APA and MLA are the two most widely used citation styles in academic writing. Choosing the right one usually comes down to your discipline.

When to use APA

APA (American Psychological Association) is standard in psychology, education and most social sciences. It emphasises the publication year of sources to highlight currency of research.

When to use MLA

MLA (Modern Language Association) dominates literature, languages and the humanities. It uses author-page in-text citations and a "Works Cited" list.

Quick comparison

  • In-text: (Smith, 2024) in APA vs (Smith 12) in MLA.
  • References list: titled "References" in APA, "Works Cited" in MLA.
  • Title case: APA uses sentence case for article titles; MLA uses title case.

Still unsure? Check your assignment brief or ask your instructor.