what are the advantage of using APA formatting for academic papers?

Answer 1

APA is an author/date system.

The advantage on the references page is that it is easier to find most references and readily determine how recent they are.

In the internal document, APA is more geared towards dealing with graphs, charts, and figures (which social scientists are more apt to use).

Answer 2

The choice as to which style( APA or MLA) is appropriate for a given paper may be determined by three factors: the requirements of the particular course, the standard for the discipline in which you are studying, or your individual preference. If you are pursuing a major in the humanities, consider learning the MLA style. If behavioral or social sciences are likely to be your interest, then the APA style may be most appropriate.The way of citing your references is different for both,
and so is the way you use quotations.