write a magazine title in an essay

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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Are Magazine Titles Italicized? (APA, AP, and Chicago)

You may have seen some magazine titles italicized and others not. This article looks at exactly which formats use italics for magazine titles and which do not and provides examples of how to reference a magazine in each format.

Are Magazine Titles Italicized?

If following the AP style, then magazine titles wouldn’t be italic; in Chicago and APA style, they would be italic. Therefore, whether or not to put a magazine title in italics depends entirely on the type of text and which formatting rules you are following.

As mentioned, how to write a magazine title in an essay is determined by what you are writing and which style guide you are adhering to for the text.

In an essay or paper, if the essay follows APA, MLA, or Chicago style, then you should put the magazine’s name in italics. However, you should not use it for the title of articles found within the publication.

In contrast, when you are using AP style in a paper, magazine titles are not in italics.

Most formal writing tends to follow either the Chicago, MLA, or APA rules; therefore, if you want to include a magazine title in an academic paper, it should be in italics.

The times when it wouldn’t be in italics are if you are following AP in your text; however, this style is mainly reserved for news and media outlets such as newspapers and magazines.

Are Magazine Titles Quoted?

In APA, MLA, and Chicago formats, magazine titles are not put in quotation marks.

However, in the Chicago and MLA styles, it is necessary to put the article’s title in quotation marks. In contrast, in APA, you should not put the article’s title in quotation marks, but you should use a capital letter for the first word.

In AP style, you should not put quotation marks around the magazine title, but it is common for people to put the article title in quotation marks.

Here are some examples of how a magazine title looks in the three formats: Please note that for AP, there is conflicting information regarding the “title” of an article in a magazine. Some guides indicate that it is placed in quotation marks, whilst others suggest it isn’t. The name of the magazine, however, should not be in quotation marks in AP style.

AP – Time magazine contains an article called “Is This the Hottest Year Ever?”
APA – Jones (1998) wrote an article in Time magazine contains an article called, Is this the hottest year ever?
Chicago – Jones (1998) wrote an article in Time magazine contains an article called, “Is this the hottest year ever?”

Are Magazine Titles Italicized in APA Style?

In APA style, which is commonly used for academic writing, magazine titles are placed in italics. However, although you should capitalize the first word of the article, the remainder of the article title should not be in capitals, italics, or quotation marks.

Here is an example of an in-text citation and a reference in APA style:

Turner (2021) wrote in an article in Vogue entitled, How to change your look in 7 days. (In-text)
Turner, A, (2021), How to change your look in 7 days. Vogue – (Reference)

Are Magazine Titles Italicized in AP Style?

In AP style, which is mainly used by media and news organizations, the titles of magazines are not in italics or quotation marks . According to some, the title of the article, if included, should go in quotation marks, but not everyone seems to follow this particular rule. Furthermore, when writing the article’s title, often in AP style, the words in the title are capitalized.

Here is an example of how a magazine title would appear in a newspaper article:

In the article “Have We Reached the Point of No Return?” found in this month’s Time magazine, the author looks at climate change and its consequences.
In the article, Have We Reached the Point of No Return?, in this month’s Time magazine, the author looks at climate change and its consequences.

Are Magazine Titles Italicized in Chicago Style?

In the Chicago style, which is used mainly for academic writing, the titles of magazines should be in italics, and the title of the article should be in quotation marks . The magazine title itself should never be in quotation marks.

Here are some examples of how a magazine would look for an in-text citation and a reference list:

Turner (2021) wrote in an article in Vogue entitled, “How to change your look in 7 days.” (In-text)
Turner, A, (2021), “How to change your look in 7 days.” Vogue – (Reference)

Are Magazine Titles Italicized in MLA Style?

The MLA system follows the same rules for magazines as the Chicago style. Therefore, for MLA style, the magazine title should be italic, and the title of the article should be in quotation marks.

Final Thoughts

Regarding referencing magazines in different styles, APA, Chicago, and MLA use italics for the magazine title. However, only MLA and Chicago use quotation marks for the article title. In contrast, in AP style, most of the time, magazine titles are not in italics.

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

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Formatting Titles

by Purdue Global Academic Success Center and Writing Center · Published October 2, 2020 · Updated November 5, 2020

Let’s face it: For whatever reason, formatting titles can be confusing, especially if you think about all the titles that need proper formatting–the title placed on the title page of a paper, the title of a journal article mentioned in the body of a paper, the title of a newspaper or a website on the list of references. There are titles of books and titles of chapters in those books; titles of blogs and titles of blog entries. Some titles are italicized and some are put in quotation marks. Titles on the list of references require formatting–some titles use title case, some sentence case; some titles are italicized and some are not. And then there are those situations where titles are used in in-text citations–some titles are truncated and italicized; some are put in quotation marks–you get the idea.

First off, I am not going to address how to format titles when citing in the paper or listing on the list of references—those are formatting guidelines for another time. I am going to focus on titles on the title page, the first page of the paper, and within a paper. Here is what you need to keep straight:

Titles require special capitalization called title case. Title case requires one to

capitalize the first letter of the first and last words of a title;
capitalize the first letter of all verbs;
capitalize all words of four or more letters;
capitalize the first letter of all other words except a, an, the, short conjunctions such as “for, and, but,” and prepositions of fewer than four letters (words like “up, in, off”);
capitalize the first letter of a word following a colon or dash;
capitalize the first letter of a subtitle.

When a title appears on the title page of an APA Style 7th edition student paper, that title should be centered, bolded, and in title case—no need to use all caps, no need to italicize or underline, and no need to use quotation marks or place a period at the end.

Simply type out the title using title case and bold it–that’s it.

On the first page of the essay, center and repeat the title, bold it, and use title case. Again, do not use any special formatting. Do not use a bigger font size or style. Do not underline or italicize and so forth. Just use title case, bold, and center the title on the first page of the essay.

Easy enough, right?

Titles that appear within an essay require special formatting in addition to title case. If the title is for an article—content that is part of a greater whole—then the title should have quotation marks around it. If the title is for a book, journal, newspaper, or some other whole work, then the title is italicized.

Let’s say you have an article titled “The New Coffee Culture” that appears in the journal Studies in Popular Culture . Let’s also say that for whatever reason, you name both titles in the body of your paper. The article “The New Coffee Culture” appears in the journal Studies in Popular Culture , so the article is content that appears in a greater whole, right?

Both titles would be in title case. The article “The New Coffee Culture” would have quotation marks around it, and the title of the journal, Studies in Popular Culture , would be italicized.

I hope this blogcast clarifies exactly what you need to do when formatting titles in typical usage situations in APA style.

Until next week–

Kurtis Clements

Daily Writing Tips

How to style titles of print and online publications.

The rules for formatting titles of compositions and their constituent parts may seem complicated, but they follow a fairly straightforward set of guidelines, outlined below.

Capitalization Titles of compositions are generally formatted in headline, or title style. In this system, the first letters of the following words are capitalized:

The first and last word of the title, regardless of part of speech
Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (such as although , because , and than )

In titles, the following words are lowercased:

Prepositions (except when they are used adjectivally or adverbially (in such phrases as “off day” and “come down”)
To when it is part of an infinitive (for example, “to exercise”)
All articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions (such as and , but , and or )

Emphasis Italics are used for titles of books, periodicals, films, television specials and series, and both series titles and episode titles for anthology programs like Masterpiece Theatre , though episodes of regular series, as well as titles of book chapters and magazine, newspaper, and online articles, are enclosed in quotation marks.

Some publications, including most newspapers and some magazines, use quotation marks for titles of all compositions as well as parts of compositions (but, oddly, use no emphasis except capitalization for their own and other periodical titles), but italics are almost always employed for this purpose in books, and I highly recommend maintaining this distinction in periodicals and online.

Titles of many nonfiction books include a subtitle following a colon, and except in informal usage, the full title should be used on first reference; the title alone — the part preceding the colon — can be used thereafter.

Note that magazine and similar descriptive words should be capitalized and italicized only if they are part of a publication title: refer to “the New York Times Magazine ,” for example, but “ Time magazine”; in the former case, magazine is officially part of the publication’s name. (In a context in which it is obvious that Time , for example, refers to the publication with that title, the word magazine can be omitted.)

Also, as shown in this example, do not capitalize or italicize the before a publication name, whether or not it is part of the title. Various publications differ in self-identification, even when their titles share a word — for example, the New York Times bills itself as “ The New York Times ,” while the Los Angeles Times omits the article — and this rule is designed to save writers the trouble of having to check individual publications for specific usage.

Titles of plays and of poems long enough to be published in book form are italicized; titles of poems short enough to be included in a collection in a book are formatted, like chapter titles, in quotation marks.

To determine how to treat titles of websites and their components, compare them to print equivalents: A website that sells products and/or services, even if it features content related to those offerings, is an online store, and the site name should not be formatted as a composition title. But titles of online versions of magazines and newspapers, and their articles and essays, should be treated like them; the same standard applies to titles of blogs (italicized) and blog posts (enclosed in quotation marks). However, titles of websites inspired by but not engendered by print publications, like online encyclopedias, are styled roman.

