Citing your sources

Every time you use someone else's ideas (even if you explain the idea in your own words) give credit in your bibliography *and* in the text of your paper.

The American Anthropological Association has its own citation style and paper format, described in the AAA Style Guide.

AAA Style Guide is based primarily on the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition. When the AAA Style Guide above doesn't specify a rule, you can follow Chicago Style. See Chicago Manual of Style Online.

To format citations in the text of your anthropology paper:

Both direct and indirect quotes should include page numbers.

• As Brown (2001:14) shows blah blah blah.
• Blah blah blah (Brown 2001:14-15).
• According to Smith (1998:14), "direct quote."
• "Direct quote" (Smith 1998:14).
• For two authors, use both names: (Brown and Smith 2007:53).
• For three or more authors, you can use "et al." when citing in-text: Brown et al. (2009:18) investigate blah blah. List all authors in your bibliography.

To cite an interview:

• Interviewee's last name, First name. Interview by interviewer's first and last name. Location, date month year.
• Velez, Emma. Interview by Melanie Chu. San Marcos, CA, January 11, 2010.
• For in-text citations, when paraphrasing or directly quoting the interview, use the same format as above without page numbers: Velez (2010) explains... or Blah blah (Velez 2010).

To format your bibliography:

• The AAA Style Guide includes sample entries for an AAA References Cited list (scroll to the bottom of the page, then click on the type of reference).
• Look at an article in AAA format. Scroll down to see the references cited list.

Here is a citation of a journal article in an AAA References Cited list, with all parts of the citation labeled:

Chicago/Turabian citation examples are also available.

Thank you to the California State University at San Marcos for allowing us to use their content on this tab.