ASCE citation style guide
ASCE citation style (ASCE 2010) uses a variation of the Author-date style. To cite sources in the text, use the author-date method; list the last names of the authors, then the year. The formats are as follows: one author—(Smith 2004); two authors—(Smith and Jones 2004); three or more authors—(Smith et al. 2004).
Prepare a reference section listing all references alphabetically by last name of the first author. In this section you should list all the authors. For anonymous reports and standards, alphabetize by the issuing institution. Double-space the reference section.
Below are samples of properly formatted and complete references. The official ASCE referencing guide can be found.
Journals
Format
Author Surname, Initial. (Year of Publication). “Title of Article.”Title of Journal, Volume(issue number), pages.
Example
King, S., and Delatte, N. J. (2004). "Collapse of 2000 Commonwealth Avenue: Punching shear case study."J. Perf. Constr. Facil.,18(1), 54-61.
Double-check the year, journal title, volume and issue numbers, and page numbers. ASCE reference information can be verified using the ASCE Database.
Books and print government reports
Format
Author Surname, Initial. (Year of publication).Title of Text,Publisher, City/State Published.
Example
Feld, J., and Carper, K. (1997).Construction failure, 2nd Ed., Wiley, New York.
Government reports
Christchurch City Council. (2014).Draft Annual Plan 2014/15, Christchurch City Council, Christchurch.
Web Pages and online material (including government reports)
Format
Author Surname, Initial. (Year of publication). Name of webpage, <URL> (accessed date).
Example
Townsend, M. and Lohrer, D. (2015). ANZECC Guidance for Estuary Sedimentation, <> (accessed 20 August 2019).
If you cannot find a person author, use a corporate author (e.g., Ministry for the Environment). You will also need a publishing date, a title, the Web address, and the date the material was accessed or downloaded (in parentheses at the end). <> around the web address is optional, but be consistent.
Conference proceedings
Format
Author Surname, Initial. (Year of Publication). “Name of paper.”Name of Conference,Name of publisher, Publisher location, page range of paper.
Example
Eshenaur, S. R., Kulicki, J. M., and Mertz, D. R. (1991). “Retrofitting distortion-induced fatigue cracking of noncomposite steel girder-floorbeam-stringer bridges.”Proc., 8th Annual Int. Bridge Conf., Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, 380–388.
The location of a conference or symposium is required only if it is part of the title or proceedings. The name and location of the publisher is required. If there is no “publisher,” the name of the location of the sponsor are required. The name of the sponsor is sometimes part of the title of a conference proceeding. Editor name(s) and volume number should be included if available.
Photographs, maps and illustrations
Map citation example
Pirajno, F and Occhipinti, S. (1996).Btyah, WA – 1:2500 000 Geological Series,Western Australia Geological Society.
Online illustration example
Firth, J. (1968).From the rich man’s table,Political cartoon by John Firth, Old Parliament House, Canberra. <www.oph.gov.au/frith/theherald-01.html> (Accessed 11 August 2013).
When using illustrations or photographs from someone else’s work, or publication within your report these must also be cited at the end of the caption below the illustration. For example:
Figure 1. A typical beam joint viewed in cross section (Reproduced from Hewitt, 1990).
