title of a presentation in quotes or italics

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Italics and Quotes for Titles: A Guide

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We’ve all been there. We’re writing along, solidly in the groove, when the Formatting Wall appears around a seemingly safe corner. Abruptly halting, you wonder: How the heck am I supposed to format this title?

Titles come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have rules for formatting that you master with just a little work. Italics, quotes, even plain text: they all apply in certain situations. How do you know which is which?

Use italics to set apart the title of a standalone work or a “container work”—that is, a work that has other, smaller works within it. Examples of titles that should be italicized include:

• Academic journals
• Music albums
• Large musical compositions such as symphonies and operas
• Anthologies of poems
• Art exhibitions

For example:

My brother insists that Fists of Fury is the best movie ever made.

Have you read the latest issue of Scottish Archaeology Journal ? It’s riveting!

I know it’s not a popular opinion, but I think La Boheme, by Giacomo Puccini, is an overrated opera.

I can’t believe the TV show Supernatural is in its fourteenth season.

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Use quotation marks to set apart the title of a subsidiary work or a work that is part of a bigger piece (one where the title of that bigger piece would be italicized). Examples of when to use quotes include:

• Book chapters
• Articles (published in a journal)
• Short stories
• Song titles
• TV episodes
• Works of art (including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and performance art)

Why do I have to read Hemingway’s “ A Clean, Well-Lighted Place ” in every English class?

I can’t get the tune to “Amazing Grace” out of my head.

Every time I think of William Carlos Williams, I get irritated. “ This Is Just to Say ” is a beautiful poem, but it reminds me of my terrible roommate.

And so you can easily demonstrate which is the work “inside” the other work with proper punctuation:

My favorite episode of Doctor Who is “Blink,” without a doubt.

I love everything by the Beatles, but I think “I Should Have Known Better” from A Hard Day’s Night is an underrated classic.

Modern Construction Envelopes is a very useful reference in general, but chapter 12, “Fabric Roofs,” is groundbreaking.

The highlight of the recent exhibition, Pin-Ups: Toulouse-Lautrec and the Art of Celebrity, had to be Steinlen’s “ Cabaret du Chat Noir .” It was fascinating to see in person what I’ve seen on a wall in every undergraduate dorm across the country.

There are, of course, exceptions. A few types of publications and creative works stand a little apart from the general categories of “standalone/wrapper work” and “subsidiary work.”

For example, dissertations are typically standalone documents, but their titles go in quotation marks.

The best dissertation ever written is “The False Optic: Poisoned Fictional Objects in Renaissance Revenge Tragedies.”

I’m always moved to tears by Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor , “From the New World .”

How to Remember

A relatively easy way to remember these rules involves whether a work is “big” or “little.” If it’s a grand, sweeping thing that might contain other bits within it, like a book or journal, then use italics. If it’s a smaller thing that might itself be contained within something else, like a newspaper article or work of art in an exhibition, then it goes in quotes.

Oh, and don’t forget to capitalize those titles correctly , in addition to formatting them right.

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• MLA titles: Formatting and capitalization rules

MLA Titles | How to Format & Capitalize Source Titles

Published on April 2, 2019 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on March 5, 2024.

In MLA style , source titles appear either in italics or in quotation marks:

• Italicize the title of a self-contained whole (e.g. a book, film, journal, or website).
• Use  quotation marks around the title if it is part of a larger work (e.g. a chapter of a book, an article in a journal, or a page on a website).

All major words in a title are capitalized . The same format is used in the Works Cited list and in the text itself.

When you use the Scribbr MLA Citation Generator , the correct formatting and capitalization are automatically applied to titles.

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Table of contents

Capitalization in mla titles, punctuation in mla titles, titles within titles, exceptions to mla title formatting, sources with no title, abbreviating titles, titles in foreign languages, frequently asked questions about mla titles.

In all titles and subtitles, capitalize the first and last words, as well as any other principal words.

What to capitalize

What not to capitalize, receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting.

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See an example

Use the same punctuation as appears in the source title. However, if there is a subtitle, separate it from the main title with a colon and a space, even if different (or no) punctuation is used in the source.

Example of a work with a subtitle

The exception is when the title ends in a question mark, exclamation point or dash, in which case you keep the original punctuation:

Sometimes a title contains another title—for example, the title of an article about a novel might contain that novel’s title.

For titles within titles, in general, maintain the same formatting as you would if the title stood on its own.

Titles and names that fall into the following categories are not italicized or enclosed in quotation marks:

• Scripture (e.g. the Bible, the Koran, the Gospel)
• Laws, acts and related documents (e.g. the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution , the Paris Agreement)
• Musical compositions identified by form, number and key (e.g. Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67)
• Conferences, seminars, workshops and courses (e.g. MLA Annual Convention)

Sections of a work

Words that indicate a particular section of a work are not italicized or placed within quotation marks. They are also not capitalized when mentioned in the text.

