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Do You Italicize Article Titles?

No, typically you don’t italicize article titles. Instead, you may enclose article titles in double quotation marks (MLA 9: “Article Title”) or simply use regular font without quotation marks (APA 7: Article title). The exact format for article titles depends on the style guide you’re using. Different academic disciplines use different style manuals that follow differing rules. However, generally, you do italicize the larger work of which the article is a part ( Journal/Magazine/Newspaper Title ) . 

Let’s look at how MLA 9, APA 7, and Chicago styles handle title formatting for articles.

MLA 9 Style for Article Titles

Since journal, magazine, and newspaper articles are part of a larger standalone work, you use regular font (not italics) for article titles and double quotation marks in MLA 9 style.

Here is a template for a magazine article in MLA 9-style:

Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Magazine Title , Publication Month. Year, pp. #-# or URL.

Here is an MLA 9-style reference list entry example for a magazine article:

Parker, James. “An Ode to My Thesaurus.” The Atlantic , July-Aug. 2022, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/07/an-ode-to-my-thesaurus/638453/

Notice the regular font for the magazine article and the italics for the magazine title:

• Article title: “An Ode to My Thesaurus”
• Magazine title : The Atlantic

MLA 9’s style manual uses the term containers for larger standalone works. For example, a book is a container for a chapter. Here are more container examples:

• Container –> Item in container
• Album –> Song
• Book –> Chapter
• Journal –> Article
• Television show/series –> Episode
• Newspaper or Magazine Publication –> Interview

Standalone works or containers are italicized . That includes the titles of the following:

• Journal Titles
• Magazine Titles
• Newspaper Titles
• Photo/Image/Painting
• Television series
• Webpages/Websites

Works contained within a standalone work should be enclosed in double quotation marks. In the works-cited entry, these titles are placed before the container’s, or standalone work’s, title. Titles of works that are part of larger standalone works include the following:

• Book chapters
• Interviews in a magazine
• Journal articles
• Magazine article
• Newspaper article
• Short stories
• Song on an album
• Webpage/Website articles

APA 7 Style for Article Titles

Since journal, magazine, and newspaper articles are part of a larger standalone work, you use regular font (not italics) for article titles in APA style.

Here is a template for a journal article in APA 7-style:

Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Publication Year). Title of the journal article: Subtitle of article. Title of the Journal, VolumeNumber (IssueNumber), Page#-#. URL.

Here is an APA 7-style reference list entry example for a journal article:

Jacoby, W. G. (1994). Public attitudes toward government spending. American Journal of Political Science, 38 (2), 336-361. https://doi.org/10.2307/2111407

Notice the regular font for the journal article and the italics for the journal title:

• Article title: Public attitudes toward government spending.
• Journal title : American Journal of Political Science

In APA 7, you italicize titles of sources that stand alone. Standalone sources are not part of another work. Standalone works that you italicize in APA include:

• Journal Titles ( not journal articles)
• Magazine Title
• Music Album ( not a song on the album)
• Newspaper Title
• Podcast ( not a podcast episode)
• Television Series
• YouTube Video

Works that are just a part of another work, like a chapter in a book, are not italicized. Sources that are part of another work and in regular font in APA include:

• Edited Book Chapters
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Podcast episodes
• Songs on an album
• Television episodes

Chicago Style (17th ed. notes-bibliography format)

Since journal, magazine, and newspaper articles are part of a larger standalone work, you use regular font (not italics) and quotation marks for article titles in Chicago style.

Here is a template for a newspaper article in Chicago-style:

• Author First Name Last Name, “Newspaper Article Title,”  Newspaper Title , Publication Month Day, Year, URL.

Bibliography:

Author Last Name, First Name. “Newspaper Article Title.” Newspaper Title , Publication Month Day, Year. URL.

Here are Chicago-style note and bibliography entry examples for a newspaper article:

• Emmett Lindner, “Keeping Up With Crypto,” New York Times , June 3, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/03/insider/keeping-up-with-crypto.html.

Lindner. Emmett. “Keeping Up With Crypto.” New York Times , June 3, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/03/insider/keeping-up-with-crypto.html.

Notice the regular font for the newspaper article and the italics for the newspaper title:

• Article title: “Keeping Up With Crypto”
• Newspaper title : New York Times

In Chicago style, you italicize titles of sources that stand alone. Standalone sources are not part of another work. Standalone works that you italicize in Chicago include:

Works that are just a part of another work, like a chapter in a book, are not italicized. Sources that are part of another work and in regular font in Chicago style include:

Citation Guides

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• Citation Examples
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Page Numbers
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide
• Bibliography
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• View MLA Guide

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The article title does not appear in in-text citations. It appears only in the corresponding works-cited-list entry. To cite the article title in MLA style in your works cited list, you need to follow the format given in the below template. An example of an article written by a single author is given for your understanding.

Works cited list template and example

The title of the article is in plain text and title case; it is placed inside quotation marks. Follow the punctuation and formatting as given in the example.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Journal Title , volume #, issue #, publication date, page range.

Etchells, Tim. “On the Skids: Some Years of Acting Animals.” Performance Research , vol. 5, no. 2, 2000, pp. 55–60.

The article title of a journal, newspaper, or magazine is never italicized in either APA or MLA style. In APA style, the article title is given in plain text and sentence case. In MLA style, the article title is written in title case and given in quotation marks.

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When writing a paper, do I use italics for all titles?

Simply put: no .

