FAQ: When should I italicize the title of a source in citations?

APA Style

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

• Journal/Magazine/News Articles:
  • The journal/magazine/newspaper titles are italicized.
  • Article titles are not italicized.
• Books:
  • Book titles are italicized. 
  • Chapter titles are not italicized.
• Artwork:
  • The title of the artwork is italicized.
• Webpage on a Website:
  • The title of the webpage is italicized.

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

MLA Style

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.

Campus Students

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Online Students

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