Examples of such sections include:

• introduction
• list of works cited
• bibliography

Introductions, prefaces, forewords and afterwords

Descriptive terms such as “introduction”, “preface”, “foreword” and “afterword” are capitalized if mentioned in an MLA in-text citation or in the Works Cited list, but not when mentioned in the text itself.

Example of descriptive term capitalization

In-text citation: (Brontë, Preface )

In text: In her preface to the work, added in a later edition, Brontë debates the morality of creating characters such as those featured in Wuthering Heights .

If there is a unique title for the introduction, preface, foreword or afterword, include that title in quotation marks instead of the generic section name when referencing the source in the Works Cited list or an in-text citation.

For sources with no title, a brief description of the source acts as the title.

Example of a source reference with no title

Follow these rules for capitalization:

• Capitalize the first word
• Capitalize proper nouns
• Ignore other MLA rules for capitalization

There are some exceptions to this general format: descriptions including titles of other works, such as comments on articles or reviews of movies; untitled short messages, like tweets; email messages; and untitled poems.

Exceptions to general format for sources with no title

If you need to mention the name of a work in the text itself, state the full title, but omit the subtitle.

If you need to refer to the work multiple times, you may shorten the title to something familiar or obvious to the reader. For example, Huckleberry Finn for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . If in doubt, prefer the noun phrase.

If the standalone abbreviation may not be clear, you can introduce it in parentheses, following the standard guidelines for abbreviations. For example, The Merchant of Venice ( MV ) . For Shakespeare and the Bible , there are well-established abbreviations you can use.

When you abbreviate a title, make sure you keep the formatting consistent. Even if the abbreviation consists only of letters, as in the MV example, it must be italicized or placed within quotation marks in the same way as it would be when written in full.

Abbreviating very long titles in the Works Cited list

Titles should normally be given in full in the Works Cited list, but if any of your sources has a particularly long title (often the case with older works), you can use an ellipsis to shorten it here. This is only necessary with extremely long titles such as the example below.

In the Works Cited list, if you are listing a work with a title in a language other than English, you can add the translated title in square brackets.

Example of a reference with a translated title

If you are using the foreign-language title in the text itself, you can also include the translation in parenthesis. For example, O Alquimista ( The Alchemist ) .

You don’t need to include a translation in your reference list or in the text if you expect your readers to be familiar with the original language. For example, you wouldn’t translate the title of a  French novel you were writing about in the context of a French degree.

Non-Latin script languages

For works in a language that does not use the Latin alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, or Russian, be consistent with how you mention the source titles and also quotations from within them.

For example, if you choose to write a Russian title in the Cyrillic form, do that throughout the document. If you choose to use the Romanized form, stick with that. Do not alternate between the two.

Yes. MLA style uses title case, which means that all principal words (nouns, pronouns , verbs, adjectives , adverbs , and some conjunctions ) are capitalized.

This applies to titles of sources as well as the title of, and subheadings in, your paper. Use MLA capitalization style even when the original source title uses different capitalization .

In MLA style , book titles appear in italics, with all major words capitalized. If there is a subtitle, separate it from the main title with a colon and a space (even if no colon appears in the source). For example:

The format is the same in the Works Cited list and in the text itself. However, when you mention the book title in the text, you don’t have to include the subtitle.

The title of a part of a book—such as a chapter, or a short story or poem in a collection—is not italicized, but instead placed in quotation marks.

When a book’s chapters are written by different authors, you should cite the specific chapter you are referring to.

When all the chapters are written by the same author (or group of authors), you should usually cite the entire book, but some styles include exceptions to this.

• In APA Style , single-author books should always be cited as a whole, even if you only quote or paraphrase from one chapter.
• In MLA Style , if a single-author book is a collection of stand-alone works (e.g. short stories ), you should cite the individual work.
• In Chicago Style , you may choose to cite a single chapter of a single-author book if you feel it is more appropriate than citing the whole book.

The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style , but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals , newspapers , websites , or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published. For example:

Use the same formatting in the Works Cited entry and when referring to the article in the text itself.

The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition , published in 2021.

This quick guide to MLA style  explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA.

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Gahan, C. (2024, March 05). MLA Titles | How to Format & Capitalize Source Titles. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/titles/

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As you will often find in English, there is an exception to the general rule. If you cite a play or a novel that's included in a large anthology of literature, the play or novel should be placed within quotation marks for the bibliography but still underlined or italicized in your essay. Thus, Death of a Salesman is italicized in your essay, but it is in quotation marks ("Death of a Salesman") when placed in a bibliography that cites the play within the anthology Discovering Literature . Also remember that all words in a title should be capitalized (except for interior conjunctions [e.g. Love o r Money ], which may be lower case).

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Properly Format Your Titles: Underlines, Italics, and Quotes | Writer’s Relief

by Writer's Relief Staff | Format Your Writing , Proofreading , Punctuation | 47 comments

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Formatting titles gives some writers a headache. Should the title of songs, stories, movies, books, screenplays, etc. be in italics or quotes? When you’re trying to remember if you’re supposed to use underlining or italics or quotation marks for titles, here are a few simple rules from Writer’s Relief.

