When writing a paper, many people have questions about how to italicize article titles. They ask, for example, if the title of an article should be italicized when cited in a report (MLA style) or when writing a paper (Chicago manual of style).
The answer to this question depends on the type of publication. If you’re referring to a chapter in a book or an article in a journal, then the title should be italicized. But if you’re referring to an episode of a television show or the title of a poem, then you can use quotation marks instead.
Italics are used to emphasize words in a sentence and to create a visual effect. This is a great way to get the attention of your reader, especially when you’re trying to convey a message that you want to be very clear about. However, using italics excessively can make your writing hard to read or confusing for your readers.
Depending on the type of source, a variety of standard style guides exist that help writers determine how to italicize and quote titles of various works like books, films, songs, plays, newspapers, magazines, and journals. These standards may differ among organizations and publications, but the basic premise remains the same: to emphasize titles of longer works and to use quotation marks for shorter ones.
Some standard style guides require the titles of long works to be italicized while others specify quotation marks for shorter works, such as poems and short articles. This can be confusing, so it’s best to check out the various style guides before you start your research and writing.
MLA, APA, and Chicago styles all have their own rules for italicizing article titles. For example, in MLA 9, a journal or magazine title is italicized when it’s the title of an entire work; APA 7 uses regular font for article titles when they’re part of a larger piece of writing.
The AP Stylebook, which is the go-to style guide for American journalists, doesn’t italicize article titles in most cases. It uses double quotation marks when it does. It’s important to know which format your professor wants you to use.
If you’re unsure which style guide you should use, the Purdue OWL provides an extensive resource on style guidance for different types of writing, including reports and papers. It also has an online tool to assist in determining which style guides apply to your research.
In most cases, when you’re citing an article from a newspaper or magazine, it’s best to use double quotation marks for the title of the article. It’s also good to check the guidelines for your particular institution or publication to be sure that they follow the appropriate formatting.
If you’re referencing a website, it’s important to check the format your professor prefers for this information. For example, MLA and Chicago both agree on putting a website’s title in quotation marks when citing it in a report. This is a common format for websites that have lots of information, so it’s worth checking to be sure your document will look professional and consistent.