What about titles of videos posted online? Many such videos, especially those posted to video-sharing sites such as YouTube, don’t have titles — or lack well-thought-out titles — so they can just be referred to generically (“See Smith’s video about wombats”), with a link. For those with traditionally composed titles, however, use either italics or, especially for short videos, quotation marks.

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6 thoughts on “How to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications”

I dig the fact that you used the word “wombat” in this tip.

I was going to use aardvarks, but I already did that recently. Wombats featured in a novel I just read, and the rest, as they say, is mystery.

One can style the title of one’s blog however one wishes, just as website, book, magazine, and sometimes even newspaper titles or headlines are designed in ways that flout the functional rules. But in-text references and mentions in other publications should be formatted as explained in the post.

You explain title caps well, but I think it’s worth mentioning that its use is a matter of house style. The Globe & Mail (Canada’s self-appointed national newspaper) abandoned it years ago.

So I break the title rule. On my blog, “intentional rhythms,” I decided early on to use all lower-case for my titles as an artistic expression. Sometimes I think we put too much importance on titles. The real meat is in the text. That said, I know the rule and someday might grow my blog up to “Intentional Rhythms.”

Good point — many newspapers do use sentence style: “Man bites dog,” rather than “Man Bites Dog.”

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Writing Tips

Formatting Titles in Essays

2-minute read
8th May 2018

Handling your own headings is one thing, but how should you write the titles of other works? You need to mark them out somehow, and you have two standard options: italics or quote marks.

This is especially important in academic writing , as you’ll often have to discuss books and papers written by other people. Here, then, are some guidelines you should follow when formatting titles.

When to Use Italics

You can often spot a title from the capitalisation , but we still format titles to distinguish between different types of source. Titles of longer sources, for example, typically use italics:

Here, Kerrang! is italicised because it is the title of a magazine (i.e. a standalone work that is not one part of a larger whole). Other publications and productions that this applies to include:

Academic journals
Newspapers and magazines
Websites and blogs
Films and TV shows
Radio programmes
Plays and other stage shows
Book-length poems
Paintings and other works of art
Music albums

The key here, then, is that italics are used for longer published works .

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When to Use Quote Marks

We use quote marks for the title of anything that doesn’t fit in the list above. Usually, this will be something that is part of a more substantial publication, such as an article from a magazine:

In this case, we see both the magazine title and an article title. Using italics on the former and quote marks on the latter makes it immediately obvious which is which. Other cases where quote marks are required include:

Chapters from books
Academic papers and journal articles
Articles from newspapers and magazines
Single pages from a website or posts from a blog
Individual poems and short stories
Single episodes of a TV series
Single poems from a collection
Songs and other short recordings

In this case, the key is that quote marks are used for shorter works . However, quote marks are also used for unpublished works regardless of length (e.g. a draft manuscript or a PhD dissertation).

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How to Use Magazine Titles in Term Papers

Term papers are generally research-based works that encompass the major theme of a high school or college-level class. Term papers are usually written in two main formats: APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association). Both formats include guidelines for using magazine titles both in the text and in the end notes or bibliography. Magazines also are called periodicals.

Determine whether your term paper should be in APA or MLA format so you'll know which guidelines to follow.

Treat them properly. If you are merely mentioning the magazine titles in the text of the paper, treat them like proper nouns by capitalizing them, such as, "The paintings reminded me of National Geographic and Discovery magazine photos." Also, italicize the titles.

Know how to cite in text. When you use an article from a magazine as part of your research for your term paper, you can mention it in your writing. For example, "According to Time Magazine, Ben Bernanke was the man of the year for 2009." But, if no magazine or author is included in the text, you will need to cite the author and the page number parenthetically. For example: Ben Bernanke is not a typical "Beltway power broker" (Grunwald 6). This article will need to be listed at the end of the text in the Works Cited.

Capitalize and italicize magazine titles in the references section. The APA uses "End notes" and the MLA format uses "Works Cited," but in either case you capitalize the first letters in the words of the magazine title and italicize or underline the title when listing it. (See Steps 5 and 6 for descriptions of full citations of magazines.)

Follow the suggested format. In MLA format, a magazine article citation starts with the author's last name, then his first name and a period. The name of the article follows, with quotation marks around it and a period after it. Next comes the capitalized and italicized magazine title, then the day, month and year of the publication with a colon following. Next listed are the page numbers (which should be listed efficiently, meaning that if you are citing pages 101 to 107, then write 101-7). Follow the page range with a period, then the word "Print" and then a final period.

Know the other format. APA style starts like MLA, with the author's last name being followed by a comma, her first name, the year published in parentheses and then a period. Next comes the title of the magazine article with a period following. After that comes the capitalized and italicized magazine title, a comma, an italicized volume or issue number, another comma and then the pages of the article. A period ends the citation.

If you use a direct quote or statistic from a magazine article, make sure to cite the reference in the text and in the Works Cited or End notes.

Don't forget to check the spelling of the magazine titles you are using. Some magazine titles may be considered "wrong" according to spell check.

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Jennifer Zimmerman is a former preschool and elementary teacher who has been writing professionally since 2007. She has written numerous articles for The Bump, Band Back Together, Prefab and other websites, and has edited scripts and reports for DWJ Television and Inversion Productions. She is a graduate of Boston University and Lewis and Clark College.

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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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The Correct Way to Write an Article Title in a Paper

It is a cardinal rule to cite scholarly sources when writing a paper. Most professors will specify the approximate number of sources for a paper, essay, or assignment. A well-written academic paper is objective and has references or works cited page where you list the references used. However, how do you write the title of an article when writing a paper?

When you mention an online or magazine article in your essay, do not just do it as you please. There is a formula you need to follow depending on the referencing style. This post looks at how to title an article in an essay following the APA, Harvard, MLA, and Chicago.

Let’s commence.

How to Title an Article in APA

APA stands for American Psychological Association. The association published the first APA stylebook in the late 1920s. Over the years, the stylebook has been widely adopted beyond psychology. It has also been updated many times. The stylebook meticulously describes how to format every aspect of your essay.

Whenever you mention the name of a source in an APA essay, there are rules you need to follow. This is true for all sources, including articles, books, webpages, reports, chapters, etc.

The rules you need to follow depend on the type of source (standalone source or part of a greater thing). For some sources, you simply capitalize and italicize the main words; for others, you have to capitalize the main words and put them in double quotation marks.

You need to italicize and capitalize their names when you mention standalone sources. Standalone sources include a podcast, a TV series, a dissertation, a movie, and an e-book.

Examples showing how to write larger works in APA

Morbid: A True Crime Podcast (podcast title)
The Last of Us (TV series title)
Canadian Legal System Versus US Legal System: A Comparative Study (dissertation title)
The Pirates of the Caribbean (movie title)
For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America (e-book title)

On the other hand, when you mention sources that are part of a greater work, you need to capitalize them and put them in double quotation marks. Examples of these sources include a magazine article, a newspaper article, a blog post, and a journal article. This means mentioning any article must capitalize its title and put it in double quotations.

Examples showing how to write article titles in APA

“Study of Correlation between Criminality and Population” (journal article title)
“Effective Active Ingredients Obtained through Biotechnology” (journal article title)
“Doping in Cycling: Everything You Need to Know” (magazine article title)
“Do you know what is in Your Cosmetics?” (newspaper article title)
“35 Best Ways to Make Money Online in 2023” (blog post title)

Titling an article in a Harvard Style Format Paper or Essay

The Harvard referencing system was invented late in the nineteenth century by a Harvard University professor. The system has been widely adopted beyond the lecture halls of Harvard. It is popularly used to reference various works in the following fields: philosophy, behavioral sciences, and humanities.

When you name or mention an article in a Harvard essay, there are rules you must follow. There are rules you need to follow when you mention any work in a Harvard essay.

The rules you need to follow depend mainly on the size of the work. The titles of large works are formatted differently compared to the titles of small works.

Large works include books and journals. When you mention a book or journal in a Harvard essay, you must italicize the entire title and capitalize the major words.

Examples showing how to write large works in Harvard

The Lucifer Effect (book title)
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (book title)
Games People Play (book title)
Comparative Studies in Society and History (journal title)
Journal of American History (journal title)

The titles of smaller works are written differently in contrast to the title of large works. They are written by putting them inside single quotation marks.

Smaller works include journal articles, blog posts, web pages, web articles, etc. Whenever you mention these things in your essay, you must put them inside quotes.