Remember that people used to type their work or write it longhand. When titles needed to be italicized, italics were represented by underlining. These days, many people avoid underlining to minimize confusion between words that are underlined and hyperlinks.

3 Simple Tips For Properly Formatting Titles Of Books, Stories, Poems

1) Underlining and italics serve the same purpose. Never do both. Do NOT use quotation marks, underline, or italics together.

2) For any work that stands on its own, you should use italics or underline. (Stories or chapters from within a book are considered PARTS of the book.)

Quick Formatting Style Guide For Your Titles

Books: Italics or Underline

CDs: Italics or Underline

Articles (Newspaper or Magazine): Quotation Marks

Chapter Titles (not chapter numbers): Quotation Marks

Magazines, Newspapers, Journals: Italics or Underline

Names of Ships, Trains, Airplanes, Spacecraft: Italics

Poems : Quotation Marks

Plays: Italics

Short Stories : Quotation Marks

Song Titles: Quotation Marks

Special Phrases (“let them eat cake”), Words, or Sentences: Quotation Marks

Television Shows and Movies: Italics

Television and Radio Episode Titles: Quotation Marks

Knowing when to use quotes, italics, or underlining can be tricky. Writer’s Relief proofreaders can help you proofread your creative writing submissions to be sure your titles are properly formatted.

For more formatting and writing tips follow Writer’s Relief on Twitter!

47 Comments

The English language is hard, man.

Esperanto is a lot better. I suggest looking into it.

That is false, you actually may use both quotes and italics. In certain cases of course.

Thannks! Needed help quickly and got it here 😀

this was a really nice resource for writing a paper that drew on multiple types of resources, thanks. only thing I didn’t find was formatting for movies!

Samuel is correct. You may underline, italicize, or put a quotation mark around the desired title of a book. Many people, (at first,) used to underline the titles of books. People now tend to italicize or put a quotation mark around a title of a book.

Whenever possible, italicizing book titles is a must. However, on social media, we prefer to use ALL caps; we may be in the minority for that—according to a recent poll by Grammar Girl: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/formatting-titles-twitter-and-facebook

Thanks! I have a huge test tomorrow and needed to get some quick study time in.

Formatting needs to adjust for social media, italics aand underline doesn’t work across platforms…. we’re living in the internet age still ruled by the before Internet age period. As of yet unnamed. Please some one fix this and also think of a name. Thx

what about sculptures paintings etc?

jj, sculptures and paintings would be italicized.

Great information, thank you. Do you know how webinar titles should be formatted? Thanks you in advance.

TF, webinar titles should be italicized.

Do you italicize or use quotation marks for the titles of publishers?

Hi, Olivia– Neither. The publisher’s name is just initial capped.

Do all of these rules apply to only books or do they apply to screenplays as well?

Good article!

Very helpful article!

Thanks a bunch!

What if I’m typing the title of a song and quoting what someone said about that song in the same sentence? Is it okay to put quotation marks around both the song title and what the person said? I know it’s grammatically correct but it just doesn’t look right and seems confusing.

The correct way to do it is to put both in quotation marks. If you gave a list of song titles in a sentence, each would be in quotation marks, so having multiple sets of items in quotation marks in one sentence is not uncommon.

Hi, if i want to quote a sentence for text evidence and the author underlined a word in that sentence, then do I have to underline that word when I quote also? Thank You

In copying quoted material, you should follow the extract exactly.

What about albums/EP names? Quote or italics for those?

Per the Chicago Manual of Style, titles of music albums are italic.

Hi! How would you format a quote from a short story from a series? Would you put the series in italics, but the story title itself in quotes?

Would this be appropriate?

“‘Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me,’ I observed.” – Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, “The Red-Headed League”

Is the title of a film series e.g. Star Wars put in italics or quotes?

The name of a specific film is in italics. The name of the series itself doesn’t use italics or quotes. Hope this helps!

Okay so this sentence The author said “James Joyce’s Dubliners is a circular analysis of stagnation and entrapment leading to both individual and collective death in a dead city.” Am I suppose to italicize that or leave it as be? It was in an article.

Hi Nehemiah,

“Dubliners” is the title of a book, so it would be italicized. If the sentence is in quotation marks, it doesn’t need to be italicized.

I’ve been looking but I can’t find any rules around referring to a blog in copy. Does anyone know the rule for this? The context is as follows>

Joe also writes a blog: Good Grammar

Titles of blogs are in italics.

Hello, I would like to subscribe for this weblog to take latest updates, so where can i do it please assist.

You can sign up for our mailing list here: https://writersrelief.com/submit-write-now/

I realize this isn’t really about quotation marks, but I get the distinct impression you know your stuff. Perhaps you can answer this question for me. I do transcription and we don’t use italics. Instead, we use quotation marks. Here is the sentence causing me grief:

“Hi, I’m from “Fern”.”

