Nobody can deny the fact that referencing is quite a complicated matter. It is mainly due to a lack of a clear concept. For example, many students are still confused about the difference between MLA and APA style. Both of these referencing styles are the most used ones in academic writing. If you are confused between these two or fail to identify these two separately, this blog will explain how these two referencing styles differ from each other.
MLA Referencing style
The first thing to know is what does MLA stand for. MLA stands for Modern Language Association. This referencing style is mainly used in Humanities. You should know when to use the MLA format. The MLA Referencing style is used, especially for literature, theatre, and art. Both in-text citations and references are used in this style. The reference page that comes at the bottom of the paper is called ‘Works Cited’ in MLA style.
![Difference Between MLA and APA]( "Difference Between MLA and APA")
MLA Format Examples
Here are some examples of the MLA style references:
In-text: (Harvey 23) (Last Name of the Author page number)
Works-Cited reference: Harvey, L.D. Danny. Global warming. Routledge, 2018. (Last name, first name. Name of the document. Publisher, date of publication)
In-text: (Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 345)
Works-Cited reference: Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, et al. "Impacts of 1.5 ºC global warming on natural and human systems." (2018). |
APA Referencing Style
You should also know what does APA stand for. APA refers to the American Psychological Association. In an article published in Psychological Bulletin in 1929, the APA style originated. This referencing style is mainly used in social science papers. The reference page in the APA referencing style is titled ‘Reference List’ or ‘References’. If you are wondering when to use APA format, remember to use this referencing style while citing sources in the papers of social sciences, psychology and education.
APA Format Examples
Some examples of the APA format are provided below:
In-text: (Bongaarts & O’Neill, 2018) (Last Name of the Author, year of publishing)
Citation for the reference list: Bongaarts, J., & O'Neill, B. C. (2018). Global warming policy: Is population left out in the cold?. Science, 361(6403), 650-652. (Last name of the author, Initial of the first name., & Last name of the second author, Initials of the first and middle name of the second author. (year of publication). Name of the document. Publisher, Volume (Issue no.), Page numbers.)
In-text: (Philander, 2018)
Citation for the reference list: Philander, S. G. (2018). Is the temperature rising?: the uncertain science of global warming. Princeton University Press. |
What is the difference between APA and MLA?
These two referencing styles have many significant differences. Let’s see what are these:
Paper Format
A paper needs to be formatted using double-spaced pages, one-inch margins on all sides, and a 12-point font which is easily readable in both MLA and APA styles. A paper which is formatted using the APA style contains the following parts:
- A title page
- An abstract
- Main body
- References
On the other hand, a paper which is formatted using the MLA style only has two main parts:
- Body of the paper
- Works Cited page
There is no separate title page or an abstract in an MLA-formatted paper.
How to Begin a Paper (APA format vs MLA format)?
| APA Format | MLA Format |
The paper formatted using this style starts with a title page. It also contains a page header at the top section of the title page.
The page numbers are kept at the extreme right side of the header. The title of the paper remains on the extreme left section of the paper’s header section.
The title of the paper, the name of the author, institutional affiliation, etc. are included in the title page. | The MLA-formatted paper has the title on top of the main text of the first page. The last name of the author as well as the page number is included in the extreme right side of the header section of the page.
In the MLA style, on the first page’s left side, the author name, the name of the instructor, course and date are written. |
APA vs MLA In-Text Citation
In the case of creating the in-text citation, two different methods are used in the APA and MLA styles. While in the APA citation style, the author-date format is used, the MLA style uses the author-page style. To create the in-text citation in the APA style, we include the last name of the author and the year of publication within a parenthesis. For example, if you ask how to cite an annual report in APA, it will go as follows:
In-text citation:
(Harley Davidson Motor Company, 2013)
Works Cited:
Harley-Davidson Motor Company. (2013). 2012 annual report. Retrieved from
http://ar.harley-davidson.com/home.php
And if you ask how to cite an annual report in MLA, it will be as follows:
In-text citation:
(Spirit Corp 5)
Reference List:
Spirit Corp. 2012 Annual Report [italicized], 2013. Web. 15 April 2013.
Reference Page Difference between APA and MLA
In the APA style, the separate reference page is titled ‘References’, while in the MLA style, the same page is titled ‘Works Cited’.
