How to Check Italics in APA Citations

Complete guide to checking italics in APA citations. Learn what should be italicized, common italics errors, and source-specific formatting rules.

Why Italics Matters in APA Citations

Impact on Readability

Proper italics formatting ensures your reference list is professional and easy to read. When italics is formatted correctly, readers can quickly identify the key components of each citation and locate the sources themselves.

Impact on Credibility

Italics errors can undermine your academic credibility. Instructors and journal editors often view formatting mistakes as a lack of attention to detail, which may affect how they evaluate the quality of your research.

Common Consequences

• Grade deductions: Typical penalties range from 1-5 points per error
• Journal rejections: Many journals reject papers with formatting issues without review
• Reader confusion: Incorrect italics can make sources difficult to identify

What Correct Italics Formatting Looks Like

The Rule

Rules for checking italics in APA citations...

Official APA Guidance:

According to APA 7th edition guidelines for italics...

Visual Examples

Correct Format:
✅ Correct italics example...

Incorrect Format:
❌ Incorrect italics example...

Key Rules to Remember

Key rules to remember...

Step-by-Step: How to Check Italics

Follow this systematic process to validate italics in your citations:

Preparation (1-2 minutes)

Step 1: Gather your citations
- [ ] Open your reference list
- [ ] Have APA manual or guide available
- [ ] Note which source types you have

Step 2: Understand what to check
- [ ] Review italics rules
- [ ] Note differences by source type
- [ ] Identify your high-risk citations

Checking Process (3-5 minutes per citation)

What You Need

Before beginning the process of checking italics in APA citations, gather the following materials:

1. A copy of the APA Publication Manual (7th edition) for reference.
2. A computer or device with word processing software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Google Docs).
3. Your list of references or citations you want to check.
4. A reliable internet connection to access additional resources if needed.
5. A notepad or digital note-taking app for jotting down observations.

Steps to Check Italics in APA Citations

1. Familiarize Yourself with APA Italicization Rules (Time estimate: 15 minutes)

Before you start checking your citations, it is essential to understand the APA guidelines regarding italics. According to the APA Publication Manual, italics are typically used for:

• Titles of books
• Titles of reports
• Titles of webpages
• Titles of periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers)
• Titles of standalone works

Verification: Review the relevant section in the APA manual to ensure you comprehend which elements require italics. If you find any confusion, bookmark the page for easy reference during your citations check.

2. Open Your Document (Time estimate: 5 minutes)

Launch your word processing software and open the document containing your citations. Ensure that it is formatted correctly and that you can easily navigate through your references.

Verification: Scroll through your document to locate your reference list. Ensure that all citations are visible and that there are no hidden or collapsed sections.

3. Identify the Types of Sources in Your Citations (Time estimate: 10 minutes)

Go through each citation on your list and identify the types of sources you have included. This could be books, journal articles, webpages, or other media. Understanding what type of source you are dealing with will guide your application of italics.

Verification: Make a note of the source types next to each citation. This will help you confirm which ones require italics according to APA rules.

4. Check Each Citation for Italicization (Time estimate: 30 minutes)

Begin systematically reviewing each citation to check for proper italicization. For every source that requires italics, ensure that the title is correctly formatted.

Verification: If a title should be italicized according to APA rules but is not, highlight the title for correction. Conversely, if a title is incorrectly italicized, make a note of that as well.

5. Make Corrections as Needed (Time estimate: 20 minutes)

After identifying any discrepancies in italics, proceed to make necessary corrections. For titles that need to be italicized, highlight them and apply the italics formatting in your word processor. For any titles that should not be italicized, remove the italics formatting.

Verification: After making changes, read through each citation again to ensure that all corrections are applied correctly. This is crucial to maintaining consistency in your reference list.

6. Verify Consistency Across Citations (Time estimate: 15 minutes)

Once you have corrected your citations, check for consistency across your reference list. Ensure that every title of a similar type follows the same formatting rules. For example, all book titles should be italicized, while article titles should remain in standard font.

Verification: Create a checklist of the types of sources and their required formatting, and go down the list to ensure all citations adhere to this.

7. Final Review and Save Your Document (Time estimate: 10 minutes)

Conduct a final review of your entire reference list. This is your opportunity to catch any remaining errors in italics or other citation elements. Once satisfied, save your document with a clear file name that reflects its contents.

Verification: Double-check all citations against your original source material to ensure accuracy. After confirming that everything is in order, save the document in multiple formats if necessary (e.g., .docx and .pdf).

Efficiency Tips

• Use Find and Replace: In your word processor, you can use the "Find" function to quickly locate titles that may need italicization.
• Keep the APA Manual Handy: Bookmark the relevant sections in the APA manual for quick access during your review.
• Break it up: If you have a large number of citations, consider breaking this task into smaller sessions to avoid fatigue and maintain focus.

By following these steps, you will ensure that your APA citations are correctly formatted with italics as needed. Taking your time and being thorough will help you develop a strong understanding of citation rules, which is essential for academic writing.

Verification (1-2 minutes)

Step 3: Cross-check all citations
- [ ] Compare similar citations for consistency
- [ ] Verify against official APA examples
- [ ] Use automated checker for verification

Step 4: Document changes
- [ ] Track which citations were corrected
- [ ] Note patterns in your errors
- [ ] Save corrected version

Time-Saving Tips

💡 Batch similar source types: Check all journal articles together, then all books, etc.

💡 Use Find & Replace: Use Find & Replace for...

💡 Create a checklist: Print the validation checklist and check off as you go

Common Italics Errors

These are the most frequent italics errors found in APA citations:

Missing Italics for Journal Title

How common: Appears in very_common% of citations

What it looks like:
❌ Johnson, M. K. (2020). The study of psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45(3), 234-256.