Examples showing how to write smaller works in Harvard

‘Sex, Military Brothels, and Gender Violence during the Italian Campaign in the USSR, 1941-3’ (journal article title)
‘Hitler’s Worldview and the Interwar Kulturkamf’ (journal article title)
’10 POC-Owned Advisory Businesses With Insanely Great Marketing’ (blog post title)
‘How to Use Instagram for Your Financial Planning Business’ (blog post title)
‘These 9 Decorative Accessory Trends Are About to Pop Off in Your Group Text’ (web page title)

How to Title an Article in MLA

MLA is an acronym for Modern Language Association. The association started in 1883 to promote the study of modern languages and literature. It published the first stylebook in 1953 and has made major updates to it a number of times. The MLA style is widely used in the following fields: cultural studies, comparative literature, literary criticism, foreign languages, and English studies. It is also used in humanities disciplines.

When you mention an article or any other source in MLA, there are rules you need to follow. The rules largely depend on the type of source you mention.

When you mention a large standalone work (a book, a film, a journal, a website, a magazine, or a movie), you must italicize it and then capitalize all major words. (You should capitalize articles in the middle of the title, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions.

Examples showing how to write large works in MLA

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (book title)
Literary Theory: An Introduction (book title)
Fast Company (magazine title)
Library Philosophy and Practice (journal title)
Teens Dealing with Death; When Someone Dies: Understanding Grief (movie title)

When you mention a singular article (journal or otherwise) or any other smaller work, you must put it in double quotation marks. No italicizing as in the case of larger works. Examples of smaller works that need to be put in quotes include journal articles, web articles, news articles, book chapters, songs, short stories, TV episodes, magazine articles, and poems.

Examples showing how to write smaller works in MLA

“Collaborative writing among young EFL learners in a school context: product and process” (journal article title)
“Investigating cohort effects of early foreign language learning” (journal article title)
“Studying French is easy: 10 tips to learn French fast” (web article title)
“ChatGPT Gets Dartmouth Talking” (news article title)
“Do not go gentle into that good night” (poem title)

How to Title an Article in a Chicago Format Essay/Paper

Chicago format is an American English formatting style invented by the University of Chicago in 1906. It is widely used in many academic disciplines (fine arts, history, and business) and book publishing.

When writing an essay according to the Chicago stylebook, you must follow everything recommended in it. How you are supposed to write the title of a journal or a book is not the same way you are supposed to write the title of a journal article or a book chapter.

The Chicago Manual of Style requires you to italicize the title of all standalone works you mention in your essay. Standalone works that you must italicize include journals, books, plays, and so on.

Examples showing how to write the titles of standalone works in Chicago

Internal Journal of Art & Design Education (journal-title title)
Studies in Art Education (journal title)
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (book title)
Rich Dad Poor Dad (book title)
Long Day’s Journey Into Night (play title)

The Chicago Manual requires you to enclose the title of short works in double quotation marks. Examples of short works that need to be enclosed include journal articles, magazine articles, news articles, book chapters, etc.

“Frank Gehry’s non-trivial drawings as gestures” drawdlings and kinaesthetic approach to architecture” (journal article title)
“The Saka ‘Animal Style’ in Context: Material, Technology, Form and Use” (journal article title)
“An Abandoned, Industrial Ruin Bursts With New Life in Delaware” (magazine article title)
“The Unfinished Business of International Business Tax Reform” (news article title)
“The Technologies Behind Bitcoin” (book chapter title)

On a Final Note!

You now know how to format standalone and shorter works in APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago. Therefore, when asked to write an essay following any of these formatting styles, you should be able to correctly mention or talk about any article or larger work in your essay.

Try our paper editing service if you need help editing your essay to conform to APA, MLA, Harvard, or Chicago standards. We offer essay editing services at affordable rates. We can edit any work to meet any academic requirements. Check out our other writing and homework help services .

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

MLA Style Guide, 7th Edition: Titles

About In-text Citations
In-text Examples
How to Paraphrase and Quote
What to Include
Editors, Translators, etc.
Publication Date
Volume/Issue
Place of Publication
Date of Access (when needed)
Book with Personal Author(s)
Book with Editor(s)
Book with Organization as Author
Work with No Author
Parts of Books or Anthologies
Multi-Volume Works
Journal Article
Newspaper Article
Magazine Article
Government Publication
Web Publications
Other Common Sources
Formatting Your Paper
Formatting Your 'Works Cited' List
Annotated Bibliography

General Rules for Titles in Works Cited List (in progress)

In general, the title of a work is taken from the title page of the publication. Refer to section 3.6.4 of the MLA Manual for more about titles and quotations within titles. Section 3.6.5 discusses exceptions to the rules.

Rules for capitalizing are strict. Capitalize all principal words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.). Do not capitalize articles, prepostions, or conjunctions when they fall in the middle of a title.
Separate a subtitle with a colon and a space.
Italicize titles of larger works like books, periodicals, databases, and Web sites.
Use quotation marks for titles published in larger works like articles, essays, chapters, poems, Web pages, songs, and speeches.

Book titles

Book titles are italicized.

Writing Matters: A Handbook for Writing and Research (book)
Their Eyes Were Watching God
All the Pretty Horses

Chapter title in a book or anthology

The book title is italicized ; the title of the article or essay is enclosed in quotations.

Henderson, Carol E. "Refiguring the Flesh: The Word, the Body, and the Rituals of Being Loved in Beloved and Go Tell It on the Mountain ." Critical Insights: Toni Morrison . Ed. Solomon O. Iyasere and Marla W. Iyasere. Pasadena: Salem P, 2010. Print.

Beloved and Go Tell It on the Mountain (book titles) remain italicized in the article title.

Journals and Magazines

The title of the periodical (journal, magazine, or newspaper) is italicized. The title of the article or work is enclosed in quotations.

Danport, Sandra. " A Study of Malawian Households." Journal of Developing Areas ...

Gardiner, Andy. "Stanford Could Lose QB, Coach." USA Today ...

The title of the periodical (journal, magazine, or newspaper) is italicized. The title of the article or work is enclosed in quotations. Omit any introductory article in the newspaper title for English-language newspapers ( Palm Beach Post, not The Palm Beach Post ). Retain the article in non-English language newspapers ( Le monde ).

The title of the work is italicized if the work is independent. The title of the work is enclosed in quotation marks if it is part of a larger work. The title of the overall Web site is italicized if distinct from the the title of the work.

Park, Madison. "How Does a Baby Get To Be Obese." CNN.com ....

Salda, Michael N., ed. The Cinderella Project ...

<< Previous: Publication Date
Next: Editions >>
Last Updated: Dec 11, 2020 4:39 PM
URL: https://irsc.libguides.com/mla7

Home > Blog > Tips for Online Students > Tips for Students > Knowing When To Underline Or Italicize: Your Go-To Guide

Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

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

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: May 27, 2021

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

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.

In this article

At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone. Read More

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite a Magazine Article in MLA

How to Cite a Magazine Article in MLA

Magazine: A publication that is issued periodically and contains items such as articles, essays, poems, or pictures.

Note that magazines are different from journals in that journals only contain scholarly articles that are peer-reviewed and relate to a specific academic field. If you are looking for the format for citing a journal article, this guide on citing a journal in MLA can help.

How to cite magazine articles published and found in print

Works Cited
Structure	Last, First M. “Article Title.” , vol. volume number, no. issue number, date published, page number(s).
Example	Rothbart, Davy. “How I Caught Up with Dad.” Oct. 2008, pp. 108-13.

Cite your source

In-text Citations
Structure	(Last Name page numbers)
Example	(Rothbart 112)

How to cite magazine articles found on a website

Works Cited
Structure	Last, First M. “Article Title.” date month year published, URL.
Example	Rothbart, Davy. “How I Caught up with Dad.” 18 Sept. 2008, www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a19534762/rekindling-a-father-son-relationship.

Note: When citing sources reproduced online from their in-print version, it is not necessary to include online information such as the website publisher or the date of electronic publication.

In-text Citations
Structure	(Last Name)
Example	(Rothbart)

Published October 31, 2011. Updated May 18, 2021.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

Annotated Bibliography
Bibliography
Block Quotes
et al Usage
In-text Citations
Paraphrasing
Page Numbers
Sample Paper
Works Cited
MLA 8 Updates
MLA 9 Updates
View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

Book Chapter
Journal Article
Magazine Article
Newspaper Article
Website (no author)
View all MLA Examples

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To create an in-text citation for a magazine found in print:

Place the author’s last name and the page number of the quote in parenthesis after the borrowed quote or information. Example: “Time spent with family or friends is more important now than ever” (Garcia 120).

To create an in-text citation for a magazine found on a website:

Place the author’s last name in parenthesis after the borrowed quote or information. No page number is needed. Example: “Every day I was excited to see my dad, the way you’re excited to be around a new friend” (Rothbart).

MLA is the style most often used in literature, language, history, art, and theater subjects.

No matter what citation style you’re using (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) the EasyBib Citation Generator can help you create the right bibliography quickly.

To cite a magazine with multiple authors and no page numbers in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the authors, publication date, title of the article, magazine name, and the URL. The templates for in-text citations and works cited list entries of a magazine article written by multiple authors along with examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues.” In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues.” In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

Citation in prose:

First mention: Katherine Zoepf and colleagues . . . or Katherine Zoepf and others . . .

