ASA 6th Edition - Reports & PDFs

How to Cite PDFs & Reports in ASA

Learn how to cite government reports, white papers, technical documents, and PDF files in ASA 6th edition format with examples.

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How to cite a pdf in ASA

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ASA Report Citation Format

Basic Report Format:

Author/Organization. Year. Title of Report (Report No. xxx). City, ST: Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year (URL).

When Author = Publisher:

Organization. Year. Title of Report. City, ST: Organization. Retrieved Month Day, Year (URL).

Report with Individual Authors:

Last Name, First Name and First Name Last Name. Year. Title of Report (Working Paper No. xxx). City, ST: Publisher.

ASA PDF Citation Examples

Government Report

U.S. Census Bureau. 2024. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023 (Report No. P60-279). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Publishing Office. Retrieved March 15, 2024 (https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-279.html).

In-text: (U.S. Census Bureau 2024)

Organizational Report

World Health Organization. 2023. World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. Retrieved January 10, 2024 (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240049338).

In-text: (World Health Organization 2023)

Technical Report with Individual Authors

Chetty, Raj, Nathaniel Hendren, and Lawrence F. Katz. 2016. The Effects of Exposure to Better Neighborhoods on Children (NBER Working Paper No. 21156). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.

In-text: (Chetty, Hendren, and Katz 2016)

White Paper

Pew Research Center. 2024. Social Media Use in 2024. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center. Retrieved February 20, 2024 (https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/social-media-2024/).

In-text: (Pew Research Center 2024)

Examples formatted in ASA style

Handling Special Cases

Underlying Document Type

Do not cite a source simply as "PDF" when the file is actually a government report, working paper, white paper, or article.

U.S. Census Bureau. 2024. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023 (Report No. P60-279).

Retrieved Dates

ASA uses "Retrieved Month Day, Year (URL)" for web-based reports and documents that may change.

Retrieved March 15, 2024 (https://www.bls.gov/report).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a PDF in ASA format?

The format depends on the document type the PDF contains. Cite it as a report, article, or book chapter based on its content. Do not cite it simply as "PDF" — cite the underlying document type. Include the URL or DOI where you accessed it and use "Retrieved" with an access date if the content may change.

How do I cite a government report in ASA?

Use the government agency as the author, followed by year, title in italics, report number if available, publisher location and name, and URL. Example: U.S. Department of Labor. 2024. Employment Situation Summary. Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved March 15, 2024 (https://www.bls.gov/report).

How do I cite an organizational report in ASA?

Use the organization name as the author with full first names for individual authors if listed. If the publisher is the same as the author, you can omit the publisher only when your local ASA guidance allows it.

Should I include the report number in ASA citations?

Yes, include report or publication numbers when available. Place them in parentheses after the title. Example: National Institutes of Health. 2024. Annual Report (NIH Publication No. 24-001). Bethesda, MD: NIH.

How do I handle "Retrieved" dates in ASA report citations?

ASA uses "Retrieved" followed by the date and URL in parentheses for online sources. Format: Retrieved Month Day, Year (URL). This is required for web-based reports and documents that may be updated or removed.

How do I cite a working paper or unpublished report in ASA?

For unpublished or working papers, include the label in the title area. Example: Smith, John. 2024. "Market Analysis for Urban Areas." Unpublished manuscript. Department of Sociology, University Name, City, ST.