Guide library13 guides
Style Comparisons
Side-by-side comparisons of APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, IEEE, and more, plus advice on which style your discipline expects.
Every guide is free, written for students and researchers, and dated so you can see when it was last checked.
Which Citation Style Should I Use?
An assignment-first workflow for choosing APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18, Vancouver, IEEE, Harvard, or a field default, with official handbook wording and real style-center examples.
APA vs MLA: Which Citation Style Should You Use?
Choose APA 7 or MLA 9 with official handbook rules, the same book and article formatted both ways, and the mix-ups that make a paper look unfinished.
APA vs Chicago: Notes, Author-Date, and When to Use Each
Compare APA 7 and Chicago 18 with official handbook wording, the same book and article in both styles, and the mix-ups that make Chicago look like APA.
MLA vs Chicago: Author-Page or Notes for the Humanities?
Compare MLA 9 and Chicago 18 with official handbook wording, Mantel and Yu book examples, Baron and Lindquist articles, and the CMOS 18 updates that break older charts.
Harvard vs APA: Differences, Cite Them Right 13, and When to Use Each
APA 7 is one official author–date manual. Harvard is a family of variants, usually taught as Cite Them Right 13th edition (2025). Compare in-text rules, et al., quotes, DOIs, and access dates with the same real sources.
Vancouver vs APA: Which Citation Style for Medicine and Health?
Pick Vancouver (ICMJE/NLM) or APA 7 from the journal, not the topic. Numbered (1) versus author–date, the 6- versus 20-author cutoff, BMJ's 3-author house rule, DOIs, retractions, and nursing versus clinical venues.
IEEE vs APA: Which Citation Style for Engineering and Tech?
Decide IEEE or APA 7 from the venue, not the topic. Covers the IEEE Reference Style Guide for Authors V 3.28.2025 (no en-dash ranges), APA 7 author–date, official examples, standards, software, and conference papers.
Turabian vs Chicago: Student Handbook or CMOS 18?
Turabian 9 is Chicago style for students and still follows CMOS 17. CMOS 18 dropped the city of publication and moved et al. See official examples and when to wait for Turabian 10.
ACS vs APA: How Chemistry Writers Choose a Citation Style
Choose ACS or APA from the journal, department, and research question—not a chemistry-versus-psychology slogan. Covers the ACS Guide's three in-text systems, official Quick Guide examples, and how to restyle a chemistry bibliography into APA 7.
AMA vs Vancouver: Which Numbered Medical Citation Style?
Compare AMA 11 and Vancouver (ICMJE/NLM): superscript vs (1), the 3- versus 6-author et al. cutoff, italic journal titles, issue numbers, book cities, and when JAMA requires AMA.
ASA vs APA: Which Citation Style for Sociology Papers?
Choose ASA 7 or APA 7 from the journal or syllabus you actually have. Compares author–date punctuation, full names versus initials, title case, 50-word versus 40-word block quotes, and the same real sources in both styles.
When to Use APA Style (7th Edition)
Use APA 7 when the assignment, journal, or department names it. Official Publication Manual wording, Psychological Science and AERA author instructions, student vs professional papers, and when MLA, Chicago, AMA, IEEE, or ASA is the better default.
Citation Styles by Academic Discipline
Field-by-field map of the citation style each discipline usually expects: APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18, ASA, APSA, Vancouver, AMA, ACS, CSE, IEEE, and Bluebook 22, with official quotations and real handbook examples.