Subsequent occurrences: Zoepf and colleagues . . . or Zoepf and others . . .

Parenthetical:

. . . ( Zoepf et al.)

Works cited list entry template and example:

The title of the article is in plain text and title case; it is placed inside quotation marks. The title of the magazine is set in italics. Follow the format given in the template and example for setting the date, month, and year.

Surname, F., et al. “Title of the Article.” Magazine Name , Publication Date, URL.

Zoepf, Katherine, et al. “Shopgirls: The Art of Selling Lingerie.” The New Yorker , 15 Aug. 2019, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/23/shopgirls .

Use only the first author’s name in surname–first name order in the entry, followed by “et al.”

To cite an online journal or magazine article in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author, publication date, title of the article, journal or magazine title, volume and issue numbers, and the URL. The templates and examples for in-text citations and works cited list entries for an online journal article (with one author) are given below:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author in the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author.

First mention: Roger Dawkins . . .

Subsequent occurrences: Dawkins . . .

. . . (Dawkins)

The title of the journal or magazine article is in plain text and title case; it is placed inside quotation marks. The title of the journal or magazine is set in italics.

Surname, F. “Title of the Article.” Journal or Magazine Title , vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, URL.

Dawkins, Roger. “How We Speak When We Say Things About Ourselves in Social Media: A Semiotic Analysis of Content Curation.” M/C Journal , vol. 18, no. 4, 2015, www.journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/view/999 .

MLA Citation Examples

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

APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Magazine/Newspaper 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

Magazine/newspaper article from a website, magazine/newspaper article from a library database, magazine/newspaper article in print, magazine/newspaper article with an unknown author.

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.

How Do I Know If It's a Newspaper?

Not sure whether your article is from a newspaper? Look for these characteristics:

Main purpose is to provide readers with a brief account of current events locally, nationally or internationally.
Can be published daily, semiweekly or weekly.
Articles are usually written by journalists who may or may not have subject expertise.
Written for the general public, readers don't need any previous subject knowledge.
Little, if any, information about other sources is provided.

Articles may also come from journals or magazines.

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

If, and only if, the article is signed "Anonymous", put the word Anonymous where you would normally place the author's name.

Cite author names in the order in which they appear on the source, not in alphabetical order.

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.

If an original publication date and a last updated date are provided, use the last updated date. If the more current date is "last reviewed" instead of "last updated," use the original publication date (since the review may not have changed the content).

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 has no page numbers provided, leave that part of the citation out in the References List.

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)

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, Month Day if Given). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Newspaper . URL

Note: If the article is on continuous pages put a dash (-) between the first and last page numbers. If the article appears on discontinuous page numbers, give all page numbers separated with commas between them.

Brody, J. E. (2007, December 11). Mental reserves keep brain agile. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/health/11iht-11brod.8685746.html

Note: This entry has no page numbers, so this information is left out of the citation.

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Brody, 2007)

In-Text Quote:

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

Note: This entry has no page numbers, paragraph numbers, or section headings so this information is left out of the in-text citation.

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication, Month Day if Given). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Newspaper, SectionPage if Given.

Note: For newspaper articles from library databases, include the newspaper title and any volume/issue/page numbers that are provided. Do not include the database information.

Kidd, K. (2011, August 7). Cart blanche: City of Portland celebrates sidewalk dining with minimal rules for food carts. The Toronto Star, A5.

Example: (Kidd, 2011)

Example: (Kidd, 2011, p. A5)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication, Month Day if Given). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Newspaper , SectionPage.

Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects economic, social status. The Washington Post , A1, A4.

Example: (Schwartz, 1993)

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

Example: (Schwartz, 1993, A1)

Title of article: Subtitle if any. (Year of Publication, Month Day if Given). Name of Newspaper , SectionPage.

Note: If an author's name is not given, do not include an author in the citation; however, if the article is signed "Anonymous," then use "Anonymous" in place of the author's name.

Get on board for train safety. (2012, June 17). The New York Times , A14.

("One two or three words from the title", Year)

Example: ("Get on board", 2012)

Note: Choose one or more words from the title, enough to clearly identify the article. Use double quotation marks around the words from a title of an article in the in-text citation.

("One two or three words from the title", Year, Page Number)

Example: ("Get on board," A14)

Note: Choose one or more words from the title, enough to clearly identify the article. Use double quotation marks around the words from title of an article in the in-text citation.

<< Previous: Journal Articles
Next: Books & Ebooks >>
Last Updated: Aug 13, 2024 4:33 PM
URL: https://libguides.up.edu/apa

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Writing Style Guide - Titles

Academic papers.

The title of an academic paper or journal article should be put inside quotation marks. If the journal is then named, use italics or underlining for the name of the journal.

Peter Rachor was quoted in an article, “Thinking Outside the Cube,” in the September 4 edition of the Portland Tribune.

Use italics for book titles (including textbooks, almanacs, and dictionaries). Use quotations for book chapters or individual selections. UP alumna Brigid Schulte’s book Overwhelmed: Work, Love And Play When No One Has The Time was named a best-seller on Amazon. In the text, Collection of Great American Short Stories , my favorite is “The Hills Are Like White Elephants.”

Magazines/Newspapers

Italicize the name of the publication. Do not capitalize “magazine” unless it’s part of the publication’s title or masthead.

Time magazine, Newsweek magazine

Capitalize the word “the” only if it’s part of the periodical’s title.

The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Beacon ,

When listing several publications or periodicals, lower case the initial “the” and eliminate additional references of “the” from the list.

We read the New York Times , Oregonian and Wall Street Journal every morning.

Movies & Television

Movie titles are italicized.

Forrest Gump beat The Shawshank Redemption for Best Picture in 1995.

Television series are italicized, but individual episodes are set off by quotation marks.

In the Friends episode "The One Where Ross is Fine," Ross is not fine.

Titles of long musical compositions (such as operas) are italicized as are musical albums. Shorter songs are enclosed in quotation marks.

Handel's Messiah is performed at Christmas each year. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the most famous song from Queen's A Night at the Opera .

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How to Write a Magazine Article (in Ten Easy Steps)

When I was a little kid, I used to walk around my house with a notepad and inundate my parents with questions. Then I’d take those notes and use them to create a two-sentence “article,” which became features for one-page newspapers and magazines.

Fast forward about 20 years to when I saw my name in print for the first time. What a rush. Every writer should have a chance at that feeling; it’s one of the best.

The other best feeling, of course, is helping fellow writers land that byline. So, here’s how to write a magazine article, broken down into ten easy steps:

Step 1: Choose a magazine

If you’re thinking about how to write an article for a magazine, you may already have titles in mind. That’s great – go ahead and pitch them!

It’s also fine not to have a target publication in mind. Don’t worry, they’re out there!

There are household names like Cosmo, Time, and People, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.

For pieces that target the general public, including people with specific hobby interests, there are plenty of in-flight magazines and corporate-sponsored online publications looking for writers.

For professional audiences, trade publications are great, and there’s plenty of them. You can find one by Googling the name of a specific industry plus “trade publication,” or check out TradePub.com . Alternatively, if your topic is more general-audience oriented, think about pitching local/regional magazines, national magazines targeted at a certain age/income group or magazines which come as supplements with newspapers.

Whichever direction you decide to go, take plenty of time to choose the right magazine. The fit between an article and a magazine is a big part of whether that article succeeds.

Step 2: Get to know your audience

The only way to pitch the right article to a publication is to know what they already publish. Before you do anything else, get a copy of the magazine or check out its website and read some digitally printed articles – you should look for ideas for how to adapt your subject treatment to their style.

Read at least five articles, regardless of format, and learn as much as you can about who the magazine is targeting. Try to identify the target reader by their:

Marital and family situation
Financial and socioeconomic status
Personal interests and hobbies
Professional status

Identify whether there are specific characteristics of the target audience that you should know. Trade publications, for example, inherently aim their content toward professionals in a particular field. Niche interest magazines… well, that one’s fairly obvious.

Step 3: Confirm or choose your topic.

Reading articles that the magazine has published will give you an idea not only of the magazine’s readership but also the story angles and tone that they tend to prefer, and therefore how to pitch them an idea which will be appealing.

If you already have an idea….

Keep your eyes open for red or green flags (not literally, of course). Sometimes, you’ll find that your idea fits perfectly within the magazine’s content calendar. At other times, you’ll realize it’s not quite right for this publication.

Sometimes, the article won’t work no matter how hard you try, and that’s okay. It’s not anything against your article; it just means that you’ll need to pitch to a different publication.

If you need an idea….

That’s also fine. It might even make your life easier because you don’t have to, as one writer I know delicately puts it, “kill off your baby.” You just have to find a baby, which is no easy task either.

As you’re reading the magazine you’ve chosen, brainstorm article ideas that come to you. They won’t all be winners but write them down anyway. Keep brainstorming as your mind processes what you’ve read.

