I graduated from university this spring with my Bachelor of Arts degree, and if there was one thing I learned while at university, it was how to write a paper. Something I noticed some of my fellow classmates struggling with was how to properly format citations.
Today, I want to discuss three of the most popular formatting styles and use an example of each.
MLA
Because I majored in dramatic arts, many of my papers had to be formatted in MLA, which is the preferred style of the liberal arts and humanities. Developed by the Modern Languages Association, one of the key differences between this and other styles is that inline citations reference the page number of the source.
Works cited: Smith, Jane. The Benefit of Using MLA. New York City: Big Book Publishers, 2009. Print.
Inline: (Smith 234)
APA
Developed by the American Psychological Association, this style is used mostly in the social science. In its inline citations, it uses page numbers for only direct quotes; otherwise, it uses just the author’s name and year of publication.
Works cited: Smith, J. (2009). The Benefit of Using APA. New York City: Big Book Publishers.
Inline: (Smith 2009)
Chicago Author–Date System
This style is used primarily in social sciences and sciences.
Works cited: Smith, Jane. 2009. The Benefit of Using Chicago. New York City: Big Book Publishers.
Inline: (Smith 2009)
