How to Differentiate MLA from APA Citation Style
Note how the styles look when compared., Consider the main requirements of MLA citation style., Consider the main requirements of APA citation style., Compare the date and publication preference., Compare the title style., Compare the source page...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Note how the styles look when compared.
Both the styles can be differentiated by physical appearance.
Formatting in APA essentially requires author’s last name and initials of first and middle name while MLA style identifies authors unambiguously. -
Step 2: Consider the main requirements of MLA citation style.
For sources with the same author surnames include a first name initial.
For example:
J.
Johnson 12-13 For sources having authors with the same initials include their full names.
For example:
John Johnson 12-13 For two or three authors of the source include their last names in the order they appear on the source.
For example:
Smith, Wollensky, and Johnson 45 , For sources with two authors:
Example
- Smith, J.
K., & Sampson, T. (Date).
Title For more than two authors:
Example
- Smith, J.
K., Sampson, T., Hubbard, A.
J., Anderson, J., Thompson, T., Silva, P.Bhatia, N. (Date).
Title , In APA style, author’s name is followed by date of publication and is in parenthesis.
On the contrary, in MLA style, date follows the publisher and is not in parenthesis. , Only the first word of the title, the first word of a subtitle, and any proper nouns (like names) are capitalized in APA style.
Everything else is lowercase.
Also, the title is written in italics.
All major words in the title are capitalized and the title is underlined in MLA style. , The source page is called a “Works Cited” in MLA style, whereas APA uses the word “References” for the source page. , MLA does not allow commas to separate the material or p. pp. before the page numbers.
But APA does use commas and, if a page is mentioned, uses p. and pp. , MLA exhibits little concern for the age of a source unlike in APA, which exhibits a preference for current publications by providing a means of referencing in sources in progress or not yet accepted for publication. , MLA style prescribes reference formats for a variety of unpublished sources.
But APA does not approve any unpublished interviews, and non-archived electronic communications for inclusion in the reference list and thus are cited only in the text. -
Step 3: Consider the main requirements of APA citation style.
-
Step 4: Compare the date and publication preference.
-
Step 5: Compare the title style.
-
Step 6: Compare the source page approach.
-
Step 7: Compare page number application.
-
Step 8: Compare source dating.
-
Step 9: Compare reference formatting.
Detailed Guide
Both the styles can be differentiated by physical appearance.
Formatting in APA essentially requires author’s last name and initials of first and middle name while MLA style identifies authors unambiguously.
For sources with the same author surnames include a first name initial.
For example:
J.
Johnson 12-13 For sources having authors with the same initials include their full names.
For example:
John Johnson 12-13 For two or three authors of the source include their last names in the order they appear on the source.
For example:
Smith, Wollensky, and Johnson 45 , For sources with two authors:
Example
- Smith, J.
K., & Sampson, T. (Date).
Title For more than two authors:
Example
- Smith, J.
K., Sampson, T., Hubbard, A.
J., Anderson, J., Thompson, T., Silva, P.Bhatia, N. (Date).
Title , In APA style, author’s name is followed by date of publication and is in parenthesis.
On the contrary, in MLA style, date follows the publisher and is not in parenthesis. , Only the first word of the title, the first word of a subtitle, and any proper nouns (like names) are capitalized in APA style.
Everything else is lowercase.
Also, the title is written in italics.
All major words in the title are capitalized and the title is underlined in MLA style. , The source page is called a “Works Cited” in MLA style, whereas APA uses the word “References” for the source page. , MLA does not allow commas to separate the material or p. pp. before the page numbers.
But APA does use commas and, if a page is mentioned, uses p. and pp. , MLA exhibits little concern for the age of a source unlike in APA, which exhibits a preference for current publications by providing a means of referencing in sources in progress or not yet accepted for publication. , MLA style prescribes reference formats for a variety of unpublished sources.
But APA does not approve any unpublished interviews, and non-archived electronic communications for inclusion in the reference list and thus are cited only in the text.
About the Author
Nathan Gonzales
Committed to making pet care accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: