APA or MLA? ...mumble mumble...

Do you remember when we talked about plagiarism, especially in writing?

Well, we said that there are different ways to avoid plagiarism and make proper references to any of the works we cite or paraphrase in our writings (i.e. essays, theses, blog posts). In particular, we looked at two authoritative referencing styles: MLA Style Citations (Modern Language Association) and APA Formatting and Style Guide (American Psychological Association).
Let's see what are their main features, similarities and differences, if any.

MLA style:

• large list of examples concerning in-text references and their corresponding works-cited entries; it takes into account a great number of different types of sources (books, chapters in book, works in an anthology or collection, journal or magazine articles, online sources, media, interviews, dissertations/theses, etc.);
• very strict rules of in-text, parenthetical references and bibliography; it also gives advices on punctuation, capitalization, typefaces (i.e. opt for underlining instead of italics), URLs, location, publication, author/s and all the other information we have to provide (i.e. in-text references need author's last name, year of publication, chapter:page/s).

APA style:

• plenty of information concerning not only the referencing style (i.e. in-text citations and bibliography), but also the formatting of a scholar paper (i.e. sections and sub-sections, headings, typing and page size);
• 9 sections concerning in-text references and bibliography; each section considers one type of source (e.g. book, online resource, magazine) and gives general rule on the needed referencing style (punctuation, use of italics, etc.)

MLA vs. APA (imo):

• MLA has a more detailed and greater number of examples than APA;
• MLA takes into account a huge range of sources' types while APA is less various;
• APA accepts footnotes and endnotes while MLA doesn't, especially in academic paper;
• APA in-text references are more flexible than MLA's; APA uses both (author, year) and (author, year, page/s) while MLA always requires (author, year, chapter:page/s);
• APA accepts both italics and underlining; MLA does not accept italics;
• MLA lacks a guideline on the formatting of an academic paper.

These are the main things I've noticed so far, but the issue is very interesting so I'm going to learn more about it...and I want to hear your opinion too!

BTW, I think that - in the end - both styles are accurate; therefore, to choose MLA instead of APA is just a matter of personal taste. Whether you opt for MLA or APA, the important thing is that once you've chosen one you have to follow it 'till the end of your work.

Sorry for being so long-winded...

Talk to you soon :)
Giorgia