APA vs MLA vs Chicago: Which Citation Style Should You Use?

Overview: The Three Main Citation Styles

Academic writing requires you to acknowledge the sources you use. The three most common citation systems are APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and Chicago (or Turabian). Each serves different disciplines and has its own rules.

APA Style

Used in: Psychology, social sciences, education, nursing, business

Focus on: The date of publication (recent research matters most in these fields)

In-text citation format: (Author, Year) — e.g., (Smith, 2021)

Reference list: Alphabetical by author's last name, hanging indent

Example: Smith, J. (2021). The psychology of learning. Academic Press.

MLA Style

Used in: Literature, arts, humanities, language studies

Focus on: The author and page number (exact location of the quoted idea)

In-text citation format: (Author page) — e.g., (Smith 45)

Works Cited page: Alphabetical, hanging indent

Example: Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Academic Press, 2021.

Chicago Style

Used in: History, fine arts, some social sciences

Two systems: Notes-Bibliography (humanities) and Author-Date (sciences)

In-text: Footnotes or endnotes (Notes-Bibliography system)

Strength: Allows more detailed commentary in footnotes without disrupting the text

Quick Reference: Which Style Should I Use?

Always check your course syllabus or ask your professor first. When in doubt:

• Science/social science paper? → APA
• Literature/language/art paper? → MLA
• History paper? → Chicago

Common Mistakes in Each Style

In APA: forgetting the year in in-text citations, or not including a DOI for journal articles.

In MLA: adding a comma between author and page number (there is no comma — it is just a space).

In Chicago: inconsistent footnote numbering or omitting publisher location for books.