Usually, no: the title of an article is placed in quotation marks, while the title of the larger work that contains it—such as a journal, magazine, newspaper, or website—is italicized. The exact rule depends on the style guide and the type of publication, so check the required guide when writing for school, work, or publication.
The Basic Rule
In many common writing styles, an article is treated as a short work within a larger work. Its title goes in quotation marks; the publication title is italicized. For example, in a sentence following this convention, you might write: “The article ‘How Birds Navigate’ appeared in Nature.” The article title is quoted, and the journal title is italicized.
This distinction applies to articles in print and online. An article does not become a book merely because it is long, widely read, or available as a standalone webpage. If it is published as part of a newspaper, magazine, journal, or website, the relevant style guide generally determines how its title is presented.
Why the Formatting Differs
Typography helps readers distinguish a work from the publication or collection that contains it. A book or periodical is a larger, independently titled work; an article is commonly one component of that work. Quotation marks signal the smaller work, while italics mark the larger one in styles that use this distinction.
The same principle is often applied to other short works, including a poem in a collection, a chapter in a book, or an episode in a television series. These are useful comparisons, not a universal law: some style guides use different punctuation or rely on a particular citation format instead.
How Major Style Guides Handle Article Titles
When writers ask whether an article title should be italicized, they are often working within a named style. The answer can change with the guide and with the kind of writing involved.
- MLA: In MLA-style prose, titles of articles are generally put in quotation marks, while the titles of journals, magazines, newspapers, and websites are italicized. The details of a Works Cited entry depend on the source type and current MLA guidance.
- Chicago: Chicago commonly places article titles in quotation marks and italicizes the names of periodicals. Its rules vary by context, including whether a writer is using notes and bibliography or author-date citations.
- APA: APA reference-list formatting does not use quotation marks or italics for the title of a journal article. The journal title and volume number are italicized, while the article title is in sentence case and plain type. In APA prose, follow APA’s rules for title capitalization and formatting rather than automatically applying the quotation-mark convention.
- Associated Press (AP): AP style generally uses quotation marks for the titles of books, films, and similar works, but it does not use italics in ordinary news copy. Its treatment of publications and article titles follows AP conventions, which differ from MLA and Chicago.
These examples show why “always italicize” and “always use quotation marks” are both unreliable instructions. A citation’s appearance also depends on where it appears: a bibliography entry may follow rules that differ from a sentence in the body of an essay.
Articles on Websites and News Pages
A web address does not determine title styling. For an online newspaper article, the article remains the article; the newspaper’s name is the publication. Under a quotation-mark style, a sentence could read: “The report ‘City Adds New Bus Routes’ was published by The Daily News.” A digital magazine or journal follows the same broad distinction, subject to its style guide.
Some websites publish pages that do not fit neatly into the category of an article: for instance, a corporate page, a reference entry, a blog post, or a standalone report. Identify what the source actually is before formatting it. A report may be treated as an independent work, while a post on a publication’s site may be treated as part of that publication. When uncertain, use the source type and examples in the required guide rather than deciding from the page’s appearance alone.
Common Formatting Mistakes
Writers often mix rules from different systems. That can lead to an article title in italics in an MLA paper, or quotation marks around an APA journal-article title in a reference list. Consistency matters: use the same required style throughout the document, and do not combine rules simply because they look familiar.
- Italicizing both titles: In styles that distinguish short and long works, italicize the periodical or container, not the article title.
- Putting the publication in quotation marks: A journal or newspaper name is not the article title. Many styles italicize it, though AP and some other formats handle italics differently.
- Assuming every online title is an article: A webpage may be a report, reference entry, or other kind of work, and the format can differ.
- Applying citation punctuation to a headline: A headline reproduced in a reference or essay may follow the chosen style, while a publication’s own page design may display it without quotation marks or italics.
Also preserve the title’s wording and capitalization according to the relevant rules. Formatting is separate from capitalization: a guide may require sentence case in a reference entry even if the publication displays the headline in title case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are article titles italicized in an essay?
It depends on the style. MLA and Chicago generally use quotation marks for article titles; APA does not italicize or put quotation marks around a journal-article title in its reference list. Follow the style assigned to the essay.
Should I italicize the name of a newspaper or magazine?
Many academic styles, including MLA and Chicago, italicize periodical names. AP style generally avoids italics in news copy. Use the convention required for your publication or assignment.
Do I put quotation marks around an online article title?
In styles that use quotation marks for article titles, yes; being online does not usually change the category. APA reference entries and AP copy follow different formatting conventions.
What if the article is cited in a bibliography?
Use the bibliography or reference-list rules for the chosen citation style. The title may be formatted differently there than it is in ordinary prose, and APA, MLA, and Chicago do not use identical entry formats.
Should an article title be italicized in a newspaper headline?
Usually, no special italics or quotation marks are added to a headline as displayed on the newspaper’s own page. If you mention or cite that headline in another piece of writing, follow that piece’s style guide.
A Quick Way to Decide
Before formatting a title, identify both the work and the context. Ask whether the title names an article or the publication containing it, then check which style guide governs the sentence or citation. If the guide is unknown, a common academic default is to put the article title in quotation marks and italicize the periodical title—but label that as a convention, not a rule shared by every style.
For example, “ ‘A Study of Rainfall’ in Weather Research ” follows the familiar short-work/long-work distinction used by several styles. An APA reference for a journal article would be formatted differently. Choosing the correct system first is more reliable than trying to infer the answer from the title’s length, subject, or online format.
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