According to the guidelines I need to follow, Fern has to be in quotations because it’s a magazine title. However, this just doesn’t look right to me. It is correct? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

We can’t really speak toward your particular case, since typically a magazine title would be in italics. Your company follows its own guidelines, so the guidelines we follow wouldn’t really apply. You could consider putting the magazine title in all caps, or using single quotations within the double quotations.

What would you suggest for musical works that are numbered, for example: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony? Should ‘Fifth Symphony’ be in italics or quotes, or just in normal type?

The title of a musical work is italicized. Whether there is a number in it has no relevance.

If you were to write the name of a charity, would you italicize, underline, or put it in quotation marks.

We recommend checking the Chicago Manual of Style for a definitive answer.

If I am referencing the title of a research paper or special assignment that I wrote, do I put it in quotation marks, or possibly capitalize the first letter in each word? For example:

“The Impact of Globalization on the Global Economy”

If one character is in dialogue with another and is quoting an extract from for example a Shakespeare play, should the quote be in italics? e.g. “I love the quote ‘I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space’.”?

You would seem to have it correct!

Angel Langner, This advice is about a year late, but I never did see an answer for you. Use single quotation marks inside the double quotation marks. “Hi, I’m from ‘Fern.’” Periods and commas are always inside quotation marks.

I have a paper on gender. I am trying to figure out what to use for the Me Too and Times up campaigns?

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AP Style Composition Titles

Home » AP Style » AP Style Composition Titles

The following guidelines are rules set out in the AP Stylebook for AP style book titles, computer game titles, AP Style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, AP Style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art.

In AP Style, magazines names and titles are governed by their own rules. See AP Style Magazine Names .

How to Capitalize Composition Titles

Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.

Capitalize an article (a, an, the) or words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in the title.

Put quotation marks around the names of all of the aforementioned types of works except the Bible and books that are primarily catalogs or reference materials. Items of reference include almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks, and other such similar publications. You should not include quotations around such software titles such as Adobe Photoshop or Windows.

You should translate a foreign title into an English one unless the specific word is commonly known by its foreign name. There is one exception to this and that is for reviews of musical performances. In such instances, you should generally refer to the work in the language that it was sung in, so as to differentiate it for your reader. However, musical compositions in Slavic languages are always referred to in their English translations.

For other classical music titles, use quotation marks around the composition’s nicknames but not compositions that are identified by their sequence. For example,

• Beethoven’s “New World Symphony,” but Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Below are a number of examples for composition titles in AP Style,

AP Style Book Titles

• “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• “The Magician’s Nephew”
• “Of Mice and Men”

AP Style Movie Titles

• “Saving Private Ryan”
• “Trouble With the Curve”
• “The Dark Knight Rises”

AP Style Song Titles

• “Stairway to Heaven”
• “Good Vibrations

AP Style Videogame Titles

• “Call of Duty”
• “God of War”
• “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell”

AP Style Opera Titles

• “A Night in the Chinese Opera”
• “Nixon in China”
• “The Lighthouse”

AP Style Play Titles

• “The Sound of Music”
• “The Book of Mormon”
• “Fiddler on the Roof”

AP Style Poem Titles

• “The Road Not Taken”
• “A Pretty a Day”
• “Seeker of Truth”

AP Style Album Titles

• “Appetite for Destruction”
• “And Justice for All”
• “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

AP Style Television Titles

• “How I Met Your Mother”
• “The Tonight Show”
• “Good Morning America”

AP Style Website Titles

Most websites and apps are capitalized without quotations. For example,

“Farmville” and similar computer games apps are an exception and should be in quotes.

For classical compositions, use quotation marks around the composition’s nicknames but not compositions identified by its sequence. For example,

• Dvorak’s “New World Symphony.”
• Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9.

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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
• 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
• Difference Between "Quote" and "Quotation": What Is the Right Word?
• Definition and Examples of Colons
• Learn the Correct Way to Use Quotation Marks in a Headline
• MLA Sample Pages
• Why, Commas Really Do Make A Difference
• 140 Key Copyediting Terms and What They Mean
• Internet Research for Lines of Poetry

• Hamersly Library

APA Style Guide 7th Edition

• Conference Papers/Presentations
• About This Guide
• Direct Quote
• Block Quote
• Indirect Quote
• Summary/Paraphrase
• Tables/Graphs/Images
• Personal Communications
• Book/E-book
• Journal Article
• Website/Webpage
• Social Media
• Thesis and Dissertations
• Video/Film/TV
• Music/Audio
• Visual Works
• Student Paper Guidelines
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GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS ANd Papers  

Conference Sessions and Presentations

Author Last name, First Initials. (Year and Date of Conference ). Presentation  title  [description]. Name of  conference, location. DOI or URL if available. 

Paper Published in Proceedings 

Author Last name, First Initials. (Year). Article title. In Editor First Initial, Last Name (Ed.)  Name of Proceedings (Page numbers). DOI or URL if available. 

EXAMPLES 

Conference Session

Lippold, S., Rach, J. & Fritsch, A. (2020 February 13-14).  Study program development: Building a bridge          between tradition and innovation - An unusual approach  [Workshop session]. 2020 European Learning          & Teaching Forum, Utrecht, Netherlands . 

