MLA is the style mostly used for papers in the humanities. The standards are decided by the Modern Language Association. Learn the basics of MLA style in the video below, and for more complete information, visit our MLA Style Guide.
MLA style also governs rules such as what the first page of your paper should look like, formatting, and many other tiny details. If you need to learn about those, you can check the Purdue OWL's page on formatting.
APA is the style most used for papers in the social sciences, and is administered by the American Psychological Association. Find out the basics of APA style in the video below, and find more complete information in our APA Style Guide.
As with MLA, APA style also governs many details of formatting and arrangement of the paper. Formatting in APA is covered at the Purdue OWL page.
There are actually several more writing styles for other writing genres, such as medicine, technical studies, and journalism. These are mostly not used at Butte College, except for Chicago style, which some instructors use. Our guide to Chicago style is here.