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Kelsey Current Mr. Beers SLS 1501 08 Oct. 2013 Contrasting MLA & APA or!atting Styles "#e $or!atting styles o$ MLA %Mo&ern Language Association' an& APA %A!erican Psyc#ological Association' are co!!only use& in t#e structure o$ !any ty(es o$ researc# an& $iction (a(ers. )#ile t#ese styles see! to *e si!ilar+ t#ere are nota*le &i$$erences in t#e MLA & APA styles o$ $or!atting an& citation. "#e MLA style o$ $or!atting is ,no-n *roa&ly t#roug#out t#e e&ucation syste! $or its neatness an& e$$iciency. .t is !ost co!!only use& -#en -riting t#ings (ertaining to /nglis# stu&ies an& ot#er areas o$ cultural literature+ -#ile APA is !ore co!!only use& -#en -riting a*out t#ings (ertaining to areas o$ Science an& Business %0)elco!e to t#e Pur&ue O)L1'. )#en citing sources+ one nee&s to (ay attention to &etail -#en co!(aring MLA an& APA styles. or e2a!(le+ t#e aut#or3s $irst and last na!e nee&s to *e s(elle& out in a MLA citation+ *ut in an APA citation+ t#e aut#or3s last na!e !ust *e s(elle& out -#ile t#eir $irst na!e is !a&e into initials. Anot#er &i$$erence in t#ese styles is t#e na!e in -#ic# you title t#e (age t#at you cite all o$ your sources. MLA is reno-ne& $or titling it Works Cited+ -#ile APA titles it as References %04eneral 5i$$erences *et-een MLA an& APA.1'. "#e MLA style &oes not &e!an& a co6er (age unless tol& to &o so+ *ut t#e APA style re7uires t#at a co6er (age is t#ere. .n in8te2t citations MLA an& APA #a6e a cou(le o$ &i$$erences. MLA3s gui&elines re7uire t#e aut#or3s last na!e

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an& t#e (age nu!*er in -#ic# t#e re$erence -as $oun&. Also+ co!!as are not use& to se(arate t#ese (ieces o$ in$or!ation+ nor is (. or ((. use& to in&icate (age nu!*ers. APA3s gui&elines are t#e (ractical o((osite. APA re7uires t#e aut#or3s last na!e+ year (u*lis#e& o$ t#e re$erence& -or,+ an& t#e (age nu!*ers i$ (ro6i&e&. Co!!as are use& to se(arate (ieces o$ in$or!ation an& (. & ((. are a**re6iations use& to signi$y (age nu!*ers. "o conclu&e+ -#en trying to &eci&e *et-een MLA an& APA+ it ulti!ately co!es &o-n to t#e (a(er you are -riting. "#e APA $or!at is !ore scienti$ic+ -#ile t#e MLA is !ore /nglis#8 su*9ect *ase&. Bot# #o-e6er are e2cellent -ays to $or!at a (a(er to ac#ie6e organi:ation an& easy na6igation.

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)or,s Cite& ;)elco!e to t#e Pur&ue O)L.; The Purdue OWL: Research and Citation. "#e )riting La*+ "#e O)L at Pur&ue+ an& Pur&ue <ni6ersity+ n.&. )e*. 08 Oct. 2013. ;4eneral 5i$$erences *et-een MLA an& APA.; MLA Format RSS. Belle6ue <ni6ersity3s )riting Center+ 0= >an. 2013. )e*. 08 Oct. 2013.