Poster Presentation  

Ofori, E. & Wu, D. (2018 February 14-16). Video-based learning: Understanding usability, benefits, and           perception of using online educational videos [Poster session]. 2018 Conference on Higher Education           Pedagogy, Blacksburg, Virginia.    

Pap er Published in Conference Proceedings

Both, L.E. (2019) Why are some people optimistic while others are not?   In C. Pracana & M.           Wang (Eds.),  Psychological Applications and Trends 2019  (pp. 33-37). InScience Press.

          https://doi.org/10.36315/2019inpact008 

NOTES ABOUT AUTHOR, DATE, TITLE, AND SOURCE 

Author 

• List each author alphabetically by the authors last name and first name initial(s) in the order they appeared in the article.  Do not include titles, positions, or ranks in the authors name.
• Include the first 20 authors. If you have more then 20 authors include the first 19 and then et al. for the remaining authors. 
• Separate the authors by commas and the ampersand "&" sign. 
• For conference sessions and poster presentations, in parentheses  put the year first, followed by the month and days of the conference separated by a comma. For Example: (2020, July 18-21). 
• For papers published in conference proceedings, just list the year in parentheses.  

Presentation Title 

• For conference sessions and poster sessions, italicize the title. Include in brackets, the type of session.  
• For papers published in conference proceedings, use regular font. 
• The first word of the title and subtitle is capitalized as are proper nouns but all other words are lowercase. 
• If a title ends with a question mark or exclamation point, use those punctuation marks instead of a period at the end. 

Conference Title

• For conference sessions and poster sessions, use regular font for conference title.
• For papers published in conference proceedings, italicize the conference proceedings title. 
• Capitalize all major words.  
• List the Editors first initial and last name adding (Ed.) for one editor or (Eds.) for multiple editors after the last name, first initials of the last editor listed.  

Page Numbers 

• For conference proceedings, list the page numbers in parentheses. For example (pp. 125-145). 

Publisher 

• For conference proceedings, list the name of the publisher. 

DOIs and URLs 

• Include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if there is one available
• Omit the DOI if an article doesn't have one 
• If an online work has a DOI and a URL, use the DOI 
• Present the DOI as a web address. Precede the DOI number with https://doi.org/                                                           For Example: https://doi.org/100.1177/0013916518806686
• For online only sources without a DOI include the URL if available. 
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bigwords101

The Grammar Diva ™

Italics vs. Quotation Marks

May 9, 2013 By Arlene Miller 14 Comments

So you are writing a book title, and you wonder if you should put it in italics or quotations marks. What about a newspaper article? Yes, there are rules and they are not difficult. In general, big things go in italics, and parts of things go in quotation marks. If you are writing by hand (does anyone even do that anymore??), you can’t do italics (no, really you can’t), so you underline instead.

The following things should be in italics or underlined (please, not both!):

Book titles, magazine titles, newspaper names, movie titles, TV show titles, CD titles, pieces of art, operas, play titles, and even boats and airplanes (if you happen to give your boat or plane a name). 

The following things should be in quotation marks: (These should be double quotes, not single, unless you are quoting something within something already in quotes).

Chapter titles, articles in magazines and newspapers, TV episode titles, song titles, arias in operas, and any names of scenes or acts in a play.

Next question: Which words are capitalized in titles, anyway? Next blog post!

October 11, 2013 at 5:45 pm

I was reminded of this thread when I came across a question in this week’s Ken Jennings’ Tuesday Trivia (good fun at http://www.ken-jennings.com ). It was: “2. The Holy or the Broken is a 2012 book about the history of what song, originally written in 1984 but better known in a series of more recent cover versions?” I don’t know the book, but the question, without setting the title apart, verges on the confusion caused by the great “eats, shoots and leaves.”

October 11, 2013 at 6:01 pm

You’re right! Pretty confusing!

July 13, 2013 at 12:48 pm

I have always set book titles apart with underlining or quotes. I am afraid that this practice is quickly becoming a thing of the past with a majority of newspapers and magazines simply using the capitals that come with the title. This may come from the blogosphere where no constraints or tradtions are regularly observed.

July 13, 2013 at 4:43 pm

Book titles should be italicized. I have seen them quoted in newspapers (incorrect). I would rather be right than modern!

July 13, 2013 at 5:46 pm

My handwriting is bad enough without trying to write italics, I’ll try to find some examples of leaving any designator off.

July 13, 2013 at 6:00 pm

Don’t worry — you can’t write italics. If you aren’t typing, you simply underline instead of italicizing.

July 15, 2013 at 4:57 pm

I agree about being right rather than modern, Ms Qixote. I my first post here, I mentioned I read about you and this website in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. In Sunday’s book section I was amused to find all the books’ titles in quotation marks. Go gettem, Ms Diva!

July 15, 2013 at 6:24 pm

I’m not surprised. I think someone has to tell them about it!

