MLA and APA basics
MLA and APA are the two styles students meet most often. Their core patterns are straightforward once you see the logic.
MLA in-text citations
MLA uses the author's last name and page number, without a comma: (Garcia 42). If the author is named in the sentence, give only the page: Garcia argues that... (42). For sources without page numbers, such as websites, the author's name alone may suffice.
MLA Works Cited entries
MLA 9 builds entries from 'core elements' in order: author, title of source, title of container, other contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date, and location. A book entry follows this pattern: Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. A journal article adds the article title in quotation marks and the journal title in italics as the container.
APA in-text citations
APA uses author and year: (Garcia, 2021), adding a page for direct quotations: (Garcia, 2021, p. 42). In a sentence: Garcia (2021) found that... For two authors, use both names; for three or more, use the first author's name followed by 'et al.' from the first citation.
APA reference entries
APA references start with the author's surname and initials, then the year in parentheses, then the title in sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns capitalised), then source details. For journal articles, APA includes the DOI (digital object identifier) as a link when available.
Key differences
MLA emphasises authors and page numbers, reflecting humanities' close attention to texts. APA emphasises dates, reflecting the social sciences' focus on current research. MLA capitalises titles in title case; APA uses sentence case for article and book titles in references.
Formatting the list
Both MLA and APA lists are alphabetised by author surname, double-spaced, with hanging indents (the first line flush left, later lines indented). MLA's list is titled Works Cited; APA's is titled References. Both begin on a new page.
Citation generators
Citation generators and reference managers save time, but they often make errors: wrong capitalisation, missing elements, or incorrect formats. Always check generated citations against the style guide or a trusted resource such as the Purdue OWL.
Worked example
An invented source: Lena Ortiz, 'Sleep and the Teenage Brain', in the Journal of Youth Health, volume 12, issue 3, 2022, pages 45 to 60. MLA in-text: (Ortiz 50). APA in-text: (Ortiz, 2022, p. 50). In APA's reference list, the title appears in sentence case, and the journal name and volume number in italics, followed by the DOI if one exists.
Key takeaways
MLA in-text citations use author and page; APA uses author and year, adding a page for quotations. MLA 9 builds entries from core elements; APA references feature the year early and sentence-case titles, with DOIs. MLA stresses texts, APA currency. Both lists are alphabetised, double-spaced, with hanging indents. Check generated citations for errors.
Flashcard
(Author page)
Check your understanding
Which in-text citation follows APA style for a direct quotation?