ASA Format Heading Rules

Being assigned to write a paper in ASA format for the first time, most students will feel confused and even frustrated.

In this guide, we'll tell you everything about this style and the key rules of the ASA format heading.

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What Is ASA Format?

Before we get to our ASA style guide, let's first define what it is.

The abbreviation ASA stands for American Sociological Association - the world's largest professional association of sociologists, which has created this citation style. This style is the major citation and formatting guide used in the field of sociology.

The ASA style is widely used by academics who publish their articles in ASA journals. But, it's also widely used by sociology students to format and cite their papers properly.

If you were assigned to write an ASA style paper, read on to find a comprehensive guide to this style. Alternatively, don't hesitate to buy essay or to buy a research paper from a reliable writing service essayservice.com and let them handle the formatting.

What Is ASA Format?

Before we get to our ASA style guide, let's first define what it is.

The abbreviation ASA stands for American Sociological Association - the world's largest professional association of sociologists, which has created this citation style. This style is the major citation and formatting guide used in the field of sociology.

The ASA style is widely used by academics who publish their articles in ASA journals. But, it's also widely used by sociology students to format and cite their papers properly. There is a good service domyessay.com.

If you were assigned to write an ASA style paper, read on to find a comprehensive guide to this style.

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General ASA Formatting Rules

If you've never worked in the ASA essay format before, it's natural to have some questions, but we are here to help you get on the right track! In this part of our article, our experts from research paper writing service essayhub.com guide you through the main points of the ASA paper format.

The first thing to keep in mind is that every ASA format paper can contain three key elements:

  1. Title Page - The first page that indicates the paper's title, name of the institution, and author's full name. Everything should be centered on the page, and the paper's title should be in bold.

  2. Abstract - This element is recommended but not mandatory. If you include it, it should be placed right after the title page and provide readers with a concise insight into the paper's contents and key terms.

  3. Reference Page - The last element is a reference page that should follow after the main part of the paper and provide citations for all sources the author used to create the paper.

Other general rules for ASA formatting include:

  • The preferred font is Times New Roman, 12 pt.

  • Double spacing should apply across the entire text.

  • 1'' margins on all sides.

  • Authors should provide a running head - a shortened version of the paper's title (under 50 characters) that should be aligned flush right and written in all caps.

  • Pages should be numbered with Arabic numbers, starting from the ASA format header located on the first page, and should be aligned flush left.

  • All sources should be listed on the reference page at the end of the paper.

  • For in-text citations, it's recommended to use the author-date method.

  • Authors should use three levels of ASA headers and format them in compliance with style rules. Further in this article, you'll find a comprehensive guide on how to format headings.

How to Format Headings in ASA Style?

The American Sociological Association provides scholars, academics, and paper writing service professionals with detailed guidelines not only concerning the overall document formatting but also concerning the format of headings.

In this formatting style, there are three different heading levels, each of which has different formatting requirements. Let us guide you through the rules for the ASA heading format for each of the three levels.

ASA First Level Heading

The first-level ASA header takes the highest place in the heading hierarchy. 

An ASA paper heading should be given in all caps and can be placed either on the center of the page or at the left margin. The manual encourages students to avoid using bold or underlined fonts for this level of headings. Finally, authors should not begin their research papers, essays, or other papers with the word "INTRODUCTION."

ASA Second Level Heading

Next, come second-level headings. 

These headings should be written using title case, where you capitalize the first letter of all major words, whereas keeping the first letters of articles, prepositions, and conjunctions small.

The proper placement for a second-level ASA paper format heading is at the left margin of a page. And, also, the second-level ASA header format implies using italics and prohibits the use of bold or underlined fonts.

ASA Third Level Heading

Finally, the last kind of ASA style heading is a third-level heading. Since it takes the lowest place in the heading hierarchy, it can be used only within sections under the second-level headings.

This level also implies using italics like the second-level heading, but it has to be written in a sentence case, where you capitalize only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns.

The third-level ASA heading should always begin a new paragraph and must have a period placed after the last word in the title. The use of bold and underlined fonts is also undesirable.

ASA Headings in Tables

Tables in ASA style papers also should contain headings. When creating a table, authors need to include a properly formatted heading in every row and column. However, it is not recommended to use headers for columns.

Another rule requires authors to spell out percentages in titles. Also, use ASA subheadings to divide your tables into sections or make clear classifications.