December 6, 2017
Compare and Contrast
Comp I 4th
MLA vs. APA writing styles Essays and papers are written in a few different ways but the two that are the most common and happen to be similar also have a number of differences they are what is, in short, APA and MLA style. The American Psychological Association (APA) writing style typically used for scientific works along with papers and reports showcasing topics in the psychological, educational, and other social science fields. The Modern Language Association (MLA) writing style is used for more literary works and in humanities fields. These are both excellent writing style guides for college classes and looking professional because they are both considered standardized …show more content…
APA has a designated title page with specific guidelines that include centering the title of the essay, authors name and the institutional affiliation with each item on a separate line with the body of the paper on the next page. MLA style has a quite different rule, involving the placement mainly. MLA puts the header to the flush left side and it includes the authors’ name, instructor name, course name, and the date then the title in the center of the page with each on a separate line with the body of the paper starting on the line after the title. Some universities or organizations may require a specialized title page but there is a standard guideline if a new one is not given One similarity between the two styles is the page number, they are both placed in the top header flush to the right with one exception, MLA has the authors’ last name in front of the page number. In the top header APA style has one extra thing added, a running head. On the title page the running head has “Running head:” then the complete title in all capital letters and on each page after that it is only a shortened title in the header, all flush to he left. (“Differences Between APA and MLA Writing Styles.” The Pen and The Pad) The biggest difference between APA and MLA is the formatting, more specifically an abstract page in APA format. An abstract page is one single page after the title page that summarizes what the body of the paper is going to entail. It includes the research topic, questions, analysis, methods, and a conclusion. This page is limited to one page but is still double-spaced and only 150 to 250 words in length. (“Differences Between APA and MLA Writing Styles.” The Pen and The