APA's Publication Manual (2020) indicates that, in the body of your paper , you should use italics for the titles of:

• "books, reports, webpages, and other stand-alone works" (p. 170)
• periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers)

Beyond APA's specific examples, know that certain types of titles are almost always written in italics. 

A general rule of thumb is that within the text of a paper, italicize the title of complete works but put quotation marks around titles of parts within a complete work. 

The table below isn't comprehensive, but it's a good starting point

On an APA-style  reference page , the rules for titles are a little different.  In short, a title you would italicize within the body of a paper will also be italicized on a reference page.  However, a title you'd place in quotation marks within the body of the paper (such as the title of an article within a journal) will be written without italics and quotation marks on the references page.

Here are some examples:

Smith's (2001) research is fully described in the Journal of Higher Education.

Smith's (2001) article "College Admissions See Increase" was published in the Journal of Higher Education after his pivotal study on the admissions process.

Visit the APA Style's " Use of Italics " page to learn more!

• Reading and Writing
• Last Updated Jun 12, 2022
• Views 2147387
• Answered By Kate Anderson, Librarian

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Comments (8)

• Nice, quick, concise listing. Good format to save for quick reference by AlonzoQuixano on May 14, 2015
• Thank you so much for the information. It was so helpful and easily understandable. by mary woodard on Jun 29, 2015
• Is it the same for MLA writing? Thanks Sara, Librarian: Lesa, Rasmussen College doesn't teach or focus on MLA for students. But if you have specific MLA formatting questions, I recommend you take a look at the MLA FAQ website here: https://www.mla.org/MLA-Style/FAQ-about-MLA-Style by Lesa D.W on Dec 04, 2015
• What about the name of a community program, for example Friend's Read. Would you use quotations or italics? Sara, Librarian: Adriana, great question. for organization or program names in the text of a paper you don't need to use italics or quotation marks. Just capitalize the major words of the organization or program like you did above with Friend's Read. by Adriana on Apr 11, 2016
• Thank you for this posting. I am writing a paper on The Crucible and, surprisingly, I couldn't find on the wonderfully thorough Purdue Owl APA guide whether titles of plays are italicized or in quotes. by J.D. on Apr 18, 2016
• this was really helpful, thank you by natalie on Dec 11, 2016
• thank you so much, this is very helpful and easy to understand. by Mendryll on Jan 24, 2017
• Thank you! I am also wondering, do you capitalize only the first word of the title when using it in the text of your paper, like you are supposed to do in the references list? Or do you capitalize all the "important" words like usual? Sara, Librarian Reply: Ashley, within the text of your paper you should capitalize all the important words like you normally would. Thank you for your question! by Ashley on Dec 04, 2017

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Do You Italicize Article Titles? (Ultimate Citation Guide)

Do you italicize article titles? Put them in quotes? Underline them? If you’ve ever struggled with how to format titles, this blog post is for you.

Do you italicize article titles?

No, you do not italicize article titles. You place article titles in double quotation marks. This formatting rule applies to article titles in MLA, APA, Chicago Style, scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, online, and most reference sections.

In this article, we’ll look at 11 specific scenarios so that we cover all the bases and answer all of your questions (Hint: only one scenario has an exception).

Do You Italicize Article Titles: Summary of Answers

I thought you might appreciate a summary table right here at the beginning.

I wanted to keep the table super simple so I only included two categories—type of content and whether or not you italicize it.

Check it out below:

Table of Contents

You might consider bookmarking this article in your favorite internet browser so that you can come back to this information anytime you want for a quick refresher.

Do Article Titles Get Italicized? (The One Exception)

You do not italicize article titles. You almost always place double quotation marks around article titles.

The only time you detour from quotation marks is when you write titles in an APA-style reference list. In that case, you write the title without any special formatting (italics, quotation marks, or underlining).

That’s the simple, direct answer.

Here are two simple examples of a properly formatted article title:

Wrong: Is Superman a Pisces

Right: “Is Superman a Pisces?”

Now, let’s look at other specific questions you might ask yourself when writing.

Do You Italicize Article Titles in MLA?

No, you do not italicize the titles of articles in MLA. You place the article title in quotes.

Here are two examples:

Wrong: 5 Signs He’s Too Tall For You

Right: “5 Signs He’s Too Tall For You”

Here’s an example of a complete MLA citation from a real article:

Kokoski, Christopher. “How To Become a Fortune Cookie Writer.” Christopher Kokoski, 16 Apr. 2021, www.writingbeginner.com/how-to-become-a-fortune-cookie-writer.

MLA , by the way, stands for Modern Language Association. The MLA Handbook is basically a stylebook for how to write information, format documents, and cite sources.

Do You Italicize Article Titles in APA?

You do not italicize article titles in APA. You place double quotation marks around the titles of articles.

Wrong: Will Ferrell Loves Baby Jesus

Right: “Will Ferrell Loves Baby Jesus”

APA stands for the American Psychological Association . APA is another style of writing, formatting, and citing information.

Do You Italicize Article Titles in APA References?

No, you do not italicize article titles in APA references or citation lists. You also don’t need to underline the title or put the title in quotes. You simply write the article title without any special formatting.

I understand the confusion when it comes to referencing sources in a list of citations at the end of a paper or article. The rule on titles is still “No, don’t italicize article titles,” but that doesn’t tell you WHAT to do.

The answer is that you don’t need to do anything at all. You simply list the title. Note that this is the ONLY exception to the answer in the answer box image at the beginning of this post.

Still, you don’t italicize the article title.

