What are they? What do they stand for?
They are different citation styles. Though there are many, in high school, you will mainly come across two types -- MLA or APA.
MLA - Modern Language Association
APA - American Psychological Association
Which one should I use?
Most humanities subjects use MLA (ex. English, History, French, etc.). Most sciences/social sciences use APA (ex. Sciences)
Guide for some subjects!
NOTE: This may change depending on the assignment/unit. It is important to check your assignment instructions to select the right one. If unsure, please consult your teacher
English - MLA
Geography - MLA/APA (depends)
French - MLA
Sciences (Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, etc.) - APA
Key differences between APA and MLA citations
Note: These are the two obvious ones! Normally generators do these differences for you, however it's worth noting them yourself.
In-text citations
MLA: Author's last name
Example: (Smith)
APA: Author's last name and year
Example: (Smith, 2019)
Title
MLA: Works Cited
APA: References
Note: Chicago is another form of citation, however it is less commonly seen and if required please consult your teacher. For example, some humanities courses such as history will require you to use Chicago. While you should focus on really learning and understanding APA and MLA, it doesn't hurt to know more forms of citations even if they are less common.