Author:

Godelier, Maurice

  • 2011 The Metamorphoses of Kinship. London: Verso.

For Books with Two Authors:

Barnard, Alan, and Anthony Good

  • 1984 Research Practices in the Study of Kinship. London: Academic Press.

For Books with Multiple Authors:

Bonacich, Edna, with Mark Smith and Kathy Hunt

  • 1999 The Economic Basis of Ethnic Solidarity: Small Business in the Japanese American Community.
    • Berkeley: University of California Press.

For Books with Editors as Authors:

Lewin, Ellen, ed.

  • 2006 Feminist Anthropology: A Reader. Malden: Blackwell.

For the Chapters of the Books:

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.

For the Revised Editions:

Bernard, H. Russell

  • 2011 Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. 5th edition. Lanham:
    • AltaMira.

For Electronic Books from the Library Database:

MacClancy, Jeremy.

  • 2013 Anthropology in The Public Arena: Historical and Contemporary Contexts. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons. Ebrary ebook collection.
    • http://site.ebrary.com/lib/stmarysca/docDetail.action?docID=10650992 accessed October 11, 2013

For Web Electronic Books:

Keane, A.H.

  • 1920 Man: Past and Present. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Project Gutenberg. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35685 accessed October 11, 2013.

For the Journal Articles:

Houseman, Michael.

  • 1988 “Toward a Complex Model of Parenthood: Two African Tales.” American Ethnologist 15(4):658-677.

For the Journal Articles available on an Electronic Database:

O’Neill, Kevin Lewis

  • 2013 “Left Behind: Security, Salvation, and the Subject of Prevention.” Cultural Anthropology 28(2):204-22.
    • DOI: 10.1111/cuan.12001 accessed October 11, 2013

When no DOI is present:

Hakansson, N. Thomas

  • 1994 “The Detachability of Women: Gender and Kinship in Processes of Socioeconomic Change among the Gussii of Kenya.” American Ethnologist 21(3):516-38.
  • http://www.jstor.org/stable/645919 accessed October 11, 2013

For Print Magazines and Newspaper Articles:

Hunt, Will

  • 2012 Secrets of the White Shaman. Discover May:50-56

For Online Magazines or Newspaper Articles:

Roberts, Sam

  • 2012 Using Modern Tools to Reconstruct Ancient Life. New York Times. January 10:D2L http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA276685697&v=2.1&u=mora54187&it=r&p=AONE&s w=w accessed August 2, 2013.

In Case of No Author:

New York Times

  • 2011 Japan: Dig Begins at Wartime Army Site Suspected in Prisoner Experiments.February
  • 22:A6.http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA249650007&v=2.1&u=mora54187&it=r&p=A ONE&sw=w accessed August 2, 2013.

For Online Masters Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertation:

Couture, Nicole Claire

  • 2002 The Construction of Power: Monumental Space and Elite Residence at Tiwanaku.Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago. accessed August 2013.
  • http://search.proquest.com/pqdtft/docview/305518242/fulltextPDF/13FA6873D2C6533157E/4?accounti d=25334. accessed October 11, 2013.

For Conference Papers:

Shimahara, Nobuo K.

  • 1998 “Mobility and Education of Buraku: The Case of a Japanese Minority.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Chicago, November 18.

For Films and Documentaries:

Banda, Dan, prod.

2005 After the immigrant: A Documentary Series about Ethnicity and its Many Meanings. Bandana Productions. DVD.

For Websites and Web Documents:

Society for Historical Archaeology

  • 2011 “What is Historical Archaeology?” http://www.sha.org/ accessed October 11, 2013.

To know more about how to cite and make references to other sections, check the sample given below.

AAA Style Guide

Should I Use AAA Citation Machine?

If you are new to AAA style citation and want to learn about it then yes you can use it. However, using it only will not be a good idea. Instead, ask your professor to help you with it or consult a professional essay writing service.


How to Arrange the AAA Style Bibliography?

The list of references is added at the end of the paper. The list contains all the works that are used in the paper and consulted for the research purpose. The AAA style references are titled ‘References Cited’ instead of References or Works Cited, as in the APA and MLA style.

The References Cited page is arranged in alphabetical order. It must contain all the works that have been cited in the paper. The reference entries must contain details like the full name of the author, the year of publication, and other details. In the case of published books, the name of the publisher and page numbers are also added.

When citing or adding multiple works from the same author, arrange it from oldest to the newest. If the year of publication is the same, add (a) and (b) after the publication year and in a separate parenthesis.

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Caleb S.

WRITTEN BY

Caleb S. (Literature, Marketing)

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

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