ASA

ASA is an acronym that can refer to a range of organizations, standards, and technical terms across different fields. Because its meaning depends on context, ASA is encountered in sociology, advertising regulation, standards development, sports governance, chemistry, and photography.

The American Sociological Association, established in 1905 as the American Sociological Society, is the largest professional association of sociologists in the United States. It publishes scholarly journals including American Sociological Review and maintains sections on research methods, education, and policy.

The Advertising Standards Authority is a self-regulatory body for advertising in the United Kingdom. It enforces the Advertising Codes and handles complaints about ads across media. It operates independently of government, though it is funded by the industry.

The American Standards Association was a precursor to the American National Standards Institute. It coordinated the development of voluntary standards in the United States, and in 1969 the ASA was renamed ANSI.

The Amateur Softball Association of America, founded in 1933, is the governing body for softball in the United States and is now known as USA Softball, the national member of the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

In chemistry and pharmacology, ASA commonly refers to acetylsalicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin.

In photography, ASA denotes the film speed rating used in the United States and other countries prior to standardization by ISO, with higher numbers indicating greater sensitivity to light.