May 23, 2013 at 9:03 am

If you told me back in college that someday I’d long for a courses in grammar, I would have thought you were insane. But here I am, eagerly awaiting your posts and wishing for more! Here’s a question. A writer I know is including the name of a boat in her story. She wrote: “We called it “the Wild Orange.” I know to put “Wild Orange” in italics, but what about “the”? Is it part of the title ( If so, it would be capitalized and italicized, right?) But I’m thinking that if I saw the name on the boat itself, it would just say “Wild Orange.” Soooo, dear diva, what do you think?

May 23, 2013 at 1:05 pm

Well, since she named the boat, I guess she can include The or not include it! I guess it depends what name she has painted on it! It could be really either one. If she has The Wild Orange painted on it, then everything is initial capped and in italics. If they just named the boat and didn’t put the name on the boat, I guess you would have to ask her what the actual name is. I could see it either way. I am glad you like the posts! I teach a five week course at College of Marin that has all this glorious stuff in it. The next one will the in the fall.Finishing up one tonight and then taking the summer off (from College of Marin, anyway!)

May 13, 2013 at 4:40 pm

Thanks Arlene. I knew most of these rule applications, but I still feel strange with the quote within a quote. As a reader that grammar rule makes sense. As a writer, I feel like I am attempting a headstand hatha yoga pose. That’s why I love good grammarians, copy editors and attentive readers.

May 13, 2013 at 10:47 pm

Yeah — you can always rewrite to avoid a quote within a quote. Rewriting is a good way to avoid some sticky grammatical situations!

May 11, 2013 at 9:50 pm

Arlene So how do you do this in an email, where you may not be able to italicize, or underline, or bold? In emails, I often use quotes around a book title, just to set it apart.

May 12, 2013 at 8:25 am

Really good question! I get annoyed when I cannot use italics!Why don’t they design programs for good grammarians! Seriously, I know most people just put quotes around things when there is no way to italicize or underline. I tend to just leave it and do nothing. I feel as if it looks incorrect if I am quoting something that shouldn’t be in quotes. I don’t know if there is any standard on this.

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Italics vs Quotation Marks in Titles

Explanation.

Generally and grammatically speaking, put titles of shorter works in quotation marks but italicize titles of longer works. For example, put a “song title” in quotation marks but italicize the title of the album it appears on.

Titles in Italics

( source type : example)

Books : On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous Magazines/Journals : Newsweek or Cave Canem Newspapers : St. Louis Post-Dispatch Pamphlets : How to Take Your Own Blood Pressure Movies/Plays/Musicals : The Producers or Two Trains Running or Hamilton Long Poems : The Odyssey or The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Radio/TV Program : This American Life or Game of Thrones Ballet/Dance : Les Sylphides or Rodeo Operas/Musical Pieces : La Traviata or Rhapsody in Blue Paintings/Sculptures : Mona Lisa or The Burghers of Calais Ships/Planes/Trains : Titanic or Air Force One or the Mistral Musical Albums : A Hard Day’s Night Computer/Video Games : Minecraft , Fortnite Web Sites : Facebook , Wikipedia

Titles in Quotation Marks

Articles/Essays : “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Book Chapters : “Legal Issues and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” Short Stories : “Fly Already” Short Poem s: “At Black River” Songs : “Can’t Buy Me Love” Radio/TV Episodes : “Rookie” from Queen Sono

Works Needing Capitals But Not Italics or Quotation Marks

Music in Number or Key : Prelude and Fugue in E flat Major Sacred Writings : Bible or Koran or Bhagavadgita Editions or Societies : Kittredge’s Shakespeare or Anglo-Norman Text Society Diseases : Tay-Sachs disease (but not cancer, polio, leukemia, etc.) Acronyms : FBI, NAACP, GIF Conventional Titles : U.S. Constitution or Declaration of Independence Student’s Paper Title : Role of the Djinns in Islamic Belief

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Titles in Essays (Italics or Quote Marks?)

4-minute read

• 26th February 2018

Formatting your own essay title is easy (just bung a Heading style on it). Unfortunately, the rules about formatting the titles of existing published works (e.g. a textbook or an article from a journal) are more complicated. Usually, though, it comes down to one question: italics or quote marks?

But most students will need to name a book, journal or website in an essay at some point, so it’s important to know how this works. To help you out, we’ve prepared this guide on when to use italics and when to use quote marks for titles.

When to Use Italics

Titles of longer works are usually italicised. A ‘longer work’ in this case is something presented as a standalone publication. Charles Dickens’ famous novel, for example, would be written as Great Expectations if it were named in an essay.

Other examples of longer works that should be italicised include:

• Books and book-length poems (e.g. ‘An analysis of The Wasteland shows…’)
• Journals, newspapers and magazines (e.g. ‘According to The Guardian …’)
• Websites and blogs (e.g. ‘The project was funded via Unbound …’)
• Films (e.g. ‘ Jaws broke several box-office records…’)
• TV series (e.g. ‘Many fans of The X-Files claim…’)
• Plays and other stage shows (e.g. ‘This production of Swan Lake is…’)
• Paintings and works of art (e.g. ‘The Mona Lisa is currently housed…’)
• Music albums (e.g. ‘The album Sticky Fingers was released in…’)

The key factor is that all of these are standalone products, not part of a greater whole. The main exceptions to this rule are holy texts, such as the Bible, which are not typically italicised.

