How to Cite a Book Chapter in ASA (7th Edition)

This guide explains how to format a book chapter citation in ASA (7th Edition). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a book chapter in ASA (7th Edition):

Template

Author, First Name. Year. "Title of Chapter." Pp. xx--xx in *Title of Book*, edited by First Name Last Name. Place: Publisher.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Wilson 1987:55)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Wilson, William Julius. 1987. "The Urban Underclass." Pp. 123--145 in *The Ghetto Underclass*, edited by Paul E. Peterson. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the chapter author(s)
Invert all author names: Last, First.
2
Add the publication year
Write the year followed by a period.
3
Write the chapter title
Place in double quotation marks with headline-style capitalization. End with a period inside the closing quote.
4
Add the page range and book title
Write "Pp." followed by the page range, then "in" (lowercase), the italicized book title, a comma, and "edited by" with the editor name(s) in normal order.
5
Include place and publisher
Write the city, colon, and publisher name. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using "In" instead of the ASA-standard "Pp. xx--xx in" format.
Forgetting "Pp." before the page range.
Using "ed." instead of "edited by" in ASA style.
Not inverting the chapter author's name.
Italicizing the chapter title instead of placing it in quotation marks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does ASA use "Pp." instead of "In"?

ASA places the page range before the book title using "Pp. xx--xx in *Title*". This format makes the chapter's location immediately clear. "Pp." is capitalized when it begins the element.

Is the editor name inverted in ASA book chapter citations?

No. Editor names after "edited by" appear in normal order (First Last), not inverted. Only the chapter author names are inverted.

Do I use "edited by" or "ed." in ASA?

ASA uses the full phrase "edited by" (lowercase), not the abbreviation "ed." or "Ed." This is a key ASA convention.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your book chapter:

Chapter author(s)
Year of publication
Chapter title
Editor(s)
Book title
Edition (if not the first)
Page range
Publisher
DOI or URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the chapter author(s)

Invert all author names: Last, First.

Add the publication year

Write the year followed by a period.

Write the chapter title

Place in double quotation marks with headline-style capitalization. End with a period inside the closing quote.

Add the page range and book title

Write "Pp." followed by the page range, then "in" (lowercase), the italicized book title, a comma, and "edited by" with the editor name(s) in normal order.

Include place and publisher

Write the city, colon, and publisher name. End with a period.