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Differences between MLA and APA Format

Are you wondering what is the difference between MLA format and APA format for citations? This guide will break down some of the major differences between MLA and APA format.

Differences between MLA and APA Format

Which subjects use which style?

MLA APA
  • MLA format is the citation style published by the Modern Language Association.
  • MLA is most commonly used in humanities (English, history, philosophy), art, and language courses. 
  • APA format is the citation style published by the American Psychological Association.
  • APA is most commonly used in social sciences (psychology, sociology), health sciences, and education courses.

Always confirm with your instructor which citation style they prefer for their class. Not every course at SCC uses the same citation style.

In-Text Citations

While both MLA and APA requires in-text citations, the format for those citations will look very different.

MLA APA
  • In-text citations in MLA format include the author's name and page number (if there is one).
  • Because MLA is typically used in humanities courses, the date of the information is not necessarily as important.
  • Example: (Ghilani 83).
  • If there is no author listed (which is common for a website source), use a shortened version of the website article title in quotation marks.
  • Example: ("Differences").
  • See the MLA Guide on In-Text Citations for more information.
  • In-text citations in APA format include the authors name, the publication year, and the page number (if there is one).
  • Because APA is typically used in science courses, the date of the information is extremely important.
  • Example: (Ghilani, 2017, p. 83).
  • If there is no author listed (which is common for a website source), use a shortened version of the website article title, in quotation marks, and the year. 
  • Example: ("Differences," 2021).
  • See the APA Guide on In-Text Citations for more information.

Source Pages (Works Cited and References)

One major difference between MLA and APA format is how they label and format their source pages. While there are many small differences in MLA and APA formatting (such as the way page numbers are formatted), the below chart will show some of the major, recognizable differences.

MLA APA
  • MLA calls their source page a Works Cited.
  • MLA format has you spell out the author's first name in your Works Cited page.
  • MLA format uses title casing for titles. This means that every word in the title is capitalized with the exception of minor words (a, or, an, the).
  • If a source came from one of the library databases, MLA always wants to know which database you found the source in.
  • Example: Clinton-Lisell, Virginia, Alison E. Kelly, and Travis D. Clark. "Modeling E-Textbook Tools or Encouraging Reading from Paper: What are the Effects on Medium Choice and Textbook Use?" College Teaching, vol. 68, no. 4, Oct.-Dec. 2020, pp. 221-227. MasterFILE Premier.
  • See the MLA Sample Paper for a sample Works Cited page in MLA format.
  • APA calls their source page a References page.
  • APA format has you only use the author's first initial instead of their full first name.
  • APA uses sentence casing for all titles except journal, magazine, and newspaper titles (which are in title case like MLA). After capitalizing the first letter of the title, every other letter is lowercase.
    • The exception here would be if there is a subtitle. Then the first letter of the first word would be capitalized.
    • Proper nouns (like a name or a place) should still be capitalized.
  • If a source came from one of the library databases, APA does not ask for the name of the database in the citation. Instead, APA format wants the DOI (digital object identifier) included, if available.
  • Example: Clinton-Lisell, V., Kelly, A.E., & Clark, T.D. (2020). Modeling e-textbook tools or encouraging reading from paper: What are the effects on medium choice and textbook use? College Teaching, 68(4), 221-227. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2020.1786665
  • See the APA Sample Paper for a sample References page in APA format.

Title Pages

MLA APA
  • MLA format does not require a title page.
  • APA format usually requires a title page.
  • A typical title page in APA format will include:
    • Title of the paper
    • Student Name
    • Name of Program, Name of College
    • Course Abbreviation and Course Title
    • Instructor's Name with Credentials (Dr., PhD., RN, etc.)
    • Assignment Due Date
  • See the APA Sample Paper for a sample title page in APA format.

If you are writing a paper in APA format, please confirm with your instructor as to whether they require a title page or not for your essay.

Headers

MLA APA