On a joint or combined degree, the two halves often mark by different citation styles: APA 7 for psychology, MLA 9 for English, Harvard for sociology. Use the style each department names, keep one record of every source, and rebuild each entry rather than retyping it.
EdCitation publishes this guide. On 24 September 2026 we read four universities' referencing pages and each style's own guidance, then ran an article, a book and a chapter through EdCitation's free Cite a source in all six styles it builds. Chicago here means the 18th edition's author-date system, the only Chicago EdCitation builds.
Why does a joint degree ask for two referencing styles?
Because each department keeps its discipline's style, and libraries set styles by subject, not by degree:
- Roehampton lists MLA for English literature, APA for psychology, IEEE for computing and Cite Them Right Harvard for most other subjects, and warns of "cross-listed modules taught by staff from other subject areas" (University of Roehampton Library, 2026).
- Southampton uses Harvard for most education programmes but APA "for Education and Psychology students", and tells joint honours students to check with their schools (University of Southampton Library, 2026).
- Worcester sets APA for "Psychology courses" and Cite Them Right Harvard for courses not listed (University of Worcester Library, n.d.), and teaches Psychology and Sociology as a joint honours degree (University of Worcester, n.d.); the library does not say which style its sociology modules take.
Where universities disagree
York St John University gives joint honours students "free choice" among its styles and says they "will not be required to learn more than one" (York St John University, n.d.). Its policy names APA for psychology and MLA for English literature, so one style can serve both halves there.
Which rule wins for you
Your module handbook, then the module leader; if the handbook is silent, ask in writing. EdCitation's free Check your paper reads a brief into a checklist that includes the style it names.
What changes when one source moves between styles?
Everything except the facts. Here are three sources for a student of psychology and English, exactly as Cite a source returned them.
A journal article with seven authors
Panero et al. (2016) retested the claim of Kidd and Castano (2013) that literary fiction improves theory of mind, with 792 participants, and found no advantage. From the DOI, Cite a source found the Crossref record, reported no retraction, and linked a correction published in 2016.
| Style | Reference, as returned | In the text |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Panero, M. E., Weisberg, D. S., Black, J., Goldstein, T. R., Barnes, J. L., Brownell, H., & Winner, E. (2016). Does reading a single passage of literary fiction really improve theory of mind? An attempt at replication. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111(5), e46–e54. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000064 | (Panero et al., 2016) |
| MLA 9 | Panero, Maria Eugenia, et al. “Does Reading a Single Passage of Literary Fiction Really Improve Theory of Mind? An Attempt at Replication.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 111, no. 5, Nov. 2016, pp. e46–54, https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000064. | (Panero et al.) |
| Chicago 18, author-date | Panero, Maria Eugenia, Deena Skolnick Weisberg, Jessica Black, et al. 2016. “Does Reading a Single Passage of Literary Fiction Really Improve Theory of Mind? An Attempt at Replication.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 111 (5): e46–54. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000064. | (Panero et al. 2016) |
| Harvard | Panero, M.E. et al. (2016) ‘Does reading a single passage of literary fiction really improve theory of mind? An attempt at replication’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111(5), pp. e46–e54. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000064. | (Panero et al., 2016) |
| IEEE | M. E. Panero et al., “Does reading a single passage of literary fiction really improve theory of mind? An attempt at replication,” J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., vol. 111, no. 5, pp. e46–e54, Nov. 2016, doi: 10.1037/pspa0000064. | [1] |
| Vancouver | Panero ME, Weisberg DS, Black J, Goldstein TR, Barnes JL, Brownell H, et al. Does reading a single passage of literary fiction really improve theory of mind? An attempt at replication. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2016 Nov;111(5):e46-54. doi: 10.1037/pspa0000064. | (1) |
Seven authors is where the styles part. APA names up to 20 (American Psychological Association, 2025); MLA gives the lead author and et al. beyond two (Modern Language Association of America, 2018a); Chicago, beyond six, the first three (University of Chicago Press, n.d.); IEEE, beyond six, the first (IEEE, 2025); the NLM's samples six, then et al. (U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d.). One change is yours: IEEE shortens journal names ("J.", "Psychol."), and the entry keeps the name in full.