Meanwhile, pay attention to the news. You won’t necessarily pitch a hard-hitting political editorial, but current events inform almost every industry and even many hobbies. The US just elected a zombie as president? See if Good Housekeeping wants an exposé on how the White House might redecorate.

Step 4: Choose an angle

An angle is your approach to the topic. It’s your way of telling the audience why you care about the story and why they should too.

In researching this article (every article gets researched!), I encountered a spot-on definition of angle : “It’s the lens through which the writer filters the information… and focuses it to make it meaningful.”

I like this definition because it clearly distinguishes the angle from the topic. Two writers can consider the same topic but because they view it from different angles – through different lenses – they create a completely different image.

For example, imagine two writers who are crafting articles about the recent zombie apocalypse. The first writer, who’s pitching to a trade publication for contractors, focuses on techniques for repairing zombie-damaged homes. The second wants to pitch to Psychology Today, so they choose the angle of how zombie PTSD has put an increased load on therapists’ private practices. How to ‘frame’ stories like this is a skill you pick up over time (and a good reason to be a generalist rather than a specialist, in many cases).

Step 5: Write a query letter

Your angle is the most important part of your query. It tells the editor most of what they need to know about why your article matters, who will want to read it, and why you feel compelled to write it. This will be the first sentence or two of your pitch.

You’ll also need to include a little bit about yourself as a writer . Think of this as a mini-bio (emphasis on the mini). Open with a few compelling words about what you write and why you’re qualified to write it. If you have names to drop – a degree you’ve earned, a certification, or big-name magazines that have published your writing – definitely drop them.

All told, your pitch should be no more than two paragraphs. One is better. It shows you can express a complex idea succinctly. Editors love that. Here’s a full guide on how to writing a query letter , which you may find useful.

Step 6: Know the job

From here on out, we’re assuming that you got the gig. This may not be the case the first time around and that’s normal. Don’t give up if you get a few – or many – rejections before you get an article accepted.

Once you do, of course, step 5.5 will be to celebrate. You’ve earned it. Then it’s time to dust the confetti off your shoulders, finish off your last bite of cake, and get down to business.

Read the message from the editor who hired you. Make sure you know what their expectations are for the piece. That includes word count, deadline, and any structural requirements the publication has given you.

If they haven’t given you a style guide, ask if they have one – it’ll tell you how to write in the house style and will dramatically cut down the editing you (or the subeditor) will have to do after you submit your piece. Make sure you know whether they use AP style, Chicago, or something else altogether.

Step 7: Research the topic

Researching is one of my favorite aspects of writing. It’s like brainstorming in reverse – instead of waiting to see what’s going to come out of my fingers, I just have to keep my mind open for exciting facts and new ways of thinking.

Let your research take you where it will, but always check the legitimacy of the source before you use it. Look for:

Publication dates within the last year or two. Nothing from a prior decade, unless you’re specifically looking for historical information
Credible authors with verifiable backgrounds. If you don’t already recognize the website and the author as highly respected, check credentials.
Primary sources , or as primary as possible. If an article references a study, keep digging until you find the study, and then use that.

Step 8: Interview sources

Look at your research and think about what sub-topics might benefit from first-hand accounts or the insights of working professionals. Interviews add a lot to an article, and editors love them.

Finding an expert

There are lots of ways to find experts , from tapping your network to cold calling an association or agency in the industry you’re targeting. PR agencies can also be great resources for pointing you toward someone who has specialized expertise in a particular topic.

Interviewing the expert

Prepare, prepare, prepare. Make a list of questions beforehand and check it against your outline to be sure you’re not missing anything. Make sure your list includes the basic information like name, job title, and location.

Hold the interview at a time and place that’s convenient for the source. Record the interview if you can get explicit permission and if the source seems comfortable with being recorded.

Ask as many open-ended questions as possible. It’s okay to follow the source’s lead if they take you in an unexpected direction but don’t stray too far off-topic.

Step 9: Create an outline

Outlining is another of my favorite parts of writing. There’s just something about taking all of those chaotic research notes and putting them in a nice neat outline.

There are lots of ways of outlining, and you should feel free to use whichever technique appeals to you. Personally, I like a basic skeleton outline. It lets me line out all of the sub-topics I want to write about, in the order I want to write about them. Then I make a brief note of the supporting details.

Here’s a sample of what it might look like (thanks to the Writing Center Workshop ).

This is just a template. No one will be seeing your outline but you, so choose any structure and style that makes your writing life easier.

Step 10: Write!

This is the really fun part, and it gets to be even more fun when you’ve invested the time in solid researching and outlining. By the time you get to this part, you’re so well-prepared that the words can just flow.

Now you have a road map for writing for a magazine, all the way from concept to execution. So what are you waiting for? Go write, and come back to add the piece to your portfolio when you get your byline!

Ellie is a full-time freelance writer with a background in playwriting, theater, and dance. She especially loves writing articles that help creatives and freelancers manage their time, talent, and money.

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How to Title an Essay: Tips and Examples

(Last updated: 5 April 2024)

Since 2006, Oxbridge Essays has been the UK’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

Crafting an essay title is like designing the cover of a book – it's the first thing your professors see, setting the stage for what's inside. As such, the title is crucial because it's the reader's first impression. In this guide, we'll explore why a good essay title matters, offer tips to help you learn how to title an essay and provide examples to illustrate which titles work and which don't.

The Importance of a Good Essay Title

The significance of a good essay title cannot be overstated. Beyond its role as a mere label, a compelling title serves as a powerful tool for drawing your professor’s attention. A good title not only encapsulates the essence of the essay but also reflects the author's voice and perspective. It sets the tone for the entire piece, guiding readers in their interpretation and understanding of the content. Moreover, a well-crafted title can enhance the credibility and authority of the essay, signalling that the author has invested thought and care into their work.

How to Write a Good Title for Your Essay

Crafting a good title requires a blend of creativity, precision, and strategic thinking. To create an effective title, consider the following tips:

Brainstorm Ideas : Begin by brainstorming keywords, phrases, and concepts related to your essay topic. Explore different angles and perspectives that encapsulate the essence of your argument or analysis.
Consider the Audience : Reflect on your target audience and their interests, preferences, and expectations. Tailor your title to resonate with your intended readership, striking a balance between familiarity and intrigue.
Capture the Essence : Reports often incorporate tables, charts, graphs, and other visual aids to enhance the presentation of data and facilitate understanding.
Evoke Emotion or Intrigue : Tap into the emotional or intellectual curiosity of your readers by crafting a title that evokes emotion, prompts reflection, or poses a compelling question. Consider using provocative language, vivid imagery, or rhetorical devices to capture readers' attention.
Revise and Refine: : Once you've generated potential titles, take time to revise and refine them. Experiment with different word choices, phrasings, and structures until you find a title that resonates and feels cohesive with the content of your essay.

Characteristics of a Good Title

A good title shares several key characteristics:

Descriptive : Clearly communicates the topic or main idea of the essay. Engaging : Captures the reader's attention and sparks curiosity. Concise : Succinctly summarises the content without being overly long or verbose. Relevant : Directly relates to the content and theme of the essay. Original : Avoids clichés and generic phrases. Try to strive for originality and creativity.

Essay Title Examples (Good vs. Bad)

Let's examine additional examples of good and bad essay titles to illustrate these principles:

Good Title : "Exploring Identity: The Intersection of Culture and Self-Perception" Bad Title : "Essay on Identity"

The good title invites readers to explore complex questions surrounding identity and self-perception, fostering curiosity and engagement. In contrast, the bad title lacks specificity and fails to capture the richness and depth of the essay's subject matter.

Good Title : "Breaking Barriers: The Evolution of Women's Rights in the 21st Century" Bad Title : "Essay on Women's Rights"

The good title is engaging and suggests a narrative, while the bad title is a little bland and lacks imagination.

Writing a Catchy Title for Your Essay

To craft a catchy title, consider employing the following strategies:

Wordplay and Alliteration : Incorporate puns, alliteration, or clever wordplay to make your title memorable and attention-grabbing.

Question or Provocation : Pose a thought-provoking question or statement that challenges readers' assumptions or prompts them to reconsider their perspectives.

Use of Imagery and Metaphor : Invoke vivid imagery or metaphorical language that evokes emotion, stimulates the senses, or conveys abstract concepts in concrete terms.

Surprise Element : Introduce an unexpected twist or element of surprise that captures readers' attention and leaves them eager to learn more.

Elevate Your Essay with An Engaging Title

Writing a good title for your essay requires time, skill, and a keen understanding of your subject matter. Crafting an essay title is more than just a formality—it's an art that can set the stage for the narrative that follows. With practice and attention to detail, you'll master the art of essay titling and unleash the full potential of your written creations.

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MLA Guide 9th ed.

