You’ve just finished your essay, and now you face the daunting task of citing all of your sources. Not only that, but the essay guidelines state that you must cite your references in the correct formatting! MLA, APA, what does it all mean!?
Fear not, we’ve written this super simple guide on the differences between MLA vs APA citations. We’ll cover what they are, when to use them, and why to use them. Let’s dive in!
MLA vs APA: The Key Differences
When writing any academic paper, you have to cite your sources. Failure to do so could possibly lead to penalties for plagiarism. The very last thing you want after hours spent behind your laptop!
Two of the most common citation styles are MLA (Modern Language Association) and APA (American Psychological Association). MLA format is mainly used for humanities subjects, such as English, Literature, and Arts. While on the other hand, the APA format is used for social sciences topics, like Psychology, Sociology, and Education.
Both MLA and APA are used in academic writing, but they serve different purposes and have distinct rules. Let’s break those down below.
Title Page
APA format requires a title page that includes the title of the paper, the author’s name, and the institution’s name.
The MLA format does not require a separate title page. Instead, your name, instructor’s name, course, and date are placed at the top of the first page.
In-Text Citations
MLA citations include the author’s last name and page number. APA citations include the author’s last name and year of publication, and the page number if quoting directly.
Works Cited vs References
The MLA format lists sources on a “Works Cited” page, while the APA format lists them on a “References” page.
Now that you have an overview of the differences between MLA and APA, let’s take a deep dive into each style.
MLA Format
MLA format is mostly used to credit sources in humanities papers. It helps in giving proper credit to authors and provides readers with a way to find the original sources. You’re essentially giving credit where it’s due to the author of the information you got your idea, fact, or statistic from.
In-Text Citations
In MLA style, you use parenthetical citations in the text. These include the author’s last name and the page number from which the information was taken.
Example:
(Smith 123)
If you mention the author’s name in the sentence, only the page number is needed in the citation. So the above becomes:
Smith states that… (123).
Works Cited Page
At the end of the paper, the MLA format requires a “Works Cited” page. This page lists all the sources you cited in your paper in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
Example:
Smith, John. The Art of Citation. New York: Citation Press, 2020.
MLA Formatting Guidelines
When using MLA in your essays or papers, consider the following:
- Double-space your entire paper, including the Works Cited page.
- Use a legible font like Times New Roman, size 12.
- Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.
- Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph at one half-inch from the left margin.
APA Format
Unlike MLA, the APA format is largely used for academic writing in Social Sciences. It helps ensure clarity of communication and provides a consistent structure for citing sources. Again, clarifying to the reader that you are not claiming any statistics as your own findings!
In-Text Citations
In APA style, in-text citations include the author’s last name and the year of publication. If directly quoting, include the page number as well.
Example:
(Smith, 2020, p. 123)
If you mention the author’s name in the sentence, include the year in parentheses immediately after the author’s name. So the above becomes:
Smith (2020) states that…
References Page
The APA format requires a “References” page at the end of your paper. This page lists all the sources you cited in your paper in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.
Example:
Smith, J. (2020). The art of citation. New York, NY: Citation Press.
APA Formatting Guidelines
If you are using APA style in your essay, keep in mind the following:
- Double-space your entire paper, including the References page.
- Use a legible font like Times New Roman, size 12.
- Include a page header (also known as the “running head”) at the top of every page.
- Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph at one half-inch from the left margin.
MLA Style and Parenthetical Citations
The MLA style uses parenthetical citations within the text to credit sources. The citations include the author’s last name and the page number from which the information was taken.
Works Cited Entries
Entries in the Works Cited page are formatted with the author’s last name first. This is followed by the first name, the title of the source, and publication information.
Example:
Smith, John. The Art of Citation. Citation Press, 2020.
Title Case
In MLA format, titles of sources are capitalized in title case, meaning the first letter of most words is capitalized.
Quotation Marks
For titles of short works like articles, essays, and short stories, the MLA format uses quotation marks.
Example:
Smith, John. “The Art of Citation.” Citation Journal*, vol. 10, no. 2, 2020, pp. 123-134.*
APA and In-Text Citation Style
The APA style uses author-date citations within the text to credit sources. These citations include the author’s last name and the year of publication.
References Page
Entries within the References page are formatted with the author’s last name first. This is then followed by the first initial, the year of publication, the title of the source, and publication information.
Example:
Smith, J. (2020). The art of citation. Citation Press.
Sentence Case
In APA format, the titles of sources are capitalized in sentence case. This means only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
Title Page
The APA format requires a separate title page that includes the title of the paper, the author’s name, and the institution’s name.
Italics
For titles of books, movies, and journals, the APA format uses italics.
Example:
Smith, J. (2020). The art of citation. Citation Press.
Journal Articles
When citing journal articles in APA format, include the volume and issue number, and the page range.
Example:
Smith, J. (2020). The art of citation. Citation Journal, 10(2), 123-134.
MLA Examples
It’s important to familiarize yourself with the formatting differences between MLA and APA. Take a look at a few examples of MLA citations below. Have a think about what would be different if they were formatted in APA.
- Book: Smith, John. The Art of Citation. Citation Press, 2020.
- Article: Smith, John. “The Art of Citation.” Citation Journal*, vol. 10, no. 2, 2020, pp. 123-134.*
- Webpage or PDF: Smith, John. “The Art of Citation.” Citation Press, 2020, www.citationpress.com/art-of-citation.
APA Examples
Here are a few examples of APA citations. Do the same as before and think about what these APA examples would look like in MLA format.
- Book: Smith, J. (2020). The art of citation. Citation Press.
- Article: Smith, J. (2020). The art of citation. Citation Journal, 10(2), 123-134.
- Webpage or PDF: Smith, J. (2020). The art of citation. Citation Press. Retrieved from www.citationpress.com/art-of-citation
Frequently Asked Questions
What are in-text citations?
In-text citations are brief references within the text that give credit to the original sources of information.
How do you format the title page in MLA?
In MLA format, you do not need a separate title page. Instead, place your name, instructor’s name, course, and date at the top of the first page.
How do you format the title page in APA?
In APA format, you need a separate title page that includes the title of the paper. Follow with the author’s name and the institution’s name.
How do you cite a book in MLA format?
Cite a book in the MLA format by listing the author’s last name, first name, and the title of the book in italics. Always include the publication information.
How do you cite a book in APA format?
Cite a book in APA format by listing the author’s last name, first initial, the year of publication in parentheses. Follow this with the title of the book in italics, and the publication information.
MLA vs APA Citation Style: Use Smodin and Excel in Both
There you have it— a thorough but simple breakdown of MLA vs APA citation. Understanding the differences between MLA and APA citation styles is crucial for academic writing. The last thing you want is to be pulled up for self-plagiarism, all because you didn’t use the correct citation formatting!
Just to remind you, MLA is commonly used in Humanities topics while APA is used in Social Sciences. Both APA and MLA ensure that sources are credited properly and that readers can find the original sources.
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