Wrong: Kokoski, C. (2021, April 16). How To Become a Fortune Cookie Writer . Christopher Kokoski. https://www.writingbeginner.com/how-to-become-a-fortune-cookie-writer/

Right: Kokoski, C. (2021, April 16). How To Become a Fortune Cookie Writer . Christopher Kokoski. https://www.writingbeginner.com/how-to-become-a-fortune-cookie-writer/

Keep in mind that style handbooks, like APA, tend to change over time. It’s a good idea to always check with the latest version of the APA style guide.

Do Journal Article Titles Get Italicized?

You do not italicize journal articles. You place double quotation marks around the title of journal articles in MLA and do not format the title of the journal articles at all in APA.

The confusion with scholarly journals is that you italicize the name of the journal, but you place quotes around the title of the articles in the journal. There is also a difference between the rules for MLA and APA-style reference lists.

However, in all cases, you do not italicize the title of journal articles.

Here are examples from MLA:

Wrong: Shamblen, Stephen & Kokoski, Christopher & Collins, David & Strader, Ted & Mckiernan, Patrick. (2017). Implementing Creating Lasting Family Connections with reentry fathers: A partial replication during a period of policy change . Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. 56. 1-13. 10.1080/10509674.2017.1327917.

Right: Shamblen, Stephen & Kokoski, Christopher & Collins, David & Strader, Ted & Mckiernan, Patrick. (2017). “Implementing Creating Lasting Family Connections with reentry fathers: A partial replication during a period of policy change.” Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. 56. 1-13. 10.1080/10509674.2017.1327917.

Do You Italicize Article Titles in Chicago Style?

What about Chicago Style? This is a good question since some of the “rules” are different between the style guides. However, the rule for italicizing article titles is the same.

You do not italicize article titles in Chicago Style. You place the title of the article in quotation marks.

Here are a few examples of Chicago Style :

Wrong: His article, Writing Love Squares: 13 Things You Need To Know , made some fascinating points!

Right: His article, “Writing Love Squares: 13 Things You Need To Know,” made some fascinating points!

Do Newspaper Article Titles Get Italicized?

You do not italicize the title of articles in newspapers. You place the title in double quotation marks. However, you do italicize the name of the newspaper.

Here are examples:

Wrong: Her article, Salvation by Dessert , appeared in The New York Times .

Right: Her article, “Salvation by Dessert,” appeared in The New York Times .

Note that, in these examples, the title of the specific article is in quotes but the title of the newspaper is italicized.

Should Any Article Titles Be Italicized?

You never italicize any entire article titles. You might, however, italicize unfamiliar foreign words or the titles of books you mention within an article title. But you do not italicize the entire article title under any circumstance.

I know this is somewhat of a repeat of the first question in the article, but sometimes I find it helpful to ask (and answer) the silly questions that summarize the information in a blog post.

Hopefully, this slight repeat helps you as it might help others.

For the sake of clarity, here are more examples of how to format article titles:

Wrong: The Problem With Smurfette

Right: “The Problem With Smurfette”

Since we’re about to look at a few rare scenarios you might face, here is a short video from Khan Academy to really nail down how to use quotation marks in titles:

Do You Italicize Foreign Words in Article Titles?

What about foreign words within the title of your article?

The Chicago Manual of Style says:

Italicize individual foreign words or short phrases that readers might not understand. Therefore, you should italicize only the unfamiliar foreign word or phrase within the title. Place quotation marks around the complete title of the article.

How do you know if a foreign word will confuse readers?

You check the English dictionary. If a foreign word or short phrase appears in the English dictionary, you probably don’t need to italicize it. If the word or phrase doesn’t appear in the English dictionary, then you can safely italicize it.

Just remember to place double quotation marks around the entire article title.

Wrong: The Best Teachers Embrace Juegos in the Classroom

Right: “The Best Teachers Embrace Juegos in the Classroom”

Do You Italicize the Title of Books in Your Article Title?

This is another very special circumstance.

You do not italicize article titles. If you name a book in the title of your article, you italicize only the name of the book. The entire article title is placed in quotation marks.

Here is an example:

Wrong: How Wicker Hollow Changed the Way I View Thriller Fiction

Right: “How Wicker Hollow Changed the Way I View Thriller Fiction”

Note: Wicker Hollow is the title of a book (in this case, it’s a book I wrote).

Do You Italicize the Title of Other Articles in Your Article Title?

This is a somewhat confusing question to ask, but I’ll try to clarify.

Sometimes you include the title of another article inside your article title. For example, imagine that you want to write an article about another, separate article.

When you reference another article in your article title, you italicize only the other, referenced article. However, the overall title of your article is not italicized. Rather, you place your article title in quotes.

Let’s look at a concrete example. Perhaps you read an article titled, “Fan Fiction 101,” and want to write about it. You decide to write your own article that references, “Fan Fiction 101”.

Here is the wrong and right way to format your article title:

Wrong: “My Take on the ‘Fan Fiction 101’ Viral Trend”

Right: “My Take on the Fan Fiction 101 Viral Trend”

Automatic Citation Generator

By the way, even though we already answered the question “Do you italicize article titles?”, I thought you might like a quick shortcut I use for citing sources.

My favorite automatic citation generator is made by Scribbr . It’s not perfect, but it usually works like a charm when I need a quick, accurate citation.

Best of all, it is free and generates:

• MLA citations
• APA citations
• Chicago Style citations

Final Thoughts: Do You Italicize Article Titles?

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you found all the answers you wanted (and then some).