In APA, the author’s last name is followed by the initial of his/her first name in the references. But, in MLA, the author’s last name is followed by the complete first name in the references.
In a paper formatted following the APA style, the entries in the reference page are listed according to the order they appear in the paper. However, in a paper formatted using the MLA style, the references in the Works Cited page are entered alphabetically by the last name of the author.
Here are examples of APA and MLA references:
APA: Myers, M. D. (2019). Qualitative research in business and management. Sage Publications Limited.
MLA: Myers, Michael D. Qualitative research in business and management. Sage Publications Limited, 2019.
Conclusion
If you ever wonder “Should I use MLA or APA” for a specific paper, you need to see from which discipline or field the paper belongs to. You can also use the information provided above as a guide for creating citations of the sources you use in your next academic paper.
APA Vs MLA -The Key Differences between 9th edition MLA and 7th Edition APA Referencing Styles
The American Psychological Citation and the Modern Language Association citation styles are equally popular. The MLA style is currently in its 9th edition, while the APA referencing style is in its seventh. The APA style finds widespread usage in different kinds of academic & research writing in education, psychology, and sciences. On the other hand, writers and researchers in arts & humanities disciplines use the MLA style much more often than any other.
There are notable differences between MLA and APA citation styles. Furthermore, the rules and nuances are significant reasons behind MLA and APA having notably diverse fields of applications.
Let us mull over the chief differences between APA vs MLA.
- One of the most apparent differences between the MLA and APA styles is in the title of the reference list page.
Following the MLA format, you must label the reference list page as Works Cited. In the case of the APA format, the page needs to be titled References.
In both cases, the page's title must be in the center at the top. In addition, the list of references must be double-spaced.
- Both MLA and APA styles use the author's name in in-text citations. The main difference between MLA vs APA, in this case, are as follows.
- The APA style follows the author-date format, while the MLA style follows the author-page number format.
- In the case of block quotes, APA in-text citations need to have page numbers added to them. Block quotes, in the case of APA style, are 40 words or longer; for the MLA style, they involve more than three to four lines.
In both cases, the quoted text need not be enclosed within quotes, and the citations come after the period at the end of the block quote.
- Author names in the MLA style are mentioned with the surname coming ahead of the first name. If there are two authors, both names are separated with an and. In such cases, the second author’s name must be written in the first name – last name format. For three or more authors, mention the first author's name followed by an et al.
So, what is the difference between APA and MLA when mentioning the author’s name?
Well, author names in the APA format are written with the surname up front followed by the first & middle initials. When it comes to multiple authors, there can be three key variations – if there are two authors, both must be listed in the surname-initial format separated by an ampersand.
If there are less than twenty authors, all the names need to be listed in the surname-initial format, each separated by a comma and an ampersand before the last author's name.
Moreover, if there are more than twenty authors, the names of the first nineteen authors are to be mentioned, each separated by commas and an ellipsis (…) before the last author’s name.
What is the difference between MLA and APA when it comes to capitalization?
The MLA style used header capitalization, where every significant word in the source's title is capitalized. On the other hand, APA follows the sentence case rule and capitalizes only the first word of the title.
- Besides the title, there are other differences between APA & MLA reference list pages.
- For APA, writers need to arrange entries alphabetically by author surnames and then provide only the initial of the author’s first name.
- The case is the same with APA. Again, you arrange entries alphabetically by surname. The critical difference is that you need to mention the author's full name, unlike only the initials in the MLA format.
- MLA puts the title of a source in quotations. However, that is not required in the APA style.
- MLA uses vol. and no. to mention volume & issue numbers, respectively. In APA, both these numbers are just put inside parentheses.
- Finally, all reference list entries end with a period in MLA. The same goes for APA, except for those reference list entries that end in URL or DOI.
- The final difference arises regarding the applications of the citation styles, that is when to use APA or MLA. Though your college or university will dictate which format to use, know that APA styles are preferred for psychology and scientific writeups. MLA is the citation style for works in literature, law, and other subjects in humanities.
And those were the most significant differences between the Modern Language Association and American Psychological Association citation styles. Now, let's understand those differences better using some examples.
What Is The Difference Between MLA And APA For Website Citation?
