Can a title include a note number or symbol?

In our books, we follow our colleagues at The Chicago Manual of Style for note numbers and symbols in titles: “In books, a note number should… Read More

Should the acronym of an italicized title be set in italics?

Yes. If you use an acronym in place of an italicized title, italicize the acronym, as shown in the example below: In his recent book,… Read More

How do I style a title or short title enclosed in parentheses in my parenthetical citation?

If a title or short title in parentheses must be given in a parenthetical citation, do not nest parentheses within parentheses. Instead, change the parentheses… Read More

Why are internal capital letters retained in titles of websites in MLA style?

When special typography is strongly associated with a brand, we retain it (e.g., SoundCloud, YouTube). The Chicago Manual of Style supports this practice, advising, “[N]ames that… Read More

How do I cite an edition of a work that contains the original text and a modernized version?

If you are citing an edition that contains two versions of a single work, such as a No Fear edition of one of Shakespeare’s plays,… 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 a film be cited by its title or the director’s name?

Films are collaborative works, so how you cite them depends on the focus of your discussion. If you are focusing on the director’s choices, begin… Read More

If a tweet contains an emoji, should I include the emoji when I use the text of the tweet as a title?

Emojis do not need to be included in the titles of tweets. If the emoji is important to the meaning of the tweet, you should… Read More

Should the abbreviation etc. be capitalized in a title?

Whether the abbreviation etc., meaning “and so forth,” should be capitalized in a title depends on its location in the title. In our publications, we… Read More

How do you alphabetize a works-cited-list entry that begins with a title starting with an article?

As the MLA Handbook notes, titles should be alphabetized in works-cited lists “letter by letter, ignoring any initial A, An, or The or the equivalent in other languages” (115). Read More