MLA vs. APA: A Basic Comparison

I. Books

MLA Format for a book:

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.

APA Format for a book:

Gardner, H. (1993). Creating minds. New York: Basic Books.

II. Journal articles

MLA Journal article:

Donaldson, Scott. "Protecting the Troops from Hemingway: An Episode in Censorship." The
Hemingway Review 15 (1995): 87-93.

ALA Journal article:

Baptista, L. F. (1984). Song learning in the anna hummingbird. Ethology, 84, 15-26.

III. Article from the databases

MLA Online resources from a Library Subscription Service:

Anderson, John. "Superego." Journal of Psychology October 2003: 41. Academic Search Elite.
EBSCOhost. MSB Brooklyn Center Campus Library, Brooklyn Center, MN. 10 November 2003
<http://search.epnet.com>.

APA Online recourses from a Library Subscription service:

Johnson, T. (1999, June). Superego: A new guide to Freud. Journal of Freudian Psychology, 30, 163-
181. Retrieved November 10, 2003, from Gale Expanded Academic ASAP.

IV. Quotes and in-text citations

MLA quotations and in-text references:

In the paper you must cite the source in parentheses with the author’s last name and page number of the source used at the end of the sentence.

Basic Examples:

While learning to do research for your academic classes, you will gain skills that will prepare you to do research in your career within business, government, or other professional areas (Gibaldi 5).

Gibaldi describes…and he also writes “this handbook is a guide for the preparation of research papers” (5).

APA quotations and in-text references:

In the paper you must cite the author and date in the appropriate place within the text or at end of the sentence.

Basic Examples:

Anderson (1984) urges roommates to settle differences...

In her list of rules for roommates (Anderson, 1984)...

She stated, “The list of rules… in this manner” (Anderson, 1984, p. 198), but she still was upset.

V. Citation List

MLA Citation list:

This page must be titled Works Cited.

APA Citation list:

This page must be titled Reference(s).

For additional assistance and examples, visit:

The Purdue’s University Online Writing Lab [http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/],
Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Resources (click on "citation styles") [http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/index.html],
The citation links provided by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) [http://www.ifla.org/I/training/citation/citing.htm].
or The Hacker [http://dianahacker.com/resdoc/]

revised 12/26/07 ES