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like these other articles:

• Why Do Writers Hate Adverbs (The Final Answer)
• Is Social Media Good or Bad For Writers? (The Final Answer)
• My Most Recommended Tools for Writers

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Thursday, February 23: The Clark Library is closed today.

APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Journal Articles

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Films/Videos/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Journal article from library database with doi - one author, journal article from library database with doi - multiple authors, journal article from a website - one author.

Journal Article- No DOI

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

• APA 7th. ed. Journal Article Reference Checklist

If an item has no author, start the citation with the article title.

When an article has one to twenty authors, all authors' names are cited in the References List entry. When an article has twenty-one or more authors list the first nineteen authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name. Rules are different for in-text citations; please see the examples provided.

Cite author names in the order in which they appear on the source, not in alphabetical order (the first author is usually the person who contributed the most work to the publication).

Italicize titles of journals, magazines and newspapers. Do not italicize or use quotation marks for the titles of articles.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

If an item has no date, use the short form n.d. where you would normally put the date.

Volume and Issue Numbers

Italicize volume numbers but not issue numbers.

Retrieval Dates

Most articles will not need these in the citation. Only use them for online articles from places where content may change often, like a free website or a wiki.

Page Numbers

If an article doesn't appear on continuous pages, list all the page numbers the article is on, separated by commas. For example (4, 6, 12-14)

Library Database

Do not include the name of a database for works obtained from most academic research databases (e.g. APA PsycInfo, CINAHL) because works in these resources are widely available. Exceptions are Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations, and UpToDate.

Include the DOI (formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/...) if it is available. If you do not have a DOI, include a URL if the full text of the article is available online (not as part of a library database). If the full text is from a library database, do not include a DOI, URL, or database name.

In the Body of a Paper

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

• APA 7th ed. Sample Paper

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/doi number

Smith, K. F. (2022). The public and private dialogue about the American family on television: A second look. Journal of Media Communication, 50 (4), 79-110. https://doi.org/10.1152/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02864.x

Note: The DOI number is formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/10.1152/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02864.xIf

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Smith, 2000)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

Example: (Smith, 2000, p. 80)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/doi number

Note: Separate the authors' names by putting a comma between them. For the final author listed add an ampersand (&) after the comma and before the final author's last name.

Note: In the reference list invert all authors' names; give last names and initials for only up to and including 20 authors. When a source has 21 or more authors, include the first 19 authors’ names, then three ellipses (…), and add the last author’s name. Don't include an ampersand (&) between the ellipsis and final author.

Note : For works with three or more authors, the first in-text citation is shortened to include the first author's surname followed by "et al."

Reference List Examples

Two to 20 Authors

Case, T. A., Daristotle, Y. A., Hayek, S. L., Smith, R. R., & Raash, L. I. (2011). College students' social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3 (2), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010

21 or more authors

Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L., Iredell, M., Saha, J., Mo, K. C., Ropelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetma, A., . . . Joseph, D. (1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society , 77 (3), 437-471. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1996)077<0437:TNYRP>2.0.CO;2

In-Text Citations

Two Authors/Editors

(Case & Daristotle, 2011)

Direct Quote: (Case & Daristotle, 2011, p. 57)

Three or more Authors/Editors

(Case et al., 2011)

Direct Quote: (Case et al., 2011, p. 57)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any.  Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number if given). URL

Flachs, A. (2010). Food for thought: The social impact of community gardens in the Greater Cleveland Area.  Electronic Green Journal, 1 (30). http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bh7j4z4

Example: (Flachs, 2010)

Example: (Flachs, 2010, Conclusion section, para. 3)

Note: In this example there were no visible page numbers or paragraph numbers; in this case you can cite the section heading and the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from. If there are no page or paragraph numbers and no marked section, leave this information out.

Journal Article - No DOI

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any.  Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. URL [if article is available online, not as part of a library database]

Full-Text Available Online (Not as Part of a Library Database):

Steinberg, M. P., & Lacoe, J. (2017). What do we know about school discipline reform? Assessing the alternatives to suspensions and expulsions.  Education Next, 17 (1), 44–52.  https://www.educationnext.org/what-do-we-know-about-school-discipline-reform-suspensions-expulsions/

Example: (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page number)

Example: (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017, p. 47)

Full-Text Available in Library Database:

Jungers, W. L. (2010). Biomechanics: Barefoot running strikes back.  Nature, 463 (2), 433-434.

Example: (Jungers, 2010)

Example: (Jungers, 2010, p. 433)

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In APA Style 7th edition, the source is italicized:

• The journal/magazine/newspaper titles are italicized.
• Article titles are not italicized.
• Book titles are italicized. 
• Chapter titles are not italicized.
• The title of the artwork is italicized.
• The title of the webpage is italicized.

For more information, see the APA Style's Reference Examples This link opens in a new window .

Longer works like books, journals, etc. should be italicized and shorter works like poems, articles, etc. should be put in quotations. For example, a book title would be placed in italics but an article title would be placed in quotation marks.

Chicago Style

The titles of major works like books, journals, etc. should be italicized (this also includes legal cases and some other special names) and subsections of larger works like book chapters, articles, etc. should be put in quotations. For example, the title of a legal case would be placed in italics but a book chapter would be placed in quotation marks.

More Information

• MLA Guide  (Shapiro Library) 
• APA Guide  (Shapiro Library)
• Chicago Style Guide  (Shapiro Library)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate use of italics and quotation marks in your class assignments and projects.

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Other APA Guidelines: Italics

APA has specific guidelines for the use of italics. You can find them in APA 7, Section 6.22. As a general rule, use italics sparingly.

