How should I style brand names?

The styling of brand names depends on whether they are trademarked. Always check the dictionary, which lists many brand names. Trademarked brand names are capitalized… Read More

Are medical terms such as Staphylococcus aureus and their acronyms italicized only at first instance?

Medical terms such as Staphylococcus aureus are italicized at each instance, but acronyms for these terms (in this case, MRSA), are always set in roman… Read More

In prose, should a transliterated song title appear in italics or quotation marks?

In prose, style a transliterated title the same way you would style the title in English. In the following example, the transliterated title A fidler… Read More

Should the comma after an italicized element appear in italics?

Publishers differ in their practice. In its publications, the MLA’s preference is not to italicize commas that appear after italicized elements. However, we are open… Read More

How should I style the name of an artwork with an ascribed title?

Many works of art, especially older ones, were not given formal titles by their creators or were given one that is no longer known and… Read More

How should I style the name of an earthwork, such as the Great Serpent Mound?

Names of earthworks, like names of buildings, should not be italicized: We took a trip to see the Great Serpent Mound.      … Read More

How should I style a Web address like google.com?

As the MLA Handbook (2.5.2) notes, “When giving a URL,” or Web address, “copy it in full from your Web browser.” Thus, a Web address should… Read More

Should names of apps and other software programs be italicized in MLA style?

Yes. Titles of software programs, including apps (e.g., Kindle, Instagram, and Facebook), are italicized in MLA style.      … Read More

How do I style genus and species names, such as Homo sapiens, in MLA style?

MLA style was developed to be used by writers in the humanities, so we defer to our colleagues at The Chicago Manual of Style regarding how… Read More

How do I cite the Homeric hymns?

The Homeric hymns refer to poems that were once attributed, mistakenly, to the ancient Greek poet Homer. They are Homeric only in the sense that… Read More