Choosing the best work format depends on the instructor’s requirements, but MLA is used for language and literature, APA for social and behavioral sciences, and CMS for fine arts and humanities. Each format has specific citation and appearance guidelines, and it’s important to determine the format before starting the writing process.
When choosing the best work format, the first consideration is whether your instructor requires a specific style. If left by you, try to use the most appropriate style for the class the job is assigned to. While there are a variety of styles, schools in the United States largely rely on three formats. The Modern Language Association (MLA) is often used in writing, language, and literature courses; The American Psychological Association (APA) is commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences; and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) is generally followed in fine arts and some humanities disciplines. The citations and appearance of the article will change with the format, but there are style guides available with detailed instructions.
Teachers often ask for a specific style, either on the assignment sheet or in class. Most courses have a preferred format that is widely used, and your instructor can expect you to adhere to it. Some disciplines have their own formats, such as the American Chemical Society (ACS) format for chemical papers. If you feel comfortable with a particular citation style, you can always ask the instructor if that style is acceptable. If in doubt about the term assignment format, the instructor grading the assignment is always the best person to ask for confirmation.
The MLA style is mostly used in composition, language, and literature classes. This format emphasizes the writer of the source and not the source itself. Citations, paraphrases and abstracts must refer to the author and include a page number at the end of the quoted material. MLA uses the present tense to refer to the author’s work; therefore, a quotation may be introduced with “As Shakespeare says” instead of “said”. The MLA does not use footnotes and the list of sources at the end is called the “Works Cited” list.
The APA paper format is used primarily in social and behavioral science classes, and occasionally in business or geography classes. This method of documentation emphasizes the source currency, asking for the year of publication along with the author’s last name, and using page numbers only in direct quotes. In the text, writers should use the past tense for quotations, as in “Darwin claimed”, but the present tense for results or established knowledge, as in “the study shows” or “high cholesterol is dangerous”. The list of sources is called “References” and placed at the end. The APA allows an occasional explanatory note and requests an abstract with the article.
Chicago is the style usually preferred by the fine arts and by some fields of the humanities, such as history and philosophy. CMS is the most general term job format as it is not designed for any specific discipline. Requires footnotes with superscript numbers in the text corresponding to the note at the bottom of the page. Some instructors, however, will accept endnotes, putting all notes together at the end of the article. Timing used for citations depends on the writer’s preference, as long as all essential information can be found in the note or on the “bibliography” page for sources at the end.
The appearance of the paper changes depending on the format used. For example, APA and CMS often use title pages, but MLA does not. The MLA and CMS number the pages in the upper right corner with the author’s last name and numeral, while the APA uses an abbreviated version of the article title with the page number. The APA places an abstract before the essay and may divide the text with subheadings. Sometimes the CMS includes an outline before the body of the paper.
Since these formats have many small differences, changing the format after starting can take a long time. You should determine your format before starting the writing process to avoid headaches later in the project. Manuals are available for all of these styles to guide you through the process of setting up the correct paper size. A properly executed format is worth more of your grade than putting the final draft in a fancy binder.
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