According to the manual, italics are appropriate for:

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is… In the show Friends , Rachel and Ross… The American Journal of Psychology includes…

The term zone of proximal development means.... Adolescents labeled high risk should...

Scores ranged from 0 ( never ) to 5 ( continuously )

Equus caballus

Italics are inappropriate for:

• mere emphasis
• foreign phrases common in English (et al., a posteriori, ex post facto)
• Greek letters (α)
• nonstatistical subscripts to statistical symbols (Fcrit)
• chemical terms (OH, LSD)
• words, phrases, or letters presented as linguistic examples (note that APA 6 recommended italicizing these linguistic examples but APA 7 recommends putting the terms in quotation marks instead)

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Knowledge Check: Italics

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MLA Style: Basics

Formatting titles.

The second core element in bibliographic citations is the title of the source. Titles in English should be presented in title or headline case and either in quotation marks or italicized. End this core element with a period.

What do you mean 'either in quotation marks OR italicized'?

In general, the titles of longer works are italicized and the titles of shorter works are enclosed in quotation marks. [2.106] Books, movies, podcasts, musical albums, an journals are all italicized. Poems, YouTube videos, podcast episodes, song titles, and journal, newspaper and magazine articles are all enclosed in quotation marks.

Works without titles

If the work doesn't have a title, don't skip this element. Instead, write your own concise description of the source. Descriptions of works are not included in quotation marks. [5.28] Some untitled short works, like poems, use the first line as a title. In this case, include the first line as presented in the work and include it in quotation marks [5.29]

Shortening Titles

Very long titles can be shortened in your works cited list. Make sure you retain enough of the title for your reader to understand which source you're citing, and note that you've shortened the title with ellipses. The period or comma that ends the core element comes after these ellipses. [5.26]

What is title case?

Title or headline case is when you capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, subordinating conjunctions, and the first word of a title. Don't capitalize prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, the to in infinitives, or articles. [2.90]

What about titles in languages other than English?

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the title and words normally capitalized in prose. [2.91]

For additional guidance, consult the MLA handbook.

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Quoting or Italicizing Research Papers: What’s the Rule?

When it comes to citing research papers, there is often confusion as to the correct formatting of titles and whether they should be italicized or enclosed in quotation marks. This article will provide an overview of the rules for quoting or italicizing research paper titles, highlighting the differences between APA (American Psychological Association) style and MLA (Modern Language Association) style guidelines. We will discuss when quotes are needed, as well as how they differ from regular citations within a paper. Additionally, this article provides recommendations on best practices for ensuring accuracy throughout your research work.

I. Introduction to Quoting and Italicizing Research Papers

Ii. defining rules of grammar for quotations in academic writing, iii. benefits of using citations in research papers, iv. syntax considerations for directly citing sources within texts, v. punctuation guidelines when integrating quotes into sentences, vi. differentiating between italics and quotation marks when working with titles, vii. conclusion: employing appropriate techniques when utilizing citations.

When writing a research paper, it is important to properly cite and format references. This includes understanding how to correctly quote or italicize titles of academic sources.

The title of an article, journal entry, book chapter, or entire work should be placed in italics . For example: “Is Anxiety the New Normal?” An anthology of short stories could also be italicized (e.g., The Best American Short Stories). On the other hand, when citing individual contributions from within an anthology— such as essays or chapters— these should all be enclosed in quotation marks . Thus for this source we would write: “Can We Even Imagine Life Without Technology?”

Other materials may have both quotation marks and italics depending on their length; this applies mostly to longer works like books which can either receive full quotes around them e.g., “War and Peace” -or- they can simply have their name written in Italics e.g., War and Peace. While rules do exist about when each type of formatting should occur remember that ultimately you must follow your professor’s instructions as priority!

Grammar rules for quotations are a fundamental aspect of academic writing. This section will explain the necessary criteria and considerations when quoting within your work.

Quotations must always be used with utmost accuracy, as any misquotation or error in attribution can have severe implications on credibility and overall quality of research. It is therefore important to consider which type of quotation is most suitable for the context you’re using it in: direct quotes , where words from another source are reproduced verbatim; paraphrasing , where ideas from another source are reworded but still maintain original meaning; or even an indirect quote, which occurs when only part of the idea is being referred to without citing directly.

When including direct quotes into a sentence structure, they should always be enclosed by single quotation marks (‘ ‘). The citation should also include information about who said it (the speaker) and what publication (source) was quoted – though this may vary depending on your field’s citation conventions. On top of that, any changes made to direct quotes such as added emphasis or omission of certain words need to be explicitly marked off within brackets [ ] if there’s no risk readers might not recognize these alterations were done by someone other than yourself.

In terms of formatting itself – books titles & movie names should appear in italics whereas research papers would usually get placed inside double quotation marks (” “). Of course this could depend on some specific styling guidelines set out by a university department so best check those first before going ahead!

Accuracy and Validity

When citations are used in research papers, it allows for a higher level of accuracy. Sources can be easily verified as the researcher has provided details on where they have obtained their information from. This ensures that readers know exactly what resources were utilized in the making of the paper and helps them to understand any further context required to comprehend the argument being presented accurately. Furthermore, by giving credit where it is due, proper use of citations also acts as an assurance that ideas from other sources will not be plagiarized or misrepresented.

Recognition of Source Material Including appropriate citations provides acknowledgement and recognition for source material utilized within a paper. It encourages knowledge sharing between researchers and gives those who wrote previous works such as books or journals proper attribution for their contribution towards academics. Additionally, when quoting someone’s words directly within your essay, using quotations marks around these phrases is essential; however some style guides may require you to italicize research papers instead.