Formatting the Author and Title
Citing a Book or Ebook
Citing Part of a Book or Ebook
Citing a Journal Article
Citing a Magazine or Newspaper Article
Citing an Interview
Citing a Website
Citing an Online Video or Image
Citing Class Notes
In-text Citations
MLA Style Center This link opens in a new window
Sample Paper in MLA format
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Need Help with MLA?
MLA practice Template

"Author." MLA Handbook. 8th ed. , MLA, 2016, pp. 21-25.

"Title." MLA Handbook. 8th ed. , MLA, 2016, pp. 25-29.

Formatting the Author

Authors	Rule	Examples
No Author	If no author given, skip the author and start with the title of source.
1 Author	Last Name, First Name.	Smith, John.
2 Authors	Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name.	Smith, John, and Mary Fields.
3+ Authors	Last Name, First Name of First Author, et al.	Smith, John, et al.
Association or Company	Use the name of the association or company as the author. If a work is written and published by an organization, list the organization as publisher only. Initial articles (a, an, the) should be omitted.	American Cancer Society.
Editor or other role	If the role of that person or group is something other than creating the work’s main content (as the author), follow the name with a label that describes the role. Only do this in the author field if it is important to highlight this person; otherwise use the Other Contributors field.	Nunberg, Geoffrey, editor.

Formatting the Title

Source	Rule: Italics or "quotation marks"	Example
Entire Book	self-contained works
Collection of Essays	self-contained works	.
Essay, story, or poem	Contained in a larger work (book, website, etc.) use "quotation marks"	"The Cultural Consequences of Printing."
Play	plays even if they are in a larger work.	.
Article from Journal, Magazine, or Newspaper	Contained in a larger work (book, website, etc.) use "quotation marks"	"Literary History and Sociology."
Entire Journal, Magazine, or Newspaper	self-contained works	.
Entire Website	self-contained works	.
Website Article	Contained in a larger work (book, website, etc.) use "quotation marks"	"Free Will."
Song	Contained in a larger work (book, website, etc.) use "quotation marks"	"Pretty Hurts."

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Last Updated: Apr 9, 2024 8:03 AM

Generate accurate APA citations for free

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How to cite a magazine article in APA Style

How to Cite a Magazine Article in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on February 1, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 27, 2023.

To cite a print magazine article in APA Style , list the author’s name, the publication date, the article title, the magazine name, the volume and issue numbers if available, and the page range of the article.

Our free APA Citation Generator can help you create accurate citations for magazine articles.

APA format	Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. , (Issue), page range.
	Mogelson, L. (2021, January 25). The storm. , 5–12.
	(Mogelson, 2021)

Cite a magazine article in APA Style now:

Table of contents, citing online magazine articles, frequently asked questions about apa style citations.

To cite an online magazine article, follow the print format but add the URL at the end. Volume and issue numbers, as well as the page range, may be omitted if they’re not stated anywhere.

APA format	Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. , (Issue), page range. URL
	Tokarczuk, O. (2021, January 25). Eccentricity as feminism. . https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2021/01/25/eccentricity-as-feminism
	(Tokarczuk, 2021)

More academic magazines may list a DOI , much like a journal article . Always use a DOI if one is available; otherwise, try to find a stable URL on the page (e.g. under a “Share” button).

APA format	Last name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Article title. , (Issue), page range. DOI
	Piller, C. (2021, January 22). Disgraced COVID-19 studies are still routinely cited. , (6527), 331–332. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.371.6527.331
	(Piller, 2021)

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Include the DOI at the very end of the APA reference entry . If you’re using the 6th edition APA guidelines, the DOI is preceded by the label “doi:”. In the 7th edition , the DOI is preceded by ‘https://doi.org/’.

6th edition: doi: 10.1177/0894439316660340
7th edition: https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0894439316660340

APA citation example (7th edition)

Hawi, N. S., & Samaha, M. (2016). The relations among social media addiction, self-esteem, and life satisfaction in university students. Social Science Computer Review , 35 (5), 576–586. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439316660340

When no individual author name is listed, but the source can clearly be attributed to a specific organization—e.g., a press release by a charity, a report by an agency, or a page from a company’s website—use the organization’s name as the author in the reference entry and APA in-text citations .

When no author at all can be determined—e.g. a collaboratively edited wiki or an online article published anonymously—use the title in place of the author. In the in-text citation, put the title in quotation marks if it appears in plain text in the reference list, and in italics if it appears in italics in the reference list. Shorten it if necessary.

When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your APA in-text citation . If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website ) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two:

(Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1).

Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations , as they are unreliable.

If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, December 27). How to Cite a Magazine Article in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/magazine-article/

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7 Tips for Writing Titles That Tempt and Tantalize

June 16, 2020

I’ve written thousands of articles and blog posts since I first started blogging in 2008. Believe it or not, learning how to write good titles that are eye-catching, attention-grabbing and curiosity-invoking was never high on my list of priorities.

My focus has always been on practical “how to” titles. I write for readers who are searching the internet for tips and solutions to problems — sometimes very serious, personal, and painful problems. I can’t afford to be too clever, creative or cute when I title my blog posts (which, to be honest, I prefer to call “articles” because of their length and focus). But now that I’m rewriting all my articles, I’m learning that I can be both creative and clear.

There are no easy tips on how to write your best title ever; anything good and right and beautiful takes time to create. Like you! Think you were born as smart, funny, and skilled as you are right now? No sir. God is taking time to shape you into who He created you to be…and it’s the same with writing the best title ever.

Finding the right title for my articles and blog posts is extra challenging because of SEO (search engine optimization). I want readers to type something like “how do I write a good title?” into the search engine…and I want my blog post to stand out. If you were drawn to my title (currently How to Write Your Best Title Ever – but it may change), then my work paid off!

The best title is short and sweet. Less than 10 little words. The title is the shortest part of your article, but it can take 75% or more of your time. Writing a good title makes is difficult partly because of the competition. There are literally millions of things to do on the internet, a gazillion things to look at and listen to and interact with! How do simple little articles and blog posts – especially when they’re long and wordy like mine – hook readers ? How do you write a good title?

How to Write the Best Title

These quick tips on how to write a title will help change your mindset. And that, fellow scribes, is the most important way to tackle title writing. If you can change how you think about your readers and what you’re writing – if you can put yourself in your reader’s shoes – then you will write a good title.

1. Write down emotion-producing titles of articles, blog posts, YouTube videos

My current best way to write titles for blog posts and articles is to pay attention to popular magazines and websites. Today, for example, I saw the title “How to Get Your Best Sleep Ever.” Bingo! A new title goes in my file of good titles to steal and adapt. But don’t just steal good titles: note why they appeal to you. Do they make you feel relieved, angry, scared, excited, curious? A good title will invoke some sort of emotion in the reader.

2. Know your reader’s problems, questions, fears and anxieties

If you’re trying to write a great title for a blog post, your mindset is different than if you’re writing a title for an essay, print magazine article, scholarly journal or church newsletter. For example, newspaper readers might be skimming the whole paper; they’ll only read headlines that jump out at them. Tabloid readers want something inflammatory and gossip-worthy. General interest websites, blogs, and even small businesses who blog to attract clients try to write headlines that are both informative and catchy.

In 10 Easy Ways to Find Good Ideas for Magazine Articles I described the importance of knowing your audience. I bet you’ve heard that before, so we won’t go here. Instead, look at that title. What do you like about it? Dislike? Would you read it? It depends on your goals and needs as a reader .

3. Get detailed, specific, concrete, focused

Now that I think about it, “How to Write Your Best Title Ever” isn’t that good for SEO or “find my blog!” purposes. I didn’t take my own advice in tip number one. Who is my audience? Am I helping health bloggers, freelance writers, grade 8 students, professional authors, academic researchers, magazine editors, book publishers, navel-gazing memoirists? Who knows. My title might be more effective as “How to Write Your Best Blog Post Title” or “How to Write a Good Title for an Essay” or even “3 Tips for Titling Your Thesis.”

4. Be creative. Not creepy.

Be specific and creative, but not too weird or creepy. For example, the title of this blog post is currently “How to Write Your Best Title Ever.” That’s a pretty good title for an article because it tells readers what to expect, it solves a specific problem, and it’s clear. However, my more creative title (3 Tips for Writing Titles That Titillate Readers) is ineffective. Why? Because of the word “titillate.” Good alliteration, but possibly confusing, unclear, or even offensive.

That said, however, you are allowed to be creative AND creepy if you’re writing a blog post or article for October 31. If you are writing about scary stuff and need a nudge, read 8 Ideas for Halloween Blog Posts and Magazine Articles .

5. Don’t use your first idea as your title

As with all writing tips and rules, this one can be broken. Generally, however, your first 10 (or 100 if you’re like me) titles won’t be your best one ever. It takes time and thought to write a good title that invokes emotion in readers and tells them what problem will be alleviated. They need motivation to click your blog link or read your magazine article or give you the best grade on your essay.

