The Difference Between APA & MLA Writing Styles
High school and college students are often asked to write papers following either American Psychological Association (APA) or Modern Language Association (MLA) style. These styles have many differences but have the same basic intentions. APA and MLA styles were developed to help students shape their research and produce clear, consistent work.
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Purpose and Audience
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APA style is most often used by students working in the social sciences while MLA style is typically used by students working in the humanities. APA style was first introduced in 1929 by a group of psychologists, anthropologists and business leaders to make scientific writing easier to understand. The MLA published its first style manual in 1985 for those studying and teaching literature, language and other humanities-related disciplines to help them accurately document resources. MLA considers its style to be simpler and more concise than APA style.
Citations
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APA and MLA styles include guidelines for referencing works by other authors such as books, articles, online journals and blogs. Although both styles have these guidelines, they are treated differently. In APA style, references are cited using the author's name, year of publication and page or paragraph number with each element separated by a comma. For example, an APA citation would appear as (Smith, 2008, p. 5). In MLA style, references are cited using only the author's name and page or paragraph number, with no comma between the two. For example, a MLA citation would appear as (Smith 5).
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References
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When a reference is cited in an APA or MLA style paper, it is also included at the end of the final paper. In APA style, this section is referred to as the "Works Cited." In MLA style it is titled "References." There are differences in how references are handled in each style. When working in APA style, the student must include the author's last name, followed by his first initial such as "Smith, T." Only the first word of the work cited is capitalized as well as the first word following a colon (if applicable) and any proper nouns. For example, "A call to arms: Examining the spread of violence in Florida schools."
In MLA style, the author's last name is followed by his complete first name such as "Smith, Thomas." Every major word of the reference is capitalized. For example, "A Call to Arms: Examining the Spread of Violence in Florida Schools."
Format and Style
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The first page in an APA style paper is the title page, followed by a one-page abstract and then the body of the paper. MLA style includes no title page or abstract. The student adds her name, professor's name, course name and date on the first page and follows it with the body of her paper. Students use past tense when writing in APA style and present tense when writing in MLA style. For example, when introducing an author and reference in an APA style paper, the student would type, "Smith recognized problems with his research sample." In a MLA style paper, the student would instead type, "Smith recognizes problems with his research sample."
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References
- The College of New Jersey: Writing Program: Differences between MLA and APA
- Westchester Community College: Library: Research: MLA vs. APA Citation, and some Style, differences for quick reference
- Purdue University: Online Writing Lab: APA Formatting and Style Guide
- Purdue University: Online Writing Lab: MLA Formatting and Style Guide
- Westfield State College: Library: Citation Guides
- American Psychological Association: Frequently Asked Questions: What is APA Style:
Resources
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