Comparing Citation Formats When citing sources in text, it is important to determine which citation format should be used. Depending on the type of source being cited (e.g., book, website) and the audience reading the document, one may opt for a more formal APA or MLA style of referencing versus a less-structured method such as Harvard Referencing. When citing published works from academic journals or research papers within text these are typically italicized , while webpages with no author attribution can often be referenced through direct quotes embedded into sentences using quotation marks. It is also important to take into consideration specific formatting requirements according to different platforms or outlets; articles written for publication in scholarly databases usually need strict adherence to certain protocols regarding punctuation use and capitalization rules when directly quoting sources within text sections.

In addition to writing standards set forth by an outlet’s submission guidelines, other elements that require attention include proper spacing around words contained inside quotation marks, accurate line breaks between citations without any additional characters added in order avoid confusion among readers unfamiliar with syntactic conventions related specifically to textual citing practices across multiple genres and disciplines. Any inconsistencies could result in discrepancies between original texts quoted verbatim from their authors and those appearing upon rereading once incorporated into new documents – potentially resulting lost meaning due further alterations beyond what was initially intended by writers whose work was originally consulted for inclusion during the composing process.

Integrating Quotations into Sentences

It is important to be mindful of punctuation when incorporating quotations into sentences. As a general rule, the sentence’s terminal punctuation should come before the citation. For example: He said “I will make sure it gets done.” In cases where there are parenthetical citations involved such as MLA or APA format, end punctuation should be placed outside of the parentheses following the quotation marks at all times.

Additionally, references to works such as books and research papers must be italicized in order for readers to clearly distinguish between quoted material and original writing. Therefore, according to MLA guidelines if you were citing something from a book called “The Unfinished Work” you would write It was apparent that his work had been left “unfinished” (Simmons). All titles which do not appear within quotation marks should also be italicized accordingly.

When citing titles of works, it’s important to know the difference between italicized and quoted words. Italics are used for longer works such as books or movies; quotation marks are typically reserved for shorter pieces, like articles or poems. For example: The Lord of the Rings should be written in italics, while a “Harry Potter” poem might appear within quotes.

It’s also essential to understand when research papers should be italicized vs. placed in quotations – which can get confusing! Generally speaking, journal articles and other short-form research papers will have their titles enclosed in quotation marks when mentioned outside of parentheses.

• For instance: “A Study on Hormones & Hair Growth”

However, any lengthy academic texts that involve chapters and multiple authors must use an appropriate level of formatting such as with italics (i.e., journals) or underlining (if writing by hand). Examples include:

• “Analyzing Ecological Impact Across Multiple Nations,” or even entire textbooks like The Definitive Guide To Physical Chemistry.

When it comes to citing sources in research papers, employing the right techniques can make a world of difference. The appropriate use of citations is essential for ensuring accuracy and integrity throughout your work. As such, when crafting any type of paper or presentation involving references from external works, be sure to utilize the following practices:

• Include In-text Citations – Whenever you reference ideas, facts or quotes taken from an outside source within the body of your text, always include an in-text citation that identifies where this information was found.
• Utilize Proper Formatting – When documenting what sources were consulted during research (known as ‘Works Cited’), adhere to accepted formatting guidelines which may vary depending on style requirements.

For example if using MLA format conventions then all titles should be not quoted . Additionally full bibliographic information must accompany each entry including author name(s), title & edition date among other data points. Similarly with APA referencing rules one would write out journal titles in full rather than abbreviate them while certain pieces such as newspapers need special attention too.

To ensure everything flows smoothly double check all entries against their respective style guides prior to submission – correctness here will go a long way towards getting top marks!

In conclusion, this article has provided a comprehensive overview of the rules and conventions associated with quoting or italicizing research papers. As we have seen, there is no single “correct” answer to the question; instead, various style guides provide guidance on how best to cite sources in academic writing. Ultimately, it is important for authors to be consistent when citing their sources so that readers can easily locate original source materials should they wish. While these guidelines may seem complex at first glance, with some practice they become second nature and help contribute towards creating an effective and well-referenced work of scholarship.

How do I actually write the names of the article and the journal/magazine in my paper?

To write the name of a journal/magazine title in the body of your paper:

• The title of the journal should be in italics - Example:  Journal of the American Medical Association
• Capitalize all of the major words.

To write the the name of an article title in the body of your paper:

• The title of the article should be in quotation marks - E xample: "Tiger Woman on Wall Street"

For more information, please see the following pages on the APA Style Blog :

• Title Case Capitalization
• Use of Italics
• Use of Quotation Marks

Thank you for using ASK US.  For more information, please contact your Baker librarians .