APA =>
Add just the author's surname followed by the publication year separated by a comma in case of intext citation. Here is an example:
(Slat, 2019) or Slat (2019)...
For reference list entry:
Slat, B. (2019, April 10). Whales are likely impacted by the Great Pacific garbage patch. The Ocean Cleanup. https://www.theoceancleanup.com/updates/whales-likely-impacted-by-great-pacific-garbage-patch/
MLA=>
As there are no page numbers, mention the author's name in parentheses while mentioning in-text citations.
(Slat) or Slat...
For works cited entries:
Slat, B. (2019, April 10). Whales likely impacted by Great Pacific garbage patch. The Ocean Cleanup. https://www.theoceancleanup.com/updates/whales-likely-impacted-by-great-pacific-garbage-patch/
What Is The Difference Between MLA And APA For Book Citation? [H3]
APA =>
Same as before for in-text citations. Mention just the author's surname and the publication year.
(Smith, 2020) or Smith (2020)…
For reference list entries:
Smith, T. (2020). The citation manual for students: A quick guide (2nd ed.). Wiley.
MLA=>
Only the author's surname and page number appear in the in-text citation.
(Smith 13) or Smith (13)...
For works cited entries:
Smith, Thomas. The Citation Manual for Students: A Quick Guide. 2nd ed., Wiley, 2020.
APA Vs MLA: What is The Difference In Article Citation?
MLA =>
Add the author's surname and page number for online journal articles. If the article is from a database, add the DOI or URL of the database.
(Andreff 260) or Andreff (260)..
For works cited entries:
Andreff, Wladimir. “The Evolving European Model of Professional Sports Finance.” Journal of Sports Economics, vol. 1, no. 3, Sept. 2000, pp. 257–76, https://doi.org/10.1177/152700250000100304.
APA=>
Same as in all other cases.
(Andreff, 2000) or Andreff (2000)…
For reference list entries:
Andreff, W. (2000). The evolving European model of professional sports finance. Journal of Sports Economics, 1(3), 257–276. https://doi.org/10.1177/152700250000100304
APA Vs MLA: What is the difference in Journal citation?
Entire journals are never cited, but specific articles from it. The heading above shows you how to cite journal articles.
MLA Vs APA: What is The Difference In For Dissertation Citation?
APA=>
Intext citations again have the author’s surname and publication year.
(Gavinea, 2010) or Gavinea (2010)…
For reference list entries:
Gavin, D. S. (2010). Exploration of DNA sequencing: Disassembling the Sequencing chain (Publication No. 1434728) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
There will not be a publication number if the dissertation has not been published.
MLA=>
Add the author's surname and page number in parentheses for in-text citations. Follow the multiple-author format if there is more than one author.
(Wilson 14) or Wilson (14)…
For works cited entries:
Wilson, Peggy Lynn. Pedagogical Practices in the Teaching of English Language in Secondary Public Schools in Parker County. 2011. University of Maryland, PhD dissertation.
What Is The Difference Between MLA And APA Printed Newspaper Citation?
APA=>
Autor name, publication year and page number of the newspaper are in parentheses as in-text citations.
(Tillett, 2018, p.5) or Tillet (2018)…(p.5)
For reference list entries:
Tillett, A. (2018, May 9). Australians are encouraged to age at home. The Australian Financial Review, 5.
MLA=>
Add the author's surname and page number in in-text citations.
(Smith B6)
For works cited entries:
Smith, Bill. "Talks on Bosnia Bog Down Over Borders." Toronto Star, 18 Aug. 2012, p. B6.
Forget your Referencing Issues with MyAssignmenthelp.com
Are you confused about how to create the references for your sources? Then, you must take assistance from the experts of MyAssignmenthelp.com. We will give you the right guidance for writing accurate references.
Our experts are adept at creating correct citations, no matter which referencing style you have to use. You can rely on us for preparing references using all styles, including:
Also, with us, you will be preparing sources for all types of documents, whether it is a book, journal, or an online resource. We are aware of the correct use of different referencing styles. So, you will always receive accurate citations from us.
With the help of our accurately created references, you can avoid having plagiarism in your paper by giving proper credit to the author.
Place an order today to get well-cited paper right in your mailbox. Hurry now.
