MLA and APA Format An Overview

PURPOSE In text parenthetical citations direct the reader to the appropriate MLA or APA entry. The purpose for APA or MLA citations are to enable the reader to verify your information, or research the topic further. In text parenthetical citations direct the reader to the appropriate MLA or APA entry. The purpose for APA or MLA citations are to enable the reader to verify your information, or research the topic further.

Who are these people anyway? APA = American Psychological Association (Social Sciences) MLA = Modern Languages Association (English and the Humanities) CBE = Council of Biology Editors (Science) APA = American Psychological Association (Social Sciences) MLA = Modern Languages Association (English and the Humanities) CBE = Council of Biology Editors (Science)

When to Document? (Both in-text, then at the end as well) Summaries, paraphrases, quotes Obscure or recently discovered facts Other’s opinions Other’s field research (polls, surveys) Quotations or paraphrases from your own interviews Summaries, paraphrases, quotes Obscure or recently discovered facts Other’s opinions Other’s field research (polls, surveys) Quotations or paraphrases from your own interviews

When NOT to document: Common knowledge Everyday facts (presidential birth dates, names of Supreme Court Justices, etc. Standard definitions of academic terms Your own field research (surveys, observations) Common knowledge Everyday facts (presidential birth dates, names of Supreme Court Justices, etc. Standard definitions of academic terms Your own field research (surveys, observations)

Works Cited or Bibliography? Works Cited pages are a list of all works cited within the paper. Bibliographies are a list of works read and consulted whether you used them or not. Works Cited pages are a list of all works cited within the paper. Bibliographies are a list of works read and consulted whether you used them or not.

In Text Citations (Parenthetical Citations) APA = (Author’s last name, Date) (Jenkins 1978) For quotes, use a pg. # at end: (Jenkins 1978, p. 53) MLA (Author’s last name Page) (Jenkins 53) Many instructors may prefer that you use attributions rather than parenthetical citations. APA = (Author’s last name, Date) (Jenkins 1978) For quotes, use a pg. # at end: (Jenkins 1978, p. 53) MLA (Author’s last name Page) (Jenkins 53) Many instructors may prefer that you use attributions rather than parenthetical citations.

Works Cited Entries Examples for APA and MLA side by side.

AUTHOR Comes FIRST. Always. Every Source. APA Last Name, First Initial. Tolstoy, L. APA Last Name, First Initial. Tolstoy, L. MLA Last Name, First. Tolstoy, Leo.

BOOKS APA Packard, V. (1957) The hidden persuaders. New York: McKay. APA Packard, V. (1957) The hidden persuaders. New York: McKay. MLA Packard, Vincent. The Hidden Persuaders. New York: McKay, Notice, the date’s placement. Notice the use of capitals and underlining in the title.

PERIODICALS APA Shute, N. (1997, August 18). Why do we age? U.S. News & World Report, 123, APA Shute, N. (1997, August 18). Why do we age? U.S. News & World Report, 123, MLA Shute, Nancy. “Why Do We Age?” U.S. News & World Report 18 Aug. 1997: Notice the capitalization in article title, and the use of underlining, and the addition of the volume number.

INTERNET WITH AUTHOR APA Rise, S. (1997, September 7).The Bulwer fiction home page. San Jose State U. Retrieved January 29, 1999 from com APA Rise, S. (1997, September 7).The Bulwer fiction home page. San Jose State U. Retrieved January 29, 1999 from com MLA Rise, Scott. The Bulwer Fiction Home Page. 7 Sept San Jose State U. Web. 29 Jan Notice date of WWW lookup and style of url adress

INTERNET WITHOUT AUTHOR APA Fetal surgery. (1999, March). Alliance for Women’s Health. Retrieved January 31, 1999 from /fetal.com APA Fetal surgery. (1999, March). Alliance for Women’s Health. Retrieved January 31, 1999 from /fetal.com MLA Fetal Surgery. Mar Alliance for Women’s Health. Web. 31 January, 1999.

ONLINE JOURNAL APA Herring, S. (1993) Gender and democracy in computer-mediated communication. Electronic Journal of Communication, 3.2. Retrieved 7 September, 1999 from APA Herring, S. (1993) Gender and democracy in computer-mediated communication. Electronic Journal of Communication, 3.2. Retrieved 7 September, 1999 from MLA Herring, Susan. “Gender and Democracy in Computer-mediated Communication.” Electronic Journal of Communications 3.2 (1993). Web. 7 Sept. 1997

…and many others. The only way to be sure is to LOOK IT UP. The only way to be sure is to LOOK IT UP.

…try online tools There are some great web sites that will simply ask you to fill in the information for the source, and the site will produce the entry for you! CAUTION: On these sites you are only as good as the information you “input” into the fields, and the choices you make about what type of source you have. There are some great web sites that will simply ask you to fill in the information for the source, and the site will produce the entry for you! CAUTION: On these sites you are only as good as the information you “input” into the fields, and the choices you make about what type of source you have.

BE METICULOUS. Your grade depends on it, and it’s the LAW!