Using APA, MLA, or Chicago Style for Papers

Most students face the task of creating their papers in the "style" specified in a syllabus or requested by a professor. Sometimes the assumption is made that the students know the differences, requirements, and reasons to use a particular style for assigned writings. Style, in this sense, has little to do with an individual way of expressing thoughts on paper.

More, style is really a matter of organization rather than the student's own voice, so don't dismay. Sometimes tempering one's voice in a logical manner creates a compelling piece of writing about an assigned topic. If writing is only as good as the source material gathered, then the next step is to present the source material in its best light. First, let's look at the different styles and what the abbreviations mean.

APA, MLA, and Chicago Style Defined

MLA is the abbreviation for the Modern Language Association documentation method; APA is the abbreviation of the American Psychological Society's documentation method; and the Chicago Style method falls under the Chicago Manual of Style. Below is a short list of common differences.

Style Reference

MLA style

Citations must include just enough information info to lead the reader to the list of works cited.

Citations must include just enough information for the reader to find the reference in the source document.

Citations must include hanging indentations, double-spacing, and sources indented one half inch. APA style

Citations must include the last name, date of publication, and page number amongst the sentence structure.

Citations do not need to be repeated until a different author's name is used; only the page number of the reference needs to be used.

Citations must include hanging indentations, double spaced quotations, and list sources alphabetically. Chicago style

Citations must appear in footnotes with raised numbers used within the body of the work to refer to the references.