6. Play with ideas to find your best title for your work

When you have a possible title (I started with the boring, vague “How to Write a Good Title” and didn’t get very far), try adding or subtracting words, swapping in synonyms, or completely rephrasing the whole thing. If you have time to poll friends and family, do it! Give them three possibilities; ask them to choose the best title. Remember that if you resist the urge to slap a silly little title on your work, your article or blog post will skyrocket in popularity and effectiveness.

7. Match your title to the tone, mood and content of your work

If you’re writing for New York Times magazine, your title will be different than if you’re writing for Reader’s Digest . If you’re writing a blog post on how to write good articles, your title will be much different than if you’re contributing a chapter to a literary journal on how to write a title for a poem. The best titles aren’t necessarily creative, clever or funny. The best titles represent the tone, mood, and content of the piece.

When I’m struggling to find the best title for my blog posts, I often leave it overnight. I’ll still publish the post…and when I see the title the next day and cringe, a new and better title often pops into my head. Sometimes my brain needs to sleep on it before I can write my best title ever.

What’s your best title ever? Feel free to share below…

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9 thoughts on “7 Tips for Writing Titles That Tempt and Tantalize”

There are so many different approaches to titles. Do you write a “how to” tile, or ask a question or try to be controversial, or pack in keywords? Ugh! I like start off writing with a title so I know what I’m writing about, then when I’m done go back and figure out how to make it a good title. I’m always torn between the titles I like and the ones I know I should write to because some expert says it should be that way. It was the “tips” part of the title for this blog post that caught my eye. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the great tips for titles! When writing blog posts, I’ve also found that titles that either start with “How to…” or are a numbered lists (“10 Great Ways…”) tend to be among the most read posts.

Earlier this morning I couldn’t think of a title for my blog post. It was too bland or boring. Thanks for the tips. .-= Omar´s last blog post ..Uncomfortable With Comfortable =-.

I’m very lucky to have some kind of gift in this area. Often, a post title pops into my head and I’ll formulate an article around that. I’ve had some beauty titles in the past and it is a part of blogging that I really enjoy!

George .-= George Angus´s last blog post ..A Roarin’ New Blog of the Week =-.

I think the article or story needs to determine the title. For instance, if you’re writing a title for the cover of a magazine, you can get creative. But if you’re writing a title of a blog post that you want readers to find on Google, I think you need to be direct and specific (and a little boring).

Thanks for your comments, everyone — it’s great to hear different perspectives 🙂

Hey Sarah, Thanks for some great ideas and things to keep in mind. Unfortunately now I have to go write that essay. 😉 .-= Crtystal R. Martin´s last blog post ..College kills – Or that is my belief at the moment =-.

I think that it’s a balance between not being too boring yet not going off topic. Some authors try to hard to be clever and it shows in the title.

Thanks for the reminder about How to write effective titles for magazines and blog posts. Sometimes the “how to” is too boring. Then again, you can try to be controversial and it may backfire on you. It’s trial and error. Then again, my “Travel Writer Struck by Lightening Finds Antidote” title draws people to the article posted on Affsphere. .-= Rebecca´s last blog post ..Freelance Writing from Home Saves Money =-.

Ugh, those bloody titles! Something I always have trouble with, whether it’s articles or blog posts. Clever or to the point? Subtle or controversial? A quote or something original?

Toughest for me are my blog posts. Since I blog about film music, the title of the film is usually in there somewhere. It helps with search engines and Twitter notifications, but I’m don’t know if it grabs people to read any more than something more original would do. I’ve tried both and both seem to work about the same, traffic-wise.

Either way, invariably I suck at it but I keep plugging away. 🙂 .-= Jim Lochner´s last blog post ..CD Review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon =-.

Title Page Setup

A title page is required for all APA Style papers. There are both student and professional versions of the title page. Students should use the student version of the title page unless their instructor or institution has requested they use the professional version. APA provides a student title page guide (PDF, 199KB) to assist students in creating their title pages.

Student title page

The student title page includes the paper title, author names (the byline), author affiliation, course number and name for which the paper is being submitted, instructor name, assignment due date, and page number, as shown in this example.

Title page setup is covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 2.3 and the Concise Guide Section 1.6

Related handouts

Student Title Page Guide (PDF, 263KB)
Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF, 3MB)

Student papers do not include a running head unless requested by the instructor or institution.

Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the student title page.


Paper title	Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired. There is no maximum length for titles; however, keep titles focused and include key terms.
Author names	Place one double-spaced blank line between the paper title and the author names. Center author names on their own line. If there are two authors, use the word “and” between authors; if there are three or more authors, place a comma between author names and use the word “and” before the final author name.	Cecily J. Sinclair and Adam Gonzaga
Author affiliation	For a student paper, the affiliation is the institution where the student attends school. Include both the name of any department and the name of the college, university, or other institution, separated by a comma. Center the affiliation on the next double-spaced line after the author name(s).	Department of Psychology, University of Georgia
Course number and name	Provide the course number as shown on instructional materials, followed by a colon and the course name. Center the course number and name on the next double-spaced line after the author affiliation.	PSY 201: Introduction to Psychology
Instructor name	Provide the name of the instructor for the course using the format shown on instructional materials. Center the instructor name on the next double-spaced line after the course number and name.	Dr. Rowan J. Estes
Assignment due date	Provide the due date for the assignment. Center the due date on the next double-spaced line after the instructor name. Use the date format commonly used in your country.	October 18, 2020 18 October 2020
	Use the page number 1 on the title page. Use the automatic page-numbering function of your word processing program to insert page numbers in the top right corner of the page header.	1

Professional title page

The professional title page includes the paper title, author names (the byline), author affiliation(s), author note, running head, and page number, as shown in the following example.

Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the professional title page.


Paper title	Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired. There is no maximum length for titles; however, keep titles focused and include key terms.
Author names	Place one double-spaced blank line between the paper title and the author names. Center author names on their own line. If there are two authors, use the word “and” between authors; if there are three or more authors, place a comma between author names and use the word “and” before the final author name.	Francesca Humboldt
Author names	When different authors have different affiliations, use superscript numerals after author names to connect the names to the appropriate affiliation(s). If all authors have the same affiliation, superscript numerals are not used (see Section 2.3 of the for more on how to set up bylines and affiliations).	Tracy Reuter , Arielle Borovsky , and Casey Lew-Williams
Author affiliation	For a professional paper, the affiliation is the institution at which the research was conducted. Include both the name of any department and the name of the college, university, or other institution, separated by a comma. Center the affiliation on the next double-spaced line after the author names; when there are multiple affiliations, center each affiliation on its own line.	Department of Nursing, Morrigan University
Author affiliation	When different authors have different affiliations, use superscript numerals before affiliations to connect the affiliations to the appropriate author(s). Do not use superscript numerals if all authors share the same affiliations (see Section 2.3 of the for more).	Department of Psychology, Princeton University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University
Author note	Place the author note in the bottom half of the title page. Center and bold the label “Author Note.” Align the paragraphs of the author note to the left. For further information on the contents of the author note, see Section 2.7 of the .	n/a
	The running head appears in all-capital letters in the page header of all pages, including the title page. Align the running head to the left margin. Do not use the label “Running head:” before the running head.	Prediction errors support children’s word learning
	Use the page number 1 on the title page. Use the automatic page-numbering function of your word processing program to insert page numbers in the top right corner of the page header.	1

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Artists and Activists Both Have a Role. But Not the Same One.

As the literary world is roiled by fights over politics and war, are we losing sight of the writer’s purpose?

Credit... Photo illustration by Derek Brahney

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By Phil Klay

Phil Klay is a novelist and an essayist and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq war.

Aug. 5, 2024

Two decades ago, I was a public-affairs officer in the Marine Corps, a public-relations guy for the military, tasked with “telling the Marine Corps story” and providing accurate information about military operations to maintain the trust of the American people. We weren’t propagandists — we told the truth, and in Iraq we welcomed plenty of embedded reporters who we knew would write extremely skeptical articles on the progress of the war — but there were fairly tight borders around what the military thought the American people needed to know.

Listen to this article, read by Robert Petkoff

Coming back from Iraq in 2008, though, I had a set of stories that didn’t fit perfectly with the official one I had a license to tell. Some were things I’d seen, things I could report on in a journalistic way, sure of the facts, but others were things I’d heard, stories that I couldn’t vouch for personally but that, passed to me by word of mouth and preserved in my memory, that unstable medium, nevertheless seemed to express something true and unsettling.

One was told to me by a young combat correspondent, a Marine whose job in the corps was writing articles and making videos about the work we were doing. He had been in Ramadi when a suicide bomber detonated among a crowd of civilians, killing and grievously wounding dozens. The local unit took the injured to the Ramadi combat hospital, where Navy doctors, nurses and corpsmen got to work as Marines lined up to donate blood.

