Citation styles, like MLA, APA or Chicago, provide formatting guidelines for:

end citations
paper formatting like title pages, headings, and page numbers
in-text citations

Below is a chart that shows several common citation styles and how they differ.

Humanities: English, Art History, Philosophy, Music, Religion, Language, Linguistics, Etc.	Social Sciences, Education, Engineering, etc.	History, some other Humanities and Social Sciences	Physical, Natural, or Social Sciences
Try: MLA MLA style uses parenthetical in-text citations and a "Works Cited" list at the end of a paper to link sources. Ex: Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).	Try: APA APA style uses parenthetical in-text citations and a "References" list at the end of the paper to link sources. Ex: According to Jones (1998), "students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).	Try: Chicago Notes & Bibliography Chicago notes uses footnotes or endnotes to link text to sources. Ex: In Democracy and Other Neoliberal Fantasies, Jodi Dean argues that “imagining a rhizome might be nice, but rhizomes don’t describe the underlying structure of real networks,”¹	Try: Chicago Author-Date Chicago author-date uses parenthetical in-text citations and a references or works cited list at the end, similar to the APA style. Ex: In Democracy and Other Neoliberal Fantasies, Jodi Dean (2009) argues that “imagining a rhizome might be nice, but rhizomes don’t describe the underlying structure of real networks” (30),
The humanities place emphasis on authorship and interpreting primary sources in a historical context. The author's name is the first piece of information preceding title and publication information on the "Works Cited" list at the end of the work. Ex: Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. University of California Press, 1966.	These disciplines place emphasis on the date of creation or publication, in an effort to track currency and relevancy. The date is listed immediately following the author's name in the "References" list. Ex: Ahmed, S. (2012). On being included: Racism and diversity in institutional life. Duke University Press.	Disciplines that favor footnote/endnote styles of citation may make heavy use of sources that don't fit into short in-text citations, such as primary sources and government documents Typically accompanied by a "Bibliography" page. Bibliography ex: Dean, Jodi. Democracy and Other Neoliberal Fantasies: Communicative Capitalism and Left Politics. Durham: Duke University Press, 2009.	Typically accompanied by a "References" or "Works Cited" page. Ex: Dean, Jodi. 2009. Democracy and Other Neoliberal Fantasies: Communicative Capitalism and Left Politics. Durham: Duke University Press.
For more information on this style and how to use it, check out the MLA style page.	For more information on this style and how to use it, check out the APA style page.	For more information on this style and how to use it, check out the Chicago Notes and Bibliography style page.	For more information on this style and how to use it, check out the Chicago Author-Date style page.

Adapted from: Citation Styles & Tools: Which citation style should I use?

The citation style you use will most likely be dictated by the discipline in which you're writing. For most assignments your instructor will assign a specific style. However, as you progress through your academic career, you may find more flexibility in choosing a style that works for you. It's always best to check with your instructor, research team members, and colleagues as to what style is appropriate.

There are many citation styles other than MLA, APA, and Chicago that you may use during your studies. Your research mentor or instructor may even point you to citation guides that correspond to specific journals or disciplines. To explore other citation styles not mentioned in the chart such as AMA, CSE, and Harvard, browse through the UW Libraries Citation Styles & Tools Guide or talk to your research mentor as they are a valuable information source.