Chicago vs APA format: when to use each one

APA and Chicago are the two most commonly used citation formats at Honduran universities. Both give credit to sources, but in very different ways. Using the wrong one means automatic rejection. In this comprehensive guide, we break down the key differences, explain when each format applies, show how they are used across major Honduran universities, and highlight the mistakes you absolutely need to avoid.

Where each format comes from

APA (American Psychological Association)

The APA style was first established in 1929 by a group of psychologists and anthropologists who needed a standardized way to present scientific articles. It has since evolved through seven editions, with the current 7th edition published in 2019. Its core focus is clarity, precision, and proper attribution of ideas in scientific and social science disciplines.

APA places heavy emphasis on the publication date because in fields like psychology, education, and social sciences, how recent the information is matters enormously. A 2010 study may be outdated compared to a 2024 one.

Chicago (The Chicago Manual of Style)

The Chicago Manual of Style was first published in 1906 by the University of Chicago Press. It is one of the oldest and most comprehensive style guides in the English-speaking academic world. Unlike APA, Chicago offers two distinct citation systems, which makes it more versatile but also more confusing for first-time users.

Chicago prioritizes thorough documentation of sources, particularly primary sources, historical archives, and legal documents — contexts where the exact provenance of material matters more than its publication date.

The two systems within Chicago

This is a point many students overlook: Chicago is not one format but two.

1. Notes-Bibliography

This is the most common system in humanities, history, and law. It uses footnotes (or endnotes) for citations and a bibliography at the end of the document.

How it works:

• The first time you cite a source, the footnote includes the full reference
• Subsequent citations of the same source use a shortened form
• The bibliography at the end lists all sources in alphabetical order

Example footnote (first citation):

1. Roberto Martinez, Economic History of Honduras (Tegucigalpa: University Press, 2022), 145.

Example footnote (subsequent citations):

2. Martinez, Economic History, 160.

Bibliography entry:

Martinez, Roberto. Economic History of Honduras. Tegucigalpa: University Press, 2022.

2. Author-Date

This works similarly to APA: parenthetical citations in the text with author and year. It is more common in natural sciences and social sciences when an institution requires Chicago rather than APA.

Example in-text citation:

(Martinez 2022, 145)

Important note: Unlike APA, Chicago Author-Date does not use a comma between the author and the year.

APA 7 in detail

In-text citations

APA exclusively uses the author-date parenthetical system. There are several variations:

One author:

• Parenthetical: (Martinez, 2023)
• Narrative: Martinez (2023) notes that...

Two authors:

• Parenthetical: (Martinez & Lopez, 2023)
• Narrative: Martinez and Lopez (2023) found that...

Three or more authors:

• From the first citation onward: (Martinez et al., 2023)

Organization as author:

• First citation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023)
• Subsequent citations: (WHO, 2023)

Direct quote (under 40 words):

• Martinez (2023) states that "the Honduran economy showed signs of recovery" (p. 45).

Direct quote (40 words or more):

• Presented as a freestanding block, indented 1.27 cm (0.5 in), without quotation marks

Reference list

In APA, the final section is titled "References" (not "Bibliography"). It only includes sources that were actually cited in the text. Each entry uses a hanging indent: the first line is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented 1.27 cm (0.5 in).

Book: Martinez, R. (2023). Research methodology. University Press.

Journal article: Lopez, A., & Hernandez, J. (2022). Climate change impact in Honduras. Central American Science Review, 15(2), 34-52. https://doi.org/10.xxxx

Website: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras. (2024). Thesis formatting guide. https://www.unah.edu.hn/formatting-guide

Detailed side-by-side comparison

Aspect	APA 7	Chicago (Notes-Bib)	Chicago (Author-Date)
In-text citation	(Author, year)	Numbered footnote	(Author year, page)
Final list	References	Bibliography	References
Includes uncited sources	No	Yes (can include consulted works)	No
Indentation	Hanging indent	Standard indent	Hanging indent
DOI	Required when available	Optional but recommended	Optional but recommended
Use of "et al."	From the 1st citation with 3+ authors	From the 2nd citation with 4+ authors	From the 2nd citation with 4+ authors
Ibid.	Not used	Permitted	Not used
Page number in citation	Only for direct quotes	Always recommended	Always recommended
Recommended font	Times New Roman 12pt or Calibri 11pt	No specific requirement	No specific requirement
Spacing	Double-spaced throughout	Varies by publisher	Varies by publisher

Which format does each Honduran university require

Knowing which format to use is not a matter of preference — it is a matter of institutional regulations. Here is a general guide based on what we consistently see in the papers we review:

University	Primary format	Notes
UNAH	APA 7	Most faculties require APA 7, with institutional modifications to the title page and margins. Law may request Chicago.
UTH	APA 7 (modified)	Has its own institutional guide based on APA 7 with specific adjustments to the title page, dedication, and chapter structure.
UNITEC	APA 7	Standard across most programs. Some master's programs require their own format.
CEUTEC	APA 7	Follows guidelines similar to UNITEC as part of the same system.
UPN	APA 7	Predominant in education and social sciences.
UNICAH	APA 7 (modified)	Has institutional variations, especially in thesis structure.
USAP	APA 7	Standard format across most programs.