• Last Updated May 05, 2023
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Comments (8)

• Do articles contain address? by Danny on Mar 20, 2017
• On the APA References page add Retrieved from and the website address at the end of the citation. See the APA Help page for examples-https://guides.baker.edu/apahelp by ASK US on Mar 20, 2017
• Is this information the same for scientific research journals and articles (still within APA)? by Haley on Apr 03, 2017
• Yes, it is. See the APA Help guide for examples. guides.baker.edu/apahelp by ASK US on Apr 03, 2017
• Do I have to put the name of the author of the article or website the article was from? by Hailee on May 01, 2017
• The answer given was for the body of your paper. Here's how to cite an article both on the References page and in-text: Author Last Name, First & Middle Initials. (Date). Title of article: Subtitle of article. Title of Source, Volume(Issue), Page numbers. Retrieved from... In-text: Paraphrase: (Author Last Name, Year). Quotation: (Author Last Name, Year, p. Page Number). by ASK US on May 02, 2017
• Do I put the title of essay in single quotation marks if I write in UK English (APA)? by joseph on Mar 25, 2019
• See the APA Style Blog's post on How to Capitalize and Format Reference Titles in APA Style: https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2012/03/how-to-capitalize-and-format-reference-titles-in-apa-style.html by Patrick Mullane on Mar 25, 2019

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When to Punctuate Titles in Italics or Quotes

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You may have wondered in the middle of typing up a research project : Do I italicize  a song title? What about a painting?​ Even the most experienced writers have a problem remembering the proper punctuation for certain types of titles. Books are italicized (or underlined) and articles are put in quotation marks. That's about as far as many people can remember.​

Many teachers require students to use Modern Language Association style for research papers and essays covering language arts, cultural studies, and the humanities . There is a trick to remembering how to treat titles in MLA style, and it works well enough that you can commit most types of titles to memory. It's the big and little trick.

Big Things vs. Little Things

Big things and things that can stand on their own, like books, are italicized. Little things that are dependent or that come as part of a group, like chapters, are put into quotation marks. Think of a CD or an album as a major (big) work that can be divided into smaller parts, or songs. The individual song names (small part) are punctuated with quotation marks .

For example:

• The Sweet Escape , by Gwen Stefani, includes the song "Wind It Up."

While this is not a perfect rule, it can be helpful for determining whether to italicize or surround an item in quotation marks when you have no resources at hand.

Furthermore, italicize or underline any published collection, like a book of poetry. Put the individual entry, like a poem, in quotation marks. However: a long, epic poem that is often published on its own would be treated like a book. The Odyssey is one example.

Punctuating Titles of Works of Art

Creating a work of art is an enormous task. For that reason, you can think of art as a big accomplishment. That might sound a bit corny, but it will help you remember. Individual works of art, like paintings and sculptures, are underlined or italicized:

• Michelangelo 's David
• The Last Supper

Note that a photograph—although not any less significant or important—is often much smaller than a work of created art, and is placed in quotation marks. Following are guidelines for punctuating titles according to MLA standards.

Titles and Names to Italicize

Works to put in italics include:

• A sculpture or statue
• A TV Series
• A cartoon series
• An encyclopedia
• A newspaper

Titles to Put Into Quotation Marks

When deciding how to handle smaller works, put quotation marks around:

• A short story
• A commercial
• An individual episode in a TV series (like "The Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld)
• A cartoon episode, like "Trouble With Dogs"
• A newspaper story

More Tips on Punctuating Titles

Some titles are merely capitalized and not given additional punctuation. These include:

• Religious works, like the Bible or the Koran
• Common Keyboard Symbols: Names, Uses, and Styles
• Question Mark Definition and Examples
• How to Use Italics
• The Case of the Missing Italics
• Guidelines for Using Quotation Marks Correctly
• German Punctuation Zeichensetzung Punctuation Marks Part 1
• MLA Bibliography or Works Cited
• What Is a Citation?
• Turabian Style Guide With Examples
• An Introduction to Punctuation
• How to Write a Bibliography For a Science Fair Project
• Definition and Examples of Colons
• Difference Between "Quote" and "Quotation": What Is the Right Word?
• MLA Sample Pages
• 140 Key Copyediting Terms and What They Mean
• Learn the Correct Way to Use Quotation Marks in a Headline

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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

In-Text Citations

Resources on using in-text citations in APA style

Reference List

Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats

Other APA Resources

APA 7th Edition Citation Examples

Capitalization, article title, journal title.

• Volume and Issue Numbers
• Page Numbers
• Undated Sources
• Citing a Source Within a Source
• In-Text Citations
• Academic Journals
• Encyclopedia Articles
• Book, Film, and Product Reviews
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• Conference Papers
• Technical + Research Reports
• Court Decisions
• Treaties and Other International Agreements
• Federal Regulations: I. The Code of Federal Regulations
• Federal Regulations: II. The Federal Register
• Executive Orders
• Charter of the United Nations
• Federal Statutes
• Dissertations and Theses
• Interviews, E-mail Messages + Other Personal Communications
• Social Media
• Business Sources
• PowerPoints
• AI: ChatGPT, etc.

Capitalization: For all sources other than periodical titles (that is, newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals), capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns only. Do not capitalize the rest (see examples below).

All major words in periodical titles should be capitalized (for example, Psychology Today , Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. )

Italics: Titles are italicized for the following items:

• Books and ebooks
• Periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers)
• Websites and web pages
• Dissertations/theses
• Reports/technical papers
• Works of art

Capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns only.

Toughing it out at Harvard: The making of a woman MBA

Use italics and capitalize all major words. 

American Journal of Distance Education

Use italics and capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns only.

Student cheating and plagiarism in the Internet era: A wake-up call

See  Publication Manual , pp. 291-293.

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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

Knowing When To Underline Or Italicize: Your Go-To Guide

Updated: July 11, 2022

Published: May 27, 2021

Knowing when to underline or italicize can be confusing. But it doesn’t have to be! In this article, we’ll lay out all the basics, plus a few common difficulties that confuse many writers, so you’ll be an expert in no time.

At the end of the article, you’ll get the chance to practice your hand at some sample sentences, so you’ll be sure that you know the ins and outs of using italics and underlines.

