Direct comparison
MLA vs Chicago Style: Which to Use & Key Differences | CASRAI
MLA 9th ed. suits literature and humanities with author–page citations; Chicago 17th offers footnote-based (N-B) and author-date (A-D) systems for history, arts, and sciences.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | MLA 9th | Chicago N-B | Chicago A-D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary disciplines | Literature, humanities, languages, cultural studies | History, arts, theology, religious studies | Sciences, social sciences — author-date variant of Chicago |
| In-text citation | Author–page: (Smith 45) | Footnote or endnote: ¹Smith, Title, 45. | Author–date: (Smith 2020, 45) |
| Bibliography label | Works Cited | Bibliography | References |
| Title capitalisation | Title case for all titles (books, articles, journals) | Title case (headline style) | Title case (headline style) |
| Journal article format | Author. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. X, no. X, Year, pp. X–X. | Author. "Article Title." Journal Name X, no. X (Year): X–X. | Author. Year. "Article Title." Journal Name X (X): X–X. |
| Book citation structure | Author. Book Title. Publisher, Year. | Author. Book Title. City: Publisher, Year. | Author. Year. Book Title. City: Publisher. |
| When to choose | Literature, languages, and arts courses; most English departments | History, theology, arts — disciplines where footnotes are conventional | Sciences, social sciences — when CMOS required but footnotes not preferred |
Common questions
FAQ
What is the key difference between MLA and Chicago?+
MLA uses author–page in-text citations — (Smith 45) — with a Works Cited page, and is the standard in literature and language studies. Chicago's Notes-Bibliography system uses footnotes or endnotes as the primary citation method, with a Bibliography, and is standard in history and arts. Chicago's Author-Date system, used in sciences, is more similar to MLA but cites year alongside the author and page.
Can I use MLA for a history paper?+
History departments typically use Chicago Notes-Bibliography rather than MLA. Footnotes are a longstanding convention in historical writing because they allow the author to provide extended commentary alongside citations without disrupting the main text. Always check your instructor's requirements, as some interdisciplinary or general humanities courses may accept either.
Does Chicago require a city of publication?+
Historically yes, but Chicago 17th edition no longer requires the place of publication for most books published after 1900 from well-known publishers. Older editions and some institutional style guides still include it. MLA dropped the requirement for the place of publication in its 8th edition (2016) and 9th edition (2021).
Going deeper
