Proper documentation and giving credit to the people who offer valuable information is a significant part of academia. MLA and APA are documentation styles that allow you to use valuable information that is not your own in the correct way. There are many other documentation styles that are used by different disciplines. Although there are many similarities between MLA and APA style, the main difference is the disciplines they are used in.
APA style is widely used in disciplines such as:
MLA style is widely used in disciplines such as:
MLA Style (8th and 9th Edition) | APA Style (7th Edition) | |
Spacing | Double | Double |
Font and margins |
12-pt. font 1” margins |
12-pt. font 1” margins (Size 11 and fonts like Calibri can be used) |
Title page/Header |
Header is required on first page, then centered title at beginning of essay:
Sarah S. Smith Professor George Lopez Psychology 101 17 June 2014 Theory of Development |
Title Page required:
Theory of Development Sarah S. Smith The University of Virginia PSY 101 June 17, 2014 |
Running header |
On every page: Last name and page number both flush right. Smith 1 |
No running head. Only page numbers on the top right-hand side of each page. 1 |
Narrative In-text citation | Wayne Clugston says that literary experiences can become “a personal journey, a quest for meaning” (15). | According to Clugston (2014), literary experiences can become “a personal journey, a quest for meaning” (p. 15). |
Parenthetical In-text citation |
(John 17) |
(John, 2018, p.17) |
Long Quotations |
For more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse: Wayne Clugston discusses literature’s connection to humanity: |
For quotations 40 words and longer: Clugston (2014) discusses literature’s connection to humanity: |
Bibliography | Works Cited • Alphabetical order • Hanging indent • Double-spaced |
References • Alphabetical order • Hanging indent • Double-spaced |
Bibliography Citations | Addona, Vittorio and Jeremy Roth. “Quantifying the Effect of Performance-Enhancing Drug Use on Fastball Velocity in Major League Baseball” Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, vol. 6, no. 2, 2010, pp 1-14. doi:10.2202/1559-0410.1240. | Addona, V., & Roth, J. (2010). Quantifying the effect of performance-enhancing drug use on fastball velocity in major league baseball. Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 6(2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.2202/1559-0410.1240 |
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this video is following the most recent editions for both citation styles - MLA 8th Edition and APA 7th Edition.
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this video is following the most recent editions for both citation styles - MLA 8th Edition and APA 7th Edition.