How to write the title in an APA 7 reference

What counts as the title

The title identifies the work you are citing. It may be the complete title of a book, report, webpage, or film. It may also identify one part of a larger publication, such as a journal article or book chapter.

To format it correctly, first decide whether the work stands alone or belongs to a larger whole.

The titles and names used in this guide are illustrative.

Whole works and parts of a work

A whole work is published as an independent unit. Books, reports, webpages, dissertations, films, and data sets are common examples.

A part belongs to a larger publication. Examples include an article in a journal, a chapter in an edited book, and an episode in a series.

This difference determines whether to use italics:

• Italicize the title of a whole work.
• Do not use italics or quotation marks for the title of a part.

Book:

Principles of academic writing.

Journal article:

Reading strategies among university students.

The journal or book containing the part appears later in the source element.

How to capitalize the title

Use sentence case for work titles in references. Capitalize:

• the first word of the title
• the first word of a subtitle or the first word after a colon
• proper nouns
• letters or numbers that form part of a name

Even when a cover capitalizes every major word, adapt the title for the reference:

Learning to conduct research: Methods for starting a project.

Keep the correct capitalization of proper nouns and abbreviations.

Editions, volumes, and report numbers

For books and reports, place information that identifies the version after the title. This may include the edition, volume, or report number.

Write these details in parentheses without italics. Do not place a period between the title and the parentheses:

Research handbook (2nd ed.).

If both edition and volume information are needed, place the edition first and the volume second, separated by a comma.

Descriptions in square brackets

Some works need a short description that identifies their format. This applies to certain videos, photographs, software, data sets, manuscripts, and other materials that a title alone may not identify clearly.

Place the description in square brackets after the title. Do not italicize it:

How to organize an academic search [Video].

Keep the description brief and specific. Its purpose is to identify the work, not summarize it.

What to do when there is no title

If a work has no title, provide a description in square brackets instead:

[Photograph of a university library].

When possible, include the medium in the same description. Do not invent a title or use quotation marks to make the description appear original to the work.

For untitled comments and social media posts, use the first words of the content within the limit for that reference type, together with a description when required. See how to cite social media posts.

Punctuation after the title

Finish the title element with a period. If the title already ends with a question mark or exclamation point, do not add another period:

How do you build a research question?

The source follows the title. This punctuation helps readers distinguish the two elements.

How to check the title element

• You copied the title of the work you actually used.
• You decided whether it is a whole work or part of a larger whole.
• You used italics only when required.
• You did not add quotation marks to an article or chapter title.
• You used sentence case.
• You placed edition, volume, or report information after the title when needed.
• You added a bracketed description when the type of material required it.
• If there was no title, you described the work instead of inventing one.

Continue with how to write the source in an APA reference.