I'm enrolled in an AP English course and our teacher advised us to get used to college-level writing. What format do most colleges prefer for essays and research papers? Is MLA still the go-to, or are more professors switching over to APA or Chicago style? Any info would be super helpful for my assignments!
Each discipline tends to favor a certain citation style, and the citation style you use for a particular assignment will often depend on the professor's preference or the institutional guidelines. Nowadays, colleges don't universally prefer one style over others - the style typically depends on the academic discipline.
1. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used in liberal arts and humanities like literature and philosophy. So if you're writing a paper for an English literature class, you're likely to use MLA style.
2. APA (American Psychological Association) is used in the social sciences, including Psychology, Sociology, and Political Science. So if you're taking a social studies course, you might be expected to format your papers in APA style.
3. Chicago/Turabian style is more flexible and is used in a variety of academic disciplines. Additionally, it's favored by many in the fields of history and economics.
Always make sure to clarify with your professor or check your syllabus if you're unsure about which citation style to use for a specific assignment. Try to familiarize yourself with the most common styles - MLA, APA, and Chicago styles - as you might encounter all three at some point during your college career. When in doubt, websites like the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) are valuable resources for learning and checking these styles.
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