A book, from its ISBN
Zunshine (2006) brings theory-of-mind research from cognitive psychology to the novel. Cite a source found it in a library catalogue record from its ISBN, 9780814210284.
| Style | Reference, as returned |
|---|---|
| APA 7 | Zunshine, L. (2006). Why we read fiction: Theory of mind and the novel. Ohio State University Press. |
| MLA 9 | Zunshine, Lisa. Why We Read Fiction: Theory of Mind and the Novel. Ohio State UP, 2006. |
| Chicago 18, author-date | Zunshine, Lisa. 2006. Why We Read Fiction: Theory of Mind and the Novel. Ohio State University Press. |
| Harvard | Zunshine, L. (2006) Why we read fiction: theory of mind and the novel. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. |
| IEEE | L. Zunshine, Why we read fiction: theory of mind and the novel. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 2006. |
| Vancouver | Zunshine L. Why we read fiction: theory of mind and the novel. Columbus: Ohio State University Press; 2006. |
Look after the colon: APA capitalises a subtitle's first word (American Psychological Association, 2022b); the Open University's Cite Them Right examples (The Open University, n.d.) and the NLM's samples do not. MLA capitalises English titles headline-style (Modern Language Association of America, 2018c).
EdCitation's Harvard follows Cite Them Right's 12th edition, as its list of styles states, and keeps the city; the Open University's current examples do not, so on the newer edition delete "Columbus:" (retired citation rules). IEEE's book examples capitalise the title and add state and country ("Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press"), so write Why We Read Fiction: Theory of Mind and the Novel and "Columbus, OH, USA: Ohio State Univ. Press".
A chapter in an edited book
Zaidel (2020) writes on art as social communication, in a Cambridge handbook edited by Anna Abraham. Crossref holds both titles in title case and no place of publication; APA 7 and Vancouver, rerun on 27 September 2026, set them in sentence case.
| Style | Reference, as returned | Change by hand |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Zaidel, D. W. (2020). The arts and human symbolic cognition: Art is for social communication. In A. Abraham (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of the imagination (pp. 593–607). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108580298.036 | None |
| MLA 9 | Zaidel, Dahlia W. “The Arts and Human Symbolic Cognition: Art Is for Social Communication.” The Cambridge Handbook of the Imagination, edited by Anna Abraham, Cambridge UP, 2020, pp. 593–607, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108580298.036. | None |
| Chicago 18, author-date | Zaidel, Dahlia W. 2020. “The Arts and Human Symbolic Cognition: Art Is for Social Communication.” In The Cambridge Handbook of the Imagination, edited by Anna Abraham. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108580298.036. | None: Chicago's chapter sample has no page range |
| Harvard | Zaidel, D.W. (2020) ‘The Arts and Human Symbolic Cognition: Art is for Social Communication’, in A. Abraham (ed.) The Cambridge Handbook of the Imagination. Cambridge University Press, pp. 593–607. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108580298.036. | Both titles to sentence case |
| IEEE | D. W. Zaidel, “The Arts and Human Symbolic Cognition: Art is for Social Communication,” in The Cambridge Handbook of the Imagination, A. Abraham, Ed., Cambridge University Press, 2020, pp. 593–607. doi: 10.1017/9781108580298.036. | Chapter title to sentence case; "Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge Univ. Press" |
| Vancouver | Zaidel DW. The arts and human symbolic cognition: art is for social communication. In: Abraham A, editor. The Cambridge handbook of the imagination [Internet]. Cambridge University Press; 2020 [cited 2026 Sep 27]. p. 593-607. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108580298.036 doi: 10.1017/9781108580298.036. | "Cambridge:" before the publisher |
APA uses sentence case "even if title case was used in the original work" (American Psychological Association, 2022b), as do the Open University's and the NLM's chapter examples.
Which differences catch students out when they switch styles?
