MLA is used in the humanities and cites author and page, while APA is used in social sciences and cites author and year.
MLA
- Used in humanities (literature, language).
- In-text citation: author and page number.
- Works Cited page.
APA
- Used in social sciences, psychology and education.
- In-text: author and year.
- References page.
Edition
MLA 9th edition (2021). APA 7th edition (2019).
Other
Chicago is used in history.
Choose
Follow your instructor’s guide.
Format features
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is common in literature, languages and humanities. Its in-text citation uses author and page number, such as (Smith 45), and the reference list is called Works Cited. The current edition is the 9th edition, published in 2021.
- APA (American Psychological Association) style is widely used in psychology, education and social sciences. In-text citations use author and year, such as (Smith, 2020), and the list is called References. The current edition is the 7th edition (2019).
- APA uses sentence-case titles in references, while MLA uses title case.
- APA papers typically include a title page, and MLA papers use a header with name, instructor, course and date on the first page.
Choosing
Follow the instructor or journal requirement. Chicago style is used in history and publishing, and IEEE in engineering. Citation software such as Zotero, Mendeley and the built-in tools in Word and Google Docs generate formats, but check results for errors. Double-space the text in both styles and use 12 pt fonts like Times New Roman, or other readable fonts.
Format features
MLA, from the Modern Language Association, is used in humanities and uses author page in text citations and a Works Cited list. APA, from the American Psychological Association, is used in social sciences, uses author date citations and a References list. The APA manual is in its 7th edition (2019), MLA in its 9th (2021).
Choosing
Follow the instructor’s requirement. Citation tools can format entries, but check them.
Citation examples
MLA in text: (Smith 45). APA in text: (Smith, 2020, p. 45). MLA uses the title Works Cited with hanging indents and APA uses References. APA emphasizes the date of publication, while MLA focuses on authors and page numbers. Chicago style is used in history and publishing.
Choosing a style
Disciplines such as English, languages and cultural studies use MLA. Psychology, education and nursing use APA. Software like Zotero and Mendeley can create citations. MLA 9 uses containers to cite sources inside larger works. APA 7 allows up to 20 authors listed in the reference.
Based on data from the Modern Language Association and the American Psychological Association
