APA vs MLA vs Chicago: Which Citation Style to Use
Compare APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles side by side to pick the right one for your paper.
The three most common citation styles in North American universities are APA, MLA, and Chicago. Each was designed for different disciplines, and they differ in structure, formatting, and emphasis. Here's how to tell them apart and pick the right one.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | APA 7th | MLA 9th | Chicago 17th |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-text format | (Author, Year) | (Author Page) | Footnotes or (Author Year) |
| Reference section | References | Works Cited | Bibliography |
| Title page | Required | Not required | Varies |
| Typical disciplines | Social sciences, education, nursing | Humanities, literature, languages | History, arts, publishing |
| Emphasis | Date of publication | Author's name | Flexibility (two systems) |
When to Use APA
APA (American Psychological Association) is the standard for:
- Psychology and behavioral sciences
- Education and pedagogy
- Sociology and social work
- Nursing and public health
- Business and economics
APA emphasizes when research was published because recency matters in these fields. The author-date in-text format -- (Smith, 2025) -- immediately tells readers how current the source is.
For detailed APA formatting, see our APA citation guide.
Example reference:
Smith, J. D., & Johnson, M. K. (2025). The impact of citation accuracy. Journal of Academic Writing, 15(3), 45--62. https://doi.org/10.1234/example
When to Use MLA
MLA (Modern Language Association) is the standard for:
- English and comparative literature
- Foreign languages and linguistics
- Cultural studies
- Philosophy (some departments)
- Theatre and performance studies
MLA emphasizes who said it. In-text citations use author and page number -- (Smith 42) -- because in textual analysis, locating the exact passage matters more than publication date.
Example Works Cited entry:
Smith, John D., and Mary K. Johnson. "The Impact of Citation Accuracy." Journal of Academic Writing, vol. 15, no. 3, 2025, pp. 45--62.
When to Use Chicago
Chicago (Chicago Manual of Style) comes in two flavors:
Notes-Bibliography (NB): Common in history, art history, and some humanities. Uses footnotes for citations and a bibliography at the end.
Author-Date: Common in sciences and social sciences. Similar to APA in structure but with different formatting details.
Most students encounter the notes-bibliography system. It's the most flexible style -- footnotes can include commentary alongside citations.
Example footnote:
- John D. Smith and Mary K. Johnson, "The Impact of Citation Accuracy," Journal of Academic Writing 15, no. 3 (2025): 45--62, https://doi.org/10.1234/example.
Example bibliography entry:
Smith, John D., and Mary K. Johnson. "The Impact of Citation Accuracy." Journal of Academic Writing 15, no. 3 (2025): 45--62. https://doi.org/10.1234/example.
Decision Guide
Not sure which to use? Here's a quick decision guide:
- Check your assignment guidelines first. If your professor specified a style, use that one. No exceptions.
- Check your department's default. Many departments have a standard style for all coursework.
- Match your discipline. Social sciences = APA. Humanities/literature = MLA. History = Chicago.
- When in doubt, ask. Email your professor. A quick question now saves hours of reformatting later.
Key Differences in Practice
Capitalization
- APA: Sentence case for article titles (The impact of citation accuracy)
- MLA: Title case for article titles ("The Impact of Citation Accuracy")
- Chicago: Title case for article titles ("The Impact of Citation Accuracy")
Author Names
- APA: Last name, initials only (Smith, J. D.)
- MLA: Last name, full first name (Smith, John D.)
- Chicago NB: Full names, first author inverted (Smith, John D., and Mary K. Johnson)
URLs and DOIs
- APA: DOI preferred, formatted as
https://doi.org/... - MLA: URLs included only when necessary for finding the source
- Chicago: DOI or URL included, access date optional
Multiple Authors
- APA: Use "et al." for 3+ authors in-text
- MLA: Use "et al." for 3+ authors in-text
- Chicago NB: List up to 3 authors in footnotes, then "et al."
Other Styles Worth Knowing
Beyond the big three, several styles serve specific disciplines:
- Harvard -- Popular in UK, Australian, and South African universities. Similar to APA but with differences in capitalization and formatting.
- IEEE -- Standard for engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering. Uses numbered references in brackets.
- Vancouver -- Used in medicine, nursing, and biomedical sciences. Also numbered, common in journal submissions.
For help citing websites in these styles, see our guide on citing websites.
Try It with CiteTools
Not sure if your citation is in the right style? Paste it into CiteTools.io and convert between APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, IEEE, and Vancouver with one click.