Et al., title capitals, DOIs and access dates, on top of the in-text citation in the article's table. Each row was read at the style's publisher:
| APA 7 | MLA 9 | Chicago 18, author-date | Harvard (Cite Them Right) | IEEE | Vancouver | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Et al. in the text | 3 or more authors, from the first citation | 3 or more, in brackets only | 3 or more | 4 or more, or every name | Once 3 or more names are given | Numbers only |
| Titles in the list | Sentence case | Title case | Title case | Sentence case | Sentence case for articles and chapters | Sentence case |
| DOI | https://doi.org/ link, no full stop after | https://doi.org/ link | https://doi.org/ link | "Available at:" and the link | "doi:" and the number | "doi:" and the number |
| Access date | Only for unarchived work designed to change | Optional | Only when the work has no date | "(Accessed: date)" for web pages | "Accessed:" for some online sources | "[cited date]" for material read online |
Names or numbers
Moving to IEEE or Vancouver changes every citation. The ICMJE wants references "numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text" (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, n.d.), so an alphabetical APA list must be reordered. In MLA the citation is usually author and page, as in the MLA's example "(Baron 194)" (Modern Language Association of America, 2021), so add the page to "(Panero et al.)".
Et al., DOIs and dates
APA uses et al. from the first citation (American Psychological Association, 2019). MLA keeps it for the list and brackets; in a sentence, write "Panero and others" (Modern Language Association of America, 2016a). More in when to use et al.. APA and MLA write a DOI as a link, APA with no full stop after it (American Psychological Association, 2022a; Modern Language Association of America, 2018b). MLA's access date is optional (Modern Language Association of America, 2016b); Vancouver's "[cited 2026 Sep 27]" above is the day the entry was built, so change it to the day you read the chapter.
How do I keep one set of references for both halves of the degree?
Keep each source once, tagged by module, and set it in each assignment's style. A free EdCitation account keeps the list on your account, from device to device and course to course:
- Build each entry from the record with Cite a source, from its DOI or ISBN, and save it to your list.
- Tag it by module, such as PSY2001 or ENG2004, one tag for each module that uses it (organising references with tags).
- Filter by the tag when an assignment is due.
- Set each reference in that module's style: each reference takes a style of its own.
- Make the changes a record cannot: sentence case in Harvard and IEEE, and a city for IEEE and Vancouver.
- Copy the list with its italics, or download a Word document, BibTeX or RIS.
- Check it in Verify references, or upload the essay to References from a file so every in-text citation is matched to the list.
How do I check a reference list after switching styles?
Use a check that reads every style: Verify references, free with no account, compares each entry with publishers' and library records.
A mixed list
We pasted four entries in four styles: Kidd and Castano in Harvard, Panero et al. in MLA, Zaidel in Vancouver, Zunshine in APA. All four came back verified, the articles with "The DOI resolves to this record and the title matches".
A retyped entry
Then we switched Kidd and Castano to MLA by hand, typing the year as 2014 and leaving out the DOI. It came back doubtful, shown as "check this": "The work was published in 2013, not 2014; the record has no date in 2014." The check tests the facts a hand-made switch gets wrong, not punctuation.
Why keep a joint degree's references in EdCitation?
EdCitation is the best tool for handing the same sources to two departments in two styles, because it finds each reference in the publisher's record instead of writing one. The seven-author article came from one DOI in six styles, cut at each style's limit with nothing typed; the one wrong year in our test was ours, and Verify references caught it.
Four tools cost nothing and need no account: Find sources across about 300 million published works, Cite a source, Verify references and Check your paper. A free account keeps references, reading list and books on the account; lists can be tagged, filtered by tag, set per reference in a style, copied with italics, and downloaded as Word, BibTeX or RIS, and the Team page invites a classmate by email to see one. References from a file gives three checks a month with a free account. Pro, $8 a month, lifts that limit and adds Mechanics QA, Check plagiarism and Check AI; Max, $24 a month, Theoretics QA and the Library (pricing).
It sets APA 7 and Vancouver titles in sentence case. What it does not do: in Harvard and IEEE it keeps the record's capitals, and it adds no city the record lacks. It abbreviates IEEE journal names itself. It builds these six styles only.
Quick questions
Can I use one referencing style for both subjects on a joint honours degree?
