Formatting Titles in Essays: When to Underline and How
When writing an essay, there are a few key rules to keep in mind regarding how to properly format titles of books, articles, newspapers, magazines, poems, songs, films, and other creative works. Learning when to underline and italicize titles is important for maintaining consistency and clarity in essays. This article will provide an overview of MLA and APA style guidelines for formatting titles as well as some best practices for applying them effectively in academic writing.
Underlining vs Italicizing Titles
In MLA style, the standard formatting for titles is to italicize them rather than underline them. Underlining was used in older style manuals, but italicizing has replaced it as the preferred method. The only exception is if your document is on a typewriter without italic formatting capabilities—in this case, underlining may be used instead. For documents produced on a word processor or computer, MLA specifies that titles should always be in italics rather than underlining.
APA style also prefers italics over underlining for formatting titles. APA allows underlining as an acceptable alternative if italics are unavailable. This could occur if submitting a manuscript for publication that does not support italics formatting. In these cases, APA states underlining is preferable to using quotation marks. Overall, APA still regards italics as the optimal method for distinguishing titles from the main text.
Applying These Formatting Rules
When writing an essay, application of title formatting rules depends on the type of work being cited or discussed within the text. Here are some general guidelines:
Book titles – Whether fiction or non-fiction, book titles should always be italicized. This includes novels, anthologies, reference books, etc.
Article/chapter titles – Titles of journal/magazine/newspaper articles, poems, short stories, essays, songs, episodes of TV shows or podcasts, chapters in books, and other “short form” works should be placed in double quotation marks.
Film/TV titles – Feature films, television series, documentaries, and other full-length visual/audio works should be italicized. Individual episodes may use quotation marks.
Websites/webpages – Website and webpage titles are usually not formatted, but if included in a citation in MLA or APA style, the title should be in quotation marks.
Plays/operas – Like book titles, plays and operas should be italicized for their full titles. Acts and/or scenes may use quotation marks.
Works within works – Any work mentioned within the text of another should be formatted according to its type. For example, an article title in a book chapter would use quotation marks within the regular book title in italics.
Consistency is key, so be sure to apply title formatting uniformly throughout your essay. Check your style guide if uncertain which type of format to use. While underlining can sometimes substitute for italics on occasion, italicizing titles is preferable whenever the formatting option is available. Following standard rules will help maintain professionalism and understandability in your academic writing.