This is a breakdown of the differences between 4 citation styles used at Trine that is meant to be used for quick reference. For more detailed information, consult one of the official resources listed below.
http://www.trinewrite.com/writing-guides/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-ama-apa-chicago-mla-citations/
Here are some of the differences between MLA Style and Chicago (Turabian) Style. I. SELECTING A STYLE. 1) MLA STYLE. Primarily, the Modern Language Association (MLA) designed MLA Style for subjects related to the humanities and liberal arts, such as literature, mass communications, and media studies.
http://www.lousywriter.com/writingstyles/mla-style-and-chicago-style-of-writing.php
This media file contains a PDF with a side-by-side comparison of APA, MLA, and CMS styles. To find a specific example of a citation, use the search function (Command + F for Mac, Control + F for PC) and type in the type of example you need, e.g., Book, Three or More Authors, Journal Article, etc. Chart created by Justin King Rademaekers.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/949/01/
If MLA Style just doesn't seem as though it will work for the subject matter in your paper, you can make use of Chicago (Turabian) Style as a fallback. (Keep in mind that APA Style is available, too, and it's primarily aimed at subjects related to psychology and social sciences.). II. THE DIFFERENCES. If you still are unsure which style to use with your paper, one of the biggest differences between MLA Style and Chicago (Turabian) Style involves in-text citations. Chicago (Turabian) allows for footnotes and endnotes to cite sources, while MLA does not.
http://www.lousywriter.com/writingstyles/mla-style-and-chicago-style-of-writing.php
1 MLA: Parenthetical citation in MLA style must include at least the author's name. 2  It should also include the page number if a specific page is cited, and a short title if more than one work by the same author is listed in the Works Cited page at the end of the paper.
http://sun.iwu.edu/~writcent/mla&apa.html
After the author’s name in the sentence in parentheses. Author’s Last Name (2015) sentence text here with ”quote” (p. 10). OR. Author’s last name and date and page numbers for quotes in parentheses or before the sentence punctuation. Sentence text here (Author’s Last Name, 2015, p. 10).
http://www.trinewrite.com/writing-guides/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-ama-apa-chicago-mla-citations/
1 APA: Very similar to MLA. 2  APA in-text citation must include at least the author's name; also, the year of publication (with letters for multiple sources published the same year [1989a, 1989b]), and the page number, designated as p. 123. 3  APA uses more commas to separate blocks of information than MLA.
http://sun.iwu.edu/~writcent/mla&apa.html
Both MLA and APA include the same basic information: 1  Author's name. 2  Title of book/article. 3  Journal title*. 4  Year of publication. 5  Publisher. 6  Place of publication. 7  Volume number*. 8  Pages*. 9  MLA: Author's name. 10  APA: Author's name.
http://sun.iwu.edu/~writcent/mla&apa.html
1 APA in-text citation must include at least the author's name; also, the year of publication (with letters for multiple sources published the same year [1989a, 1989b]), and the page number, designated as p. 123. 2  APA uses more commas to separate blocks of information than MLA.
http://sun.iwu.edu/~writcent/mla&apa.html
You'll also find some differences in the formatting of each footnote, endnote, or bibliography entry in Chicago (Turabian) Style versus the Works Cited page in MLA Style.
http://www.lousywriter.com/writingstyles/mla-style-and-chicago-style-of-writing.php
difference between apa and mla?
The  difference between APA and MLA is APA uses more commas to separate blocks of information than MLA.  American Psychological Association uses more commas to separate blocks of information than Modern Language Association.