Here is how to cite the NASW Code of Ethics: list the National Association of Social Workers as the author, use 2021 as the publication year, and link directly to the official Code on socialworkers.org. The exact format changes depending on whether you are writing in APA, MLA, or Chicago style, and each style has its own rule for handling an organization that is both the author and the publisher. This guide walks through the reference entry and in-text citation for all three styles, plus how to cite one specific standard rather than the whole Code.
What Is the NASW Code of Ethics
The NASW Code of Ethics is the official set of professional standards published by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the United States. First adopted in 1996, the Code has been revised several times, with the current version reflecting amendments effective January 1, 2021. It sets out the core values, ethical principles, and ethical standards that guide the professional conduct of social workers, and it is one of the most frequently cited sources in social work coursework, field practice write-ups, and research papers. You can view the full text on the NASW site at any time to confirm you are quoting the current standards.
Because the Code is published online rather than as a printed book, citing it correctly follows the same general rules your instructor expects for citing a website in an essay, with one twist: NASW is both the author and the publisher, which changes how the reference entry is built in APA. The same author-as-organization logic applies any time you cite another professional or public body, such as when you cite a government website.
The Six Core Values Behind the Code
The NASW Code of Ethics organizes its guidance around six core values, service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence, then translates each value into specific ethical standards. Those standards are grouped into six areas covering responsibilities to clients, to colleagues, in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work profession, and to the broader society.
Why Citing the Code Correctly Matters
A misformatted reference to the NASW Code of Ethics is a common way to lose easy points on an otherwise strong social work paper. Citing it correctly credits NASW as the source of a professional standard, lets your instructor verify the exact APA, MLA, or Chicago entry, and shows familiarity with a document practicing social workers use daily.
Most rubrics grade citation formatting as part of your overall paper structure, so it is worth checking your reference list against your paper’s formatting requirements before you submit, in addition to browsing our full library of citation guides for other source types you might need.
How to Cite the NASW Code of Ethics in APA (7th Edition)
APA Style treats the NASW Code of Ethics as an ethics code reference, a category with its own rule in the Publication Manual (7th ed., Section 10.4): when the author and the publisher are the same organization, the publisher name is dropped from the reference entry to avoid repeating it.
APA Reference List Entry
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
APA In-Text Citation
Introduce the abbreviation the first time you mention NASW, then use the short form afterward.
- First mention (parenthetical): (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021)
- First mention (narrative): National Association of Social Workers (NASW, 2021)
- Later mentions: (NASW, 2021)
Need this formatted automatically? Our free APA citation generator builds the reference entry for you from the source details.
How to Cite the NASW Code of Ethics in MLA (9th Edition)
MLA Works Cited Entry
National Association of Social Workers. Code of Ethics. National Association of Social Workers, 2021, www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.
Unlike APA, MLA does not drop a repeated organization name. Per the MLA Style Center’s guidance on citing a company or organizational report, the author is listed first, and the same organization appears again as the publisher, because MLA’s works-cited format keeps those two roles separate regardless of overlap.
MLA In-Text Citation
MLA in-text citations point to the author, not the year.
- Parenthetical: (National Association of Social Workers)
- Narrative: The National Association of Social Workers states that social workers must…
You can also generate this entry with our MLA citation generator.
How to Cite the NASW Code of Ethics in Chicago Style
Chicago offers two citation systems, and which one you use depends on your instructor’s requirements or your discipline.
Chicago Notes-Bibliography
Bibliography: National Association of Social Workers. Code of Ethics. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers, 2021. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.
Footnote or endnote: National Association of Social Workers, Code of Ethics (Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers, 2021), https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.
Chicago Author-Date
Reference list: National Association of Social Workers. 2021. Code of Ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.
In-text: (National Association of Social Workers 2021)
Build either version quickly with our Chicago citation generator.
Citing a Specific Standard or Section
Most papers do not quote the entire Code of Ethics. They reference one standard, such as a rule about confidentiality or informed consent. In that case, cite the full Code as your source and add the standard number inside the in-text citation, rather than creating a separate reference entry.
- APA: (National Association of Social Workers, 2021, Standard 1.07)
- Chicago author-date: (National Association of Social Workers 2021, standard 1.07)
- MLA: name the standard in your own sentence, then close with the standard parenthetical: (National Association of Social Workers), since MLA has no separate locator system for numbered standards.
When you quote the standard’s exact wording in the main text of your paper, follow the same rules you would use for introducing a quotation in the surrounding sentence, then close with the citation above. To learn the standard numbers themselves, read the relevant section of the Code directly rather than relying on a secondary summary.
APA vs. MLA vs. Chicago at a Glance
| Style | Author appears | In-text format |
|---|---|---|
| APA (7th ed.) | Once (publisher omitted) | (NASW, 2021) |
| MLA (9th ed.) | Twice (author and publisher) | (National Association of Social Workers) |
| Chicago (author-date) | Twice (author and publisher) | (National Association of Social Workers 2021) |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These mistakes are not unique to the NASW Code. The same author-as-organization traps show up whenever you cite the CDC website or any other agency page, and the same in-text discipline applies when you cite an article in an essay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What year should I use to cite the NASW Code of Ethics?
Use 2021, the year of the Code’s most recent amendments, unless your instructor asks you to cite an earlier version you specifically read.
Is the NASW Code of Ethics a book or a website?
It is published online by NASW, so it is cited as an organizational webpage or report, not a printed book.
Do I need a page number when citing the NASW Code of Ethics?
Online sources without page numbers do not require one. If you are citing a specific standard, use the standard number instead, as shown in the section above.
Can I use the same citation for every social work class?
Yes, as long as you are citing the same 2021 version of the Code and following the citation style your instructor requires for that class.
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Terry is a Chicago-based writer and editor who creates practical, student-friendly guides on essay writing, research, and citation styles (APA, MLA, and Chicago). He’s spent 15+ years editing educational content and building clear examples that help readers apply rules without guessing. When he’s not revising drafts, he’s usually turning messy notes into clean outlines and hunting down the one detail everyone skips.