Italics Vs Underline: Clarifying The Confusion

In the past (before computers and MLA handbooks), italics and underlines were used to emphasize certain words or titles within the text. It let the reader know what was important, or what was separate from the rest of the sentence. They were both used interchangeably, as long as they were consistent.

Now, with the ability to change formatting with the click of a button, italics are generally used to indicate titles, and only sometimes for emphasis. Meanwhile, underlining is mostly reserved to replace italics in handwritten papers. Manuals and guidebooks, such as the MLA handbook, are now widely used in large institutions or according to the country’s standards, so that specific writing conventions, grammar rules, and formatting styles have become uniform.

With that said, the general rule is that italics are used for titles of books, movies, TV and radio shows, magazines, works of art, and long poems. As mentioned before, underlining is a substitute for italics when writing titles by hand.

Proper formatting in an essay can be confusing for many students: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-blue-blazer-holding-white-paper-3727468/

Titles of long works.

Titles that should be italicized are longer works. These include titles of books, movies, TV and radio shows, journals and magazines, and long poems. In the next section, we’ll see how these works differ from titles of shorter works which are put in quotations instead.

• The novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, was published in 1847 under the pen name of Currer Bell.
• The movie Home Alone , released in 1990, made a worldwide total of $476,684,675 in box office revenue.

Titles Of Smaller Works

The titles of smaller works are put in “quotations” in order to differentiate them from longer works. These smaller works include titles of chapters, short stories, TV or radio show episodes, articles, and short poems.

In the examples below, note how you can recognize the difference between the shorter works and larger works just by seeing how they are emphasized in the sentence. This makes it impossible to confuse the title of a chapter with the book that it belongs to, or the episode from its TV show.

• The chapter entitled “The Castaway” in Moby Dick describes the near-death experience of a character named Pip.
• Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” was originally published in a Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine.
• The pilot episode of Friends , which was released on September 22, 1994, is called “The One Where Monica Gets A Roommate.”

Punctuation In Titles: Common Confusions

Question marks.

Confusion can come up when a title includes a question mark or an exclamation mark in the title itself. For example, the book Who Has Seen the Wind? includes a question mark in it.

The way to deal with these titles is to italicize the question mark as well, just as it is above. By doing so, you can differentiate this title from an actual question, such as writing: Have you read Gone With the Wind ?

The same idea applies to exclamation marks — for example, the movie Mamma Mia! , which includes an exclamation mark in the title. Note the italicization, and the difference between writing Mamma Mia! , the movie, and writing: I can’t believe that you never watched The Parent Trap !

Commas and periods

The confusion of commas and periods when it comes to quotations is a debate between different handbooks and countries. According to the MLA (Modern Language Association) handbook, commas and periods are placed inside of quotation marks.

• “The Seinfeld Chronicles , ” the first episode of Seinfeld , had 15.4 million viewers in America.
• Among the short stories of James Joyce included in the collection Dubliners are “Araby , ” “The Sisters , ” and “The Encounter.”

Solidify your new skills by completing practice sentences: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-black-and-white-stripe-shirt-looking-at-white-printer-papers-on-the-wall-212286/

Let’s practice.

Try your hand at your new skills! Below are five sentences without any italics or quotations. Italicize the longer works and put the shorter works in quotations. If you get stuck, check back in the article, and you’ll be an expert in no time. Be sure to pay attention to tricky commas, periods, and question marks.

• The Lazy Controller, chapter two of Thinking Fast and Slow, talks about multitasking and its effect on thinking.
• The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story by Catherine Perkins Gilman, was originally published in The New England Magazine in January 1892.
• John Lennon’s album Imagine included favorites such as Gimme Some Truth, How Do You Sleep?, and, of course, Imagine.
• The premiere episode of Family Matters is called The Mama Who Came To Dinner, and relays the drama of Carl’s mother coming to live with him.
• The short story Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway was first published in a magazine called Transition, and was only later published in his book Men Without Women.

Why Is Proper Indentation Important?

College essays  .

No matter what you study in college, most students write a lot of essays during their school years. While some degrees may put more of an emphasis on writing proper essays , most teachers and professors will expect a certain level of basic grammar and formatting knowledge. Before you even step foot into college, you’ll most likely be expected to write an application essay . It’s important to put your best foot forward, and small formatting rules can go a long way in making a good first impression.

Landing your dream job  

In addition to college essays, prospective employers and job positions will require and look for basic (or advanced, depending on the position) writing skills. Whether you think your dream job requires writing skills or not, writing is a part of everyday life and work, from emails and text messages, to presentations and reports. Having good writing skills will help you make a good first impression, land your dream job, and do your best work.

Proper writing is an important skill for any job: https://www.pexels.com/photo/writing-notes-idea-class-7103/

Having a successful career.

Though different students earn a degree for different reasons, many are hoping to work toward a successful career. In order to do this, the right preparation is key. Preparation may be earning a degree, gaining specific skills, or having the right guidance along the way.

University of the People prepares our students for successful careers by providing program advising , mentorship , and an emphasis on career development . We know that these extra details, much like formatting in an essay, make a big difference for the future success of our students. University of the People is a tuition-free online university that offers degree programs in business administration, computer science, health science, and education.

Wrapping Up

Now you know when to underline or italicize, and much more. To wrap up, italics should be used for the titles of longer works such as movies, books, and TV shows, and underlining for handwritten papers.

In addition, we hope you’ve learned the more tricky rules such as question marks and commas, and that you’ve given some thought to the importance of writing for your future education and success.

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