Citing and formatting are essential parts of writing academic papers. It helps readers explore the source of information and encourages other researchers to study the information for further research on the subject. But most importantly, the writer gets to prove the originality of the writing and save the document from being tagged as plagiarized. Among all the citation styles, MLA and APA are the most widely used. However, most students fail to recognize the basic differences between the two at first glance. If you are one of them, then this blog is for you. Here, we have detailed the fundamental differences between MLA vs. APA and also shared the concepts and similarities between the two. Read along for more details.
What is MLA?
The MLA style is a formatting style created by the Modern Language Association. Scholars, researchers, and publishers in the field of literature and language get an identical and consistent method to record the sources, create an outline, and showcase their research work through it.
MLA style provides recommendations on the collection of guidelines that students and scholars can implement in their sources. It concentrates on the technicalities of writing, like punctuation, citation, and documentation. Various academic departments worldwide prefer this style of formatting. It is primarily applied to humanities subjects like English language and literature, cultural studies, literary criticism, cultural studies, etc.
What is APA?
The American Psychological Association (APA) developed this formal style of formatting in 1929. The association created regulations for journal articles, publications, and books. The APA publication manual offers instructions for the work.
The APA style helps the authors arrange their work while developing a distinct style of references and citations in the genres of behavioral sciences and social sciences. Behavioral Sciences include the following subjects:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive science
Similarly, social science covers subjects like:
- Human geography
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Linguistics
- Economics
- Political science
MLA aims at offering the reader a complete text with suitable headings, a list of works cited, and putting off plagiarism. It helps the researchers and scholars present the facts and information about their assignment, thoughts, and research in a uniform and consistent format.
Essential Components of an Academic Paper
Before we share the comprehensive differences between MLA and APA, it is essential to know the sections of a paper where we can apply the MLA or APA rules. Typically, an academic paper has 4 sections. It includes:
The title page: It has a running head, title, author’s name, and educational institution’s name.
Abstract: This section includes a summary of the assignment in roughly 250 words. However, the word limit can change according to the academic institution’s guidelines. It talks about the following sections:
- Topics of research
- Research Question and Hypothesis
- Methodology
- Analysis
- Conclusion
Body chapters: Depending on the type of assignment, the research paper may include chapters like an introduction, a literature review, research methodology, research findings, a conclusion, and recommendations. However, other academic papers only include an introduction, body, and conclusion.
References: It presents a list of all the sources that have been referred to while developing the paper.
Read more: Excellent Research Paper Topics For 2023
MLA vs. APA: A Comparative Study
Here is a comparative study of the differences between MLA and APA.
MLA vs. APA: Purpose
The purpose of formatting papers in MLA and APA is completely different.
- MLA: It is a method of noting sources and formatting papers in academic writing created by the Modern Language Association.
- APA: APA is one of the methods of writing papers, publications, journals, etc. developed by the American Psychological Association.
MLA Vs. APA: Subjects it can be applied to
MLA and APA citation styles are used when citing different subjects. Here is the difference between the two:
- MLA: It cites and formats subjects in the fields of the humanities and liberal arts.
- APA: It cites and formats behavioral and social science subjects.
MLA vs. APA: Paper Sections
There is a difference in the number of sections of a paper cited in MLA and APA. Here are the details:
- MLA: It has 3 primary sections. Introduction, body paragraphs, and work cited.
- APA: It has 4 sections, which include a Title page, an abstract, a body, and references.
Read more: Unique Astronomy Topics and Ideas for Academic Writing
MLA vs. APA: Contents of the Title Page
The contents of the Title formatted in MLA format are quite different from the one styled in APA format. Here are the differences:
MLA:
This style of formatting does not have a separate title page. Hence, the contents of the title page are given on the first page of the paper in the form of a title, which is different from the academic assignment title. In this style, the first page includes the header. It appears on the top left-hand side of the paper, double spaced, and consists of the following details:
- Name of the author
- Name of the instructor
- Title of the academic program
- Date of submission
The header of all other pages of the document appears on the right-hand side, which comprises the last name of the author and page number.
APA:
APA permits creating a separate title page for the academic paper. The title page consists of the following details, double-spaced and centered in the middle of the page:
- The title of the document
- Name of the academic program
- Name of the academic institution
- Department in which you are enrolled
- Name of the instructor
- Date of submission
Additionally, every page of the document has a heading placed on the top right-hand corner of the page. It comprises the page number and the title of the document.
MLA vs. APA: Sources Citation Within the Body of the Paper
The in-text citation styles in MLA and APA are quite distinct. Here are the differences:
MLA:
In MLA style, the sources are cited in author-page style. It means it includes the last name of the author and the page number. The entire citation can be placed inside parentheses or just the page number. After that, the citation must be mentioned.