Italics are also used for the names of particular vehicles in some cases, especially ships and spacecraft. For example, we might write about the space shuttle Enterprise or the HMS Beagle (note that the ‘HMS’ is not italicised, since this is an abbreviation).

When to Use Quote Marks

Quote marks , meanwhile, are usually saved for shorter works. These are often part of a larger publication, such as an article in a newspaper or a chapter in an edited book. For example, if we were to name a book and a chapter in one place we’d write:

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Hugh Wilder’s ‘Interpretive Cognitive Ethology’ was first published in Readings in Animal Cognition , edited by Marc Bekoff and Dale Jamieson.

As indicated by the italics, the book here is called Readings in Animal Cognition . ‘Interpretive Cognitive Ethology’, meanwhile, is an essay from the book, so we use quote marks for this title.

Cases where quotation marks are used for titles include:

• Chapters from books
• Articles in newspapers, magazines and journals
• Particular pages or articles from a website
• Individual poems and short stories
• Episodes from a TV show

It is also common to use quote marks for unpublished writing regardless of length. For example, if you were referring to an unfinished manuscript or a PhD dissertation, you would put the title in quote marks; but if these same documents were published, you would use italics.

Look Out for Exceptions!

The guidelines above will apply in most cases, but there are exceptions. The APA style guide, for example, recommends italicising book titles in the main text of an essay, but not in the reference list. As such, it is wise to check your style guide to see if it has specific advice on formatting titles.

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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.

Tech, Media & Entertainment

Movie Titles in Quotes or Italics? (Writing)

When it comes to writing about movies, one common question that often arises is whether to use quotes or italics for movie titles.

This seemingly simple question can actually be quite complex, as there are different style guides and conventions that dictate the proper formatting of movie titles.

Movie Titles in Quotes or Italics? In formal writing, movie titles are typically formatted in italics: The Godfather Inception In informal writing or social media, you can use either italics or quotation marks: The Godfather or “The Godfather” Inception or “Inception” However, different style guides may have different rules, so it’s always a good idea to consult the specific guide you are using.

Below we look at the various factors to consider when deciding whether to use quotes or italics for movie titles, and provide insights into the best practices based on research and industry standards.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Movie titles are an essential part of any film’s identity.

They serve as a marketing tool, capturing the attention of potential viewers and conveying the essence of the movie.

Therefore, it is important to present movie titles accurately and consistently in written materials, such as articles, reviews, essays, or academic papers.

Quotes vs. Italics: The Debate

The debate over whether to use quotes or italics for movie titles stems from the different style guides and conventions followed by various industries and publications.

Let’s examine the arguments for both approaches:

Quotes for Movie Titles

Using quotes for movie titles is a common practice in many writing styles, including the Associated Press (AP) style guide.

Here are some reasons why quotes are often preferred:

• Clarity : Quotes help distinguish movie titles from regular text, making them stand out.
• Consistency : Quotes are also used for other types of titles, such as book titles or song titles, creating a consistent formatting style.
• Readability : Quotes are familiar to readers and can make the text more visually appealing.

Italics for Movie Titles

On the other hand, using italics for movie titles is favored by other style guides, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) style guide.

Here are some reasons why italics are often preferred:

• Clarity : Italics provide a clear visual distinction between movie titles and regular text.
• Consistency : Italics are commonly used for other types of titles, such as book titles or scientific names, maintaining a consistent formatting style.
• Tradition : The use of italics for movie titles has been a long-standing convention in the publishing industry.

Industry Standards and Guidelines

While there is no definitive rule that applies universally to all writing contexts, certain industries and style guides provide specific guidelines for formatting movie titles.

Let’s explore some of the most widely recognized standards:

Associated Press (AP) Style Guide

The AP Style Guide, commonly used in journalism and news writing, recommends using quotes for movie titles.

According to the AP Stylebook, movie titles should be enclosed in quotation marks, such as “The Shawshank Redemption” or “Casablanca”.

This style guide prioritizes clarity and consistency in news reporting.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Guide

The MLA Style Guide, commonly used in academic writing and literary criticism, suggests using italics for movie titles.

According to the MLA Handbook, movie titles should be italicized, such as The Shawshank Redemption or Casablanca .

This style guide emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistency and following established publishing conventions.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide

The APA Style Guide, commonly used in social sciences and psychology, provides a different approach to formatting movie titles.

According to the APA Publication Manual, movie titles should be capitalized and italicized, such as The Shawshank Redemption or Casablanca .

This style guide aims to ensure clarity and consistency in academic writing.

Exceptions and Special Cases

While the aforementioned guidelines provide a general framework for formatting movie titles, there are certain exceptions and special cases that require additional consideration:

Foreign Language Films

When referring to foreign language films, it is important to consider the language of the text in which the movie title appears.