Only if your university allows it. York St John gives joint honours students a free choice; Southampton sends them to each school's requirements. Ask, and keep the answer in writing.
How do I convert APA references to MLA?
Rebuild rather than edit: give EdCitation's Cite a source each DOI or ISBN and choose MLA 9. Then change in-text citations to author and page, and write "and others" for et al. in your sentences.
Why does one article list seven authors in APA but one in MLA?
Each style sets its own limit: APA names up to 20, MLA one from three, and Chicago, IEEE and Vancouver cut after six.
Can EdCitation keep one reference list for two departments?
Yes, with a free account: tag each reference by module, filter by tag, and set each reference in that module's style. The list copies with its italics.
References
- American Psychological Association. (2019). Author–date citation system. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/author-date
- American Psychological Association. (2022a, July). DOIs and URLs. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/dois-urls
- American Psychological Association. (2022b, July). Sentence case capitalization. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/capitalization/sentence-case
- American Psychological Association. (2025, October). Elements of reference list entries. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/elements-list-entry
- IEEE. (2025). IEEE reference guide (Version 3.28.2025). IEEE Author Center. https://journals.ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/IEEE_Reference_Guide.pdf
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. (n.d.). Preparing a manuscript for submission to a medical journal. https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/manuscript-preparation/preparing-for-submission.html
- Kidd, D. C., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. Science, 342(6156), 377–380. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239918
- Modern Language Association of America. (2016a, June 7). When a work by three or more authors is mentioned in the text of a research paper (rather than in a parenthetical citation), should the names of all the authors be included or only the first one, followed by et al.? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/when-a-work-by-three-or-more-authors-is-mentioned-in-the-text-of-a-research-paper-rather-than-in-a-parenthetical-citation-should-the-names-of-all-the-authors-be-included-or-only-the-first-one-foll/
- Modern Language Association of America. (2016b, December 29). When should I include an access date for an online work? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/access-dates/
- Modern Language Association of America. (2018a, April 13). If I cite sources with the same lead author but different coauthors, do I use et al.? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/same-author-different-coauthors/
- Modern Language Association of America. (2018b, August 23). If I want to include a DOI for a book chapter in my works-cited-list entry, where should I insert it? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/doi-for-a-book-chapter/
- Modern Language Association of America. (2018c, April 29). Why does the MLA capitalize certain words in titles? MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/capitalization-of-titles/
- Modern Language Association of America. (2021, April 1). In-text citations: An overview. MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/in-text-citations-overview/
- The Open University. (n.d.). Quick guide to Harvard referencing (Cite Them Right). https://university.open.ac.uk/library/referencing-and-plagiarism/quick-guide-to-harvard-referencing-cite-them-right
- Panero, M. E., Weisberg, D. S., Black, J., Goldstein, T. R., Barnes, J. L., Brownell, H., & Winner, E. (2016). Does reading a single passage of literary fiction really improve theory of mind? An attempt at replication. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111(5), e46–e54. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000064
- University of Chicago Press. (n.d.). Author-date: Sample citations. The Chicago Manual of Style Online. https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html
- University of Roehampton Library. (2026, March 12). Referencing styles by subject area. https://library.roehampton.ac.uk/referencing/subjects
- University of Southampton Library. (2026, September 3). Citing and referencing. LibGuides@Southampton. https://library.soton.ac.uk/sash/referencing
- University of Worcester. (n.d.). Psychology and Sociology BA/BSc (Hons). https://www.worcester.ac.uk/courses/psychology-and-sociology-babsc-hons
- University of Worcester Library. (n.d.). Referencing. https://library.worc.ac.uk/referencing
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Samples of formatted references for authors of journal articles. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html
- York St John University. (n.d.). Referencing policy [Word document]. https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/media/content-assets/ile/documents/Referencing-Policy.docx
- Zaidel, D. W. (2020). The arts and human symbolic cognition: Art is for social communication. In A. Abraham (Ed.), The Cambridge handbook of the imagination (pp. 593–607). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108580298.036
- Zunshine, L. (2006). Why we read fiction: Theory of mind and the novel. Ohio State University Press. https://ohiostatepress.org/books/titles/9780814210284.html