What is the difference between MLA and APA Citations?

One of the differences between APA and MLA citations is that both use different methods for In-text citations. Both are slightly different from each other when you are citing the sources in the text. For instance, in an APA in-text citation, you are expected to include the publication year and the author’s last name. You must also add a page number if you are quoting a particular passage.

An MLA in-text citation also uses a similar rule, just that you would only write the author’s last name and a page number. If you are including two authors, an APA citation allows you to separate their names using the symbol (&).

On the other hand, MLA citation allows you to use (and). When writing the full details for all the sources you have cited, you will need to write everything on a separate page, specifically at the end of your paper. However, this page should be titled Works Cited in MLA, and Reference List in APA.

Whether in a paper or a visual project, when using another person's work, it is necessary to cite the original author of that work. There are many types of citations that a person can use, but the two main ones are MLA and APA. MLA stands for Modern Language Association.

This format of citing is mainly used by students, such as those in high school or college. It is used for research works dealing with literary and humanities. APA is an abbreviation for American Psychological Association. Students also use this format, mainly in the subjects of sociology, science, and business.

There are different types of formats that are available based on the type of paper that you have to do. Your professor might ask you to create the papers that you need to do based on various formats. MLA and APA will have differences on the title page. Those that are written in the MLA format would need to have a works cited page.

If you would check out the papers that are written in APA format, the portion where “works cited” will be placed will have “references” instead. For APA, you need to cite the name of the author and the date. For the MLA format, you need to place the name of the author, the page number, plus the cited text.

MLA or Modern Language Association and APA or American Psychological Association Citations are two citation systems commonly used to provide the necessary information and to acknowledge the sources of all the information supplied in a research paper. One of the common differences between the two is that MLA is used mostly by students in high schools, colleges, and universities when writing a research work that has to do with humanities and academic literary works whereas APA is used mostly when writing a research work that has to do with sciences, business, and sociology.

In MLA, the bibliography which contains all the information to be submitted about all the necessary citations to be done is known as "works cited page" in MLA. In contrast, it is known as "the reference" in APA.

If you are using APA, you will need to put only the last names of all the authors and editors, including their initials. In contrast, the full names of the first three authors or editors should be written if you are using MLA while you use “et al." for the rest.