For example, if you are writing in English and referencing a French film, you would still follow the formatting guidelines of the language you are writing in.

In English, this would mean using quotes or italics, depending on the chosen style guide.

Film Series and Franchises

When dealing with film series or franchises, consistency within the series is crucial.

If the first movie in a series is formatted with quotes or italics, subsequent movies should follow the same style.

This ensures clarity and coherence when referring to specific movies within a larger body of work.

Titles Within Titles

Occasionally, movie titles may appear within other titles, such as books or articles.

In such cases, it is important to follow the formatting guidelines of the specific title being referenced.

For example, if a book title contains a movie title, the movie title should be formatted according to the rules for book titles.

FAQs – Movie Titles in Quotes or Italics?

1. should i use quotes or italics for movie titles in an academic paper.

In academic writing, it is generally recommended to use italics for movie titles.

The MLA and APA style guides both suggest italicizing movie titles to maintain consistency and follow established publishing conventions.

2. Can I use underlining instead of italics for movie titles?

While underlining was commonly used in the past to indicate italics, it is now considered outdated.

Most style guides, including the MLA and APA style guides, recommend using italics for movie titles instead of underlining.

3. Do I need to capitalize all words in a movie title?

According to most style guides, including the APA Style Guide, only the first word and proper nouns should be capitalized in a movie title.

Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions are typically not capitalized unless they are the first word of the title.

4. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a blog post?

The choice between quotes and italics for movie titles in a blog post depends on your personal preference and the style guide you follow.

If you are unsure, it is recommended to consult the style guide associated with your blogging platform or follow the guidelines of a widely recognized style guide, such as the AP Style Guide or the MLA Style Guide.

5. Can I use bold instead of italics or quotes for movie titles?

While bold formatting can be visually appealing, it is not commonly used for movie titles.

Quotes or italics are the preferred formatting options for movie titles in most writing contexts, as they provide a clear visual distinction from regular text.

6. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a screenplay?

In a screenplay, it is common to capitalize and underline movie titles instead of using quotes or italics.

This formatting convention helps differentiate between dialogue and other elements of the screenplay.

7. Do I need to include the year of release when formatting movie titles?

The inclusion of the year of release when formatting movie titles depends on the specific context and purpose of your writing.

In general, if the year of release is relevant to your discussion or analysis, it can be included in parentheses after the title.

However, if the year is not essential to your point, it can be omitted.

8. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a PowerPoint presentation?

In a PowerPoint presentation, it is recommended to use italics for movie titles.

Italics provide a clear visual distinction and are widely recognized as the standard formatting style for movie titles in written materials.

9. Can I use quotation marks within movie titles?

Quotation marks within movie titles can be used to indicate a specific element within the title, such as a quote or a song title.

However, it is important to follow the specific formatting guidelines of the style guide you are using and ensure consistency throughout your writing.

10. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in social media posts?

In social media posts, the choice between quotes and italics for movie titles is largely a matter of personal preference.

However, it is recommended to follow the formatting conventions of the style guide associated with your social media platform or use the style guide that aligns with your intended audience.

11. How do I format movie titles in a bibliography or reference list?

When formatting movie titles in a bibliography or reference list, it is important to follow the specific guidelines of the citation style you are using, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago style.

These style guides provide detailed instructions on how to format movie titles, including whether to use quotes or italics.

12. Can I use both quotes and italics for emphasis in a movie title?

Using both quotes and italics for emphasis in a movie title is generally not recommended. It can create confusion and make the title appear cluttered.

It is best to choose one formatting style, either quotes or italics, and apply it consistently throughout your writing.

13. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a newspaper article?

In a newspaper article, it is recommended to use quotes for movie titles.

The AP Style Guide, commonly followed by newspapers, suggests using quotes to distinguish movie titles from regular text and maintain consistency within news reporting.

14. Can I use a combination of quotes and italics for movie titles in a book?

Using a combination of quotes and italics for movie titles in a book can be confusing for readers.

It is best to choose one formatting style and apply it consistently throughout the book.

If you need to emphasize a specific element within the movie title, such as a quote or a song title, you can use quotation marks within the italicized title.

15. Should I use quotes or italics for movie titles in a film review?

In a film review, the choice between quotes and italics for movie titles depends on the style guide or publication’s guidelines you are following.

It is recommended to consult the specific style guide associated with the publication or follow the conventions established by reputable film review publications.

Summary – Movie Titles in Quotes or Italics?

Deciding whether to use quotes or italics for movie titles ultimately depends on the style guide or industry standards you are following.

The AP Style Guide recommends using quotes, while the MLA and APA style guides suggest italics.

It is important to consider the context, purpose, and audience of your writing when making this decision.

Remember these key takeaways:

• Quotes are commonly used in journalism and news writing.
• Italics are often preferred in academic writing and literary criticism.
• Consistency within a series or franchise is crucial.
• Consider the language of the text when dealing with foreign language films.
• Follow the formatting guidelines of the specific title being referenced in titles within titles.

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