Key takeaway: While APA 7 dominates, nearly every Honduran university has its own modifications. Following standard APA alone is not enough — you need the specific institutional guide from your faculty.

Bibliography vs References: the distinction that matters

This difference trips up many students:

References (APA):

• Only includes sources directly cited in the text
• If you did not cite it, it does not belong in the list
• There should be a one-to-one correspondence between in-text citations and reference entries

Bibliography (Chicago Notes-Bib):

• Can include sources consulted but not cited
• More flexible and comprehensive
• Allows you to demonstrate the breadth of your research

Practical rule: If your advisor asks for a "bibliography," they likely expect Chicago format or an institutional variation. If they ask for "references," they expect APA.

Footnotes vs in-text citations: pros and cons

Footnotes (Chicago)

Advantages:

• Do not interrupt the flow of the main text
• Allow for additional commentary and explanations
• Ideal for historical and legal discussions with many primary sources

Disadvantages:

• Can accumulate and make the document visually heavy
• Take up more space on each page
• Easier to make numbering errors

In-text citations (APA)

Advantages:

• The reader immediately identifies the author and date
• More compact and visually clean format
• Easier to verify citation-reference correspondence

Disadvantages:

• Can interrupt reading flow when there are many consecutive citations
• Do not allow explanatory notes within the citation itself (require separate notes)

Common mistakes with each format

Frequent APA 7 errors

1. Misusing "et al." — In APA 7, "et al." is used from the very first citation when there are 3 or more authors. Many students still follow the APA 6 rule, which required listing up to 5 authors the first time.

2. Omitting the DOI — If a source has a DOI, it is mandatory to include it. Leaving it out is a formatting error.

3. Using "Retrieved from" before URLs — APA 7 no longer requires "Retrieved from" for most online sources. It is only used when the content may change over time (such as social media pages).

4. Incorrect hanging indent — The reference list must use a hanging indent. Many students use a standard indent instead.

5. Including "p." or "pp." in paraphrased citations — Page numbers are only required for direct quotes, though they are recommended for paraphrased content.

Frequent Chicago errors

1. Confusing the two systems — Using footnotes in a document that should use author-date, or vice versa.

2. Not shortening subsequent citations — After the first full footnote, subsequent footnotes for the same source should use an abbreviated form.

3. Misusing "Ibid." — Some advisors do not accept "Ibid." Always check with your university.

4. Incorrect bibliography formatting — In the bibliography, the last name comes first (inverted order), but in footnotes the name appears in natural order (first name last name).

5. Missing page numbers — Chicago expects page numbers in nearly all citations, not just direct quotes.

The worst mistake of all

Mixing formats — APA in some citations and Chicago in others. It is far more common than you would think, especially when copying references from different sources. When a student looks up references on Google Scholar, some export in APA and others in Chicago or MLA. If you do not verify each one, you end up with an inconsistent document that your advisor will reject immediately.

How to avoid it:

1. Define the format at the very beginning of your project
2. Use a reference manager (Mendeley, Zotero) configured to the correct format
3. Review all references at the end, one by one
4. If you copy a reference from another source, reformat it manually

Tools for managing each format

Tool	APA 7	Chicago	Free	Notes
Zotero	Yes	Yes	Yes	Excellent for both formats. Browser extension available.
Mendeley	Yes	Yes	Yes	Good Word integration. Owned by Elsevier.
Google Scholar	Yes	Yes	Yes	Exports citations, but not always in perfect format.
Purdue OWL	Yes	Yes	Yes	Quick online reference for formatting rules.
Cite This For Me	Yes	Yes	Partial	Generates quick citations but can contain errors.

Warning: No automated tool is 100% reliable. Reference managers make mistakes with Spanish-language sources, accented characters, and modified institutional formats. Always review your references manually.

Which format should you master

If you are a university student in Honduras, the short answer is: APA 7 first, Chicago second.

• APA 7 will be required for the vast majority of your assignments, regardless of your major
• Chicago will be needed if you study law, history, or a humanities-related field
• Vancouver is mandatory if you are in health sciences (medicine, nursing, dentistry)

Regardless of the format, what matters most is consistency. A document that uses a single format, even with minor errors, will always be better received than one that mixes two or three styles.

We master APA 7, Chicago, Vancouver, and the institutional formats of every Honduran university. Complete review, inconsistency correction, and 100% formatting compliance. Get a quote for your review.

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