Writing Style Guide - Titles | University of Portland

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

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. 

Music

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