Example:
- In parenthetical style: (Ray 20)
- In narrative style: Ray (20)
APA:
In APA style, author-date citation style is followed for in-text citations. It indicates that the last name of the author and the year of publication are mentioned in the in-text citation. Following that, the text cited is written. APA citations are placed in parenthetical or narrative style, where either the entire citation is placed in parenthesis or the year of publication is placed in the citation.
Example:
- In parenthetical style: (Ray 2022)
- In narrative style: Ray (2022)
MLA vs. APA: Term Used to Denote the List of References
The page that contains the list of references is called by different names in MLA and APA.
- MLA: The list of references is termed Work Cited.
- APA: In this case, it is called ‘References.
Read more: Learn the Importance of Referencing in Academic Writing
MLA vs. APA: Reference Entry Writing
different methods for entering the sources in the list of references by MLA and APA
MLA:
In this case, if you take information from a book, then you will have to spell the name of the author and the surname of up to 2 authors. However, for 3 authors, you will have to write only the last name and first name of the author, followed by et al. In case, the source of information is an organization, then you should mention the complete name of the organization in place of the name of the author. Additionally, you should write the first letter of all the important words in upper case and the Title in italics.
Example:
For one author:
Ray, Thomas. The Citation Manual for Students: A Quick Guide, 4th ed., Wiley, 2022
For 2 authors:
Ray, Thomas, and Bianca Michelle Williams. The Citation Manual for Students: A Quick Guide, 4th ed., Wiley, 2022.
For 3 or more authors:
Smith, Thomas, et al., The Citation Manual for Students: A Quick Guide. 4th ed., Wiley, 2022.
For organizations:
Professional Writing Association. The Citation Manual for Professionals: A Quick Guide. 4th ed., Wiley, 2022.
APA:
Here, you will have to spell the last name and write the first name in the form of initials for all authors if the data is from a book. If an organization releases a source, then you should write the entire name of the organization. Moreover, here, you need to write only the first letter of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns in upper case, and the title in italics.
Example:
For one author:
Ray, T. (2022). The citation manual for students: A quick guide (4th ed.). Wiley.
For 2 authors:
Ray, T., & Williams, B. M. (2022). The citation manual for students: A quick guide (4th ed.). Wiley.
For 3 or more authors:
Ray, T., Williams, B. M., & Smith, R. (2022). The citation manual for students: A quick guide (4th ed.). Wiley.
For organizations:
Professional Writing Association. (2022). The citation manual for professionals: A quick guide (4th ed.). Wiley.
MLA vs. APA: Comparison in Tabular Form
| Basis For Comparison | MLA | APA |
| Concept | MLA is a formatting style developed by the Modern Language Association. Mainly, it suits fields like the humanities and liberal arts. | APA refers to a formatting style created in the manual of the American Psychological Association. It suits well for fields like behavioral and social sciences. |
| Sections | It has three primary sections. Introduction, body paragraphs, and work cited. | It has 4 sections, which include a Title page, an abstract, a body, and references. |
| Formatting style followed for in-text citation | Author-page format | Author-date format |
| Contents of the in-text citation | Author’s last name with page number, for example (Ray, 20) | Author’s last name, and date, for example, (Ray, 2022) |
| The method by which a direct quote is mentioned in the In-text citation | According to the author,”….” (page number) | According to the author (year), “….” |
| The method in which Paraphrase is mentioned in the In-text citation | Statement (author’s last name page number) | Statement (author’s last name, year, p. page number) |
| What is the Source page called | Works Cited | References |
| The method by which the author’s name is mentioned in the sources cited | Author’s last name, first name. | Spells the author’s last name is spelled correctly and mentions the initial of the first name |
| Capitalization | The first letter of all the important words in the title is capitalized, and the title is italicized. | Capitalize the first letter of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns, and write the title in Italics. |
MLA vs. APA: Similarities
The following are the similarities between MLA and APA:
- Both styles use double spacing to format the words.
- To write the texts, both the citations use Times New Roman font and 12-point size.
- Margins for all sides of the paper will be one-inch space.
- Alphabetically lists the sources as per the last name of the author.
The Bottom Line
From the discussion above, it is clear that there are multiple differences between MLA and APA. If you want to know more about these differences or find it difficult to cite your papers in MLA, APA, or other citation styles, get in touch with citation and reference helpers on our platform. They have helped numerous students develop accurate citations and references, format the documents in almost all popular styles, and retain the originality of the solutions. To make the most of our assignment help service, fill out the student assistance form and submit it. Rest assured, we will mail you the solution in due time.