Horrible slaughter in a region of Iraq where violence has spiraled out of control does not make for a good news story, but there were messages the Marine Corps was happy to put out: that unlike our barbaric enemy, who brutally murdered men, women and children, we cared about Iraqi civilians and would work tirelessly to save lives. And so this young combat correspondent asked one of the Navy surgeons, who for long hours had been feverishly working among the mangled and bloody innocents, to give an interview. And because the only quiet place was the room where they had placed and bagged the dead, the cameraman set up near the bodies of all the people they had failed to save.

Undoubtedly, the doctor knew what messages he was supposed to deliver to the camera, and undoubtedly, he believed in them, too — that he had a noble mission to carry out, and that his noble colleagues were dedicated and skilled and humane. Nor was he new to death. He was a surgeon in a shock-trauma platoon in the most violent city in Iraq, all too familiar with amputating limbs, with stitching intestines back together, with treating burns that devoured faces, ears and fingers. That day could not have been the first time he bowed his head as the chaplain whispered prayers over those who died on the table. But before the interview started and the red light of the camera turned on, he took a moment, sat down among the dead and quietly wept. The young Marine cameraman stood there, silent, patient, and waited for the doctor to collect himself so he could tell his story about the good will of the American military, whose invasion had unleashed this chaos.

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IMAGES

How to Write an Article Title in an Essay
Are Magazine Titles Italicized? (APA, AP, and Chicago)
Article Writing for Students
🔥 How do you write a title. How Do You Write a Magazine Title?. 2022-10-13
How to Title an Essay: Tips and Examples
💣 Strong titles for an essay. How to Title an Essay: Tips and Examples

COMMENTS

MLA Titles
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 ...
How do I actually write the names of the article and the journal
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"
Are Magazine Titles Italicized? (APA, AP, and Chicago)
As mentioned, how to write a magazine title in an essay is determined by what you are writing and which style guide you are adhering to for the text. In an essay or paper, if the essay follows APA, MLA, or Chicago style, then you should put the magazine's name in italics. However, you should not use it for the title of articles found within ...
Formatting Titles
Here is what you need to keep straight: Titles require special capitalization called title case. Title case requires one to. capitalize the first letter of the first and last words of a title; capitalize the first letter of all verbs; capitalize all words of four or more letters; capitalize the first letter of all other words except a, an, the ...
When to Use Quotation Marks for Titles
For certain types of works, they're used to set apart titles. The general rule is to use quotation marks for titles of short works such as articles, poems, songs, essays, or short stories. By contrast, use italics for larger works such as books, movies, and the names of periodicals. We provide a complete list below.
How to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications
Capitalization. Titles of compositions are generally formatted in headline, or title style. In this system, the first letters of the following words are capitalized: The first and last word of the title, regardless of part of speech. Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (such as although, because, and than)
Formatting Titles in Essays (Italics or Quote Marks ...
When to Use Italics. You can often spot a title from the capitalisation, but we still format titles to distinguish between different types of source. Titles of longer sources, for example, typically use italics: Here, Kerrang! is italicised because it is the title of a magazine (i.e. a standalone work that is not one part of a larger whole).
How to Title an Essay, With Tips and Examples
In MLA format, your essay's title should be in title case. That means every principle word— words that aren't articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, or the word "to" paired with an infinitive—is capitalized. The only exception to this is when one of these words is the first or last word in the essay's title.
How to Use Magazine Titles in Term Papers
Step 5. Follow the suggested format. In MLA format, a magazine article citation starts with the author's last name, then his first name and a period. The name of the article follows, with quotation marks around it and a period after it. Next comes the capitalized and italicized magazine title, then the day, month and year of the publication ...
Titles in Essays (Italics or Quote Marks?)
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.
How to Title an Article in an Essay (A Comprehensive Guide)
When you mention a large standalone work (a book, a film, a journal, a website, a magazine, or a movie), you must italicize it and then capitalize all major words. (You should capitalize articles in the middle of the title, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions. Examples showing how to write large works in MLA.
MLA Style Guide, 7th Edition: Titles
Italicize titles of larger works like books, periodicals, databases, and Web sites. Use quotation marks for titles published in larger works like articles, essays, chapters, poems, Web pages, songs, and speeches. Book titles. Book titles are italicized. Writing Matters: A Handbook for Writing and Research (book) Their Eyes Were Watching God
Knowing When To Underline Or Italicize: Your Go-To Guide
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 ...
How to Cite a Magazine Article in MLA
In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the first author followed by "et al.". The title of the article is in plain text and title case; it is placed inside quotation marks. The title of the magazine is set in italics. Follow the format given in the template and example for setting the date, month, and year.
Magazine/Newspaper Articles
Titles. 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. Dates
Writing Style Guide
Writing Style Guide - Titles Academic Papers. The title of an academic paper or journal article should be put inside quotation marks. If the journal is then named, use italics or underlining for the name of the journal. Peter Rachor was quoted in an article, "Thinking Outside the Cube," in the September 4 edition of the Portland Tribune. Books
How To Write Titles in Essays (With Tips)
Capitalize the first and final word of the title. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, helping verbs, adjectives and adverbs within the title. Capitalize the first word that follows a colon when using title case. Do not capitalize articles located between the first and final words, such as "the," "a" and "an."
How to Write a Magazine Article (in 10 Easy Steps)
So, here's how to write a magazine article, broken down into ten easy steps: Step 1: Choose a magazine. Step 2: Get to know your audience. Step 3: Confirm or choose your topic. Step 4: Choose an angle. Step 5: Write a query letter. Step 6: Know the job. Step 7: Research the topic. Step 8: Interview sources.
How to Title an Essay: Tips and Examples
Crafting a good title requires a blend of creativity, precision, and strategic thinking. To create an effective title, consider the following tips: Brainstorm Ideas: Begin by brainstorming keywords, phrases, and concepts related to your essay topic. Explore different angles and perspectives that encapsulate the essence of your argument or analysis.
Swisher Library: MLA Guide 9th ed.: Formatting the Author and Title
Formatting the Author. If no author given, skip the author and start with the title of source. Last Name, First Name. Smith, John. Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. Smith, John, and Mary Fields. Use the name of the association or company as the author. If a work is written and published by an organization, list the organization ...
How to Cite a Magazine Article in APA Style
To cite a print magazine article in APA Style, list the author's name, the publication date, the article title, the magazine name, the volume and issue numbers if available, and the page range of the article. Our free APA Citation Generator can help you create accurate citations for magazine articles. Last name, Initials.
How to Write Articles for Magazines
Magazine writing is a craft that stands apart from the kind of writing you might encounter in a newspaper, journal, essay, or full-length book. Even within the broader landscape of magazine writing, many subgenres demand different styles and skills—you'll approach a long feature article differently than you would a human interest story; tackling an investigative exposés requires a ...
7 Tips for Writing Titles That Tempt and Tantalize
A good title will invoke some sort of emotion in the reader. 2. Know your reader's problems, questions, fears and anxieties. If you're trying to write a great title for a blog post, your mindset is different than if you're writing a title for an essay, print magazine article, scholarly journal or church newsletter.
Title page setup
Paper title. Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize major words of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired. There is no maximum length for titles; however, keep titles focused and include key terms.
Artists and Activists Both Have a Role. But Not the Same One
In an essay for the journal Liberties on a recent slate of novels, from those by Sally Rooney and Emma Cline to Ben Lerner's "The Topeka School," the critic Becca Rothfeld labels this sort ...

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

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Are Magazine Titles Italicized? (APA, AP, and Chicago)

Are Magazine Titles Italicized?

Are Magazine Titles Quoted?

Are Magazine Titles Italicized in APA Style?

Are Magazine Titles Italicized in AP Style?

Are Magazine Titles Italicized in Chicago Style?

Are Magazine Titles Italicized in MLA Style?

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Formatting Titles

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Formatting Titles in Essays

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Free Email Newsletter Template (2024)

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How to Use Magazine Titles in Term Papers

Titles in Essays (Italics or Quote Marks?)

When to Use Italics

When to Use Quote Marks

Find this useful?

Look Out for Exceptions!

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Get help from a language expert. Try our proofreading services for free.

Free Email Newsletter Template (2024)

How to Write a Nonprofit Grant Proposal

How to Use Infographics to Boost Your Presentation

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

How to Ace Slack Messaging for Contractors and Freelancers

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

The Correct Way to Write an Article Title in a Paper

How to Title an Article in APA

How to Title an Article in MLA

How to Title an Article in a Chicago Format Essay/Paper

On a Final Note!

MLA Style Guide, 7th Edition: Titles

General Rules for Titles in Works Cited List (in progress)

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

Italics Vs Underline: Clarifying The Confusion

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 Smaller Works

Punctuation In Titles: Common Confusions

Commas and periods

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Why Is Proper Indentation Important?

Landing your dream job

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Wrapping Up

How to Cite a Magazine Article in MLA

How to cite magazine articles published and found in print

How to cite magazine articles found on a website

MLA Formatting Guide

Citation Examples

Plagiarism Checker

APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Magazine/Newspaper Articles

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How Do I Know If It's a Newspaper?

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How to Write a Magazine Article (in Ten Easy Steps)