Why it's wrong:
Students forget that journal names must be italicized in APA 7 reference lists

How to spot it:
Identify the journal name in the citation format

How to fix:
✅ Johnson, M. K. (2020). The study of psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45(3), 234-256.

Quick fix: Check that italics include both journal title and volume number

Missing Italics for Book Title

How common: Appears in common% of citations

What it looks like:
❌ Smith, J. D. (2019). The psychology of learning. New York, NY: Academic Press.

Why it's wrong:
Students forget to italicize book titles, treating them like article titles

How to spot it:
Identify the book title in the citation reference format

How to fix:
✅ Smith, J. D. (2019). The psychology of learning. New York, NY: Academic Press.

Quick fix: Check that publisher information is not included in italics formatting

Incorrect Italics for Article Title

How common: Appears in common% of citations

What it looks like:
❌ Johnson, M. K. (2020). The study of psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45(3), 234-256.

Why it's wrong:
Students apply italics to all titles, not understanding that article titles are not italicized

How to spot it:
Remove italics from article and chapter titles in reference lists

How to fix:
✅ Johnson, M. K. (2020). The study of psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45(3), 234-256.

Quick fix: Ensure only container titles (journals, books) receive italics

Volume Number Not Italicized

How common: Appears in common% of citations

What it looks like:
❌ Johnson, M. K. (2020). The study of psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45(3), 234-256.

Why it's wrong:
Students italicize journal title but not volume number, not realizing they should be italicized together

How to spot it:
Include volume number in italics with journal title formatting

How to fix:
✅ Johnson, M. K. (2020). The study of psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, (3), 234-256.

Quick fix: Check that italics extend to include the volume number only

Issue Number Incorrectly Italicized

How common: Appears in common% of citations

What it looks like:
❌ Johnson, M. K. (2020). The study of psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45 (3), 234-256.

Why it's wrong:
Students italicize everything in parentheses, not realizing only journal title and volume get italics

How to spot it:
Remove italics from issue number and surrounding parentheses

How to fix:
✅ Johnson, M. K. (2020). The study of psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, (3), 234-256.

Quick fix: Ensure italics stop before the opening parenthesis of issue number

Error Frequency Chart

Severity Key:
- High: Affects citation accuracy or findability
- Medium: Formatting issue that doesn't affect meaning
- Low: Style preference

How Italics Varies by Source Type

Different source types have different italics requirements:

Quick Reference Table

Italics Validation Checklist

Use this checklist to systematically validate italics:

Pre-Check Setup

• [ ] Reference list open and visible
• [ ] APA guide available
• [ ] Highlighter or tracking system ready

Check Each Citation For:

Post-Check Verification

• [ ] All citations checked
• [ ] Corrections made
• [ ] Consistency across similar citations
• [ ] Cross-checked problematic citations

Final Check

• [ ] Run automated validation
• [ ] Review any flagged items
• [ ] Document completion date

Citations Checked: ___ / ___
Errors Found: ___
Errors Fixed: ___

Tools & Tips for Checking Italics

Word Processing Features

Microsoft Word:
- Find feature: To use the Find feature in Microsoft Word, press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac). In the navigation pane that appears, click on the magnifying glass icon and select 'Advanced Find' or just type in the search box. This will allow you to search for specific text. To check for italics, type a common title or phrase that should be italicized and visually inspect the results for correct formatting.
- Find & Replace: To use the Find & Replace feature, press Ctrl+H (Cmd+Shift+H on Mac). In the dialog box, type the text you want to find in the 'Find what' field. For the 'Replace with' field, enter the same text but format it in italics. Click 'More >>' and check 'Format' to choose 'Font' and select Italics. Click 'Replace All' to bulk correct the formatting.
- Styles panel: To use the Styles panel in Microsoft Word, go to the Home tab on the ribbon. Here, you can apply different styles to text, including those that may require italics. You can create a new style that includes italic formatting and use it consistently for titles and other elements as needed. Highlight the text, then select the desired style from the Styles panel.

Google Docs:
- Find feature: In Google Docs, press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to open the Find feature. Type in a term you want to check for italics. You can look through the highlighted results to ensure the correct formatting is applied. For a more detailed search, use 'Ctrl+H' (Cmd+H on Mac) to open the Find and Replace dialog.
- Add-ons: To check citations in Google Docs, use Add-ons. Click on 'Extensions' in the menu, then 'Add-ons', and select 'Get add-ons'. Search for citation management tools like 'Paperpile' or 'Zotero' that can help ensure proper formatting, including italics. Follow the installation prompts and then use the Add-ons from the Extensions menu to assist with citation formatting.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac): Find
• Ctrl+H (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+H (Mac): Find & Replace

Search Strategies

To find potential errors:
To find italics errors, search for common phrases or titles that should be italicized, such as book titles or journal names. Use search patterns like 'title of book' or any specific phrases that are usually italicized in APA style. Systematically go through your citations and other relevant sections to ensure all required elements are correctly formatted.

Time-Saving Techniques

💡 :
- When to use:
- How to do it:
- Time saved:

💡 :
- When to use:
- How to do it:
- Time saved:

💡 :
- When to use:
- How to do it:
- Time saved:

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• ⚠️ Users often forget to italicize the correct elements, such as book titles or journal names. Always refer back to the APA style guide for clarification.
• ⚠️ Some users may overlook italics in text that is copied from other sources, leading to inconsistent formatting. Always recheck after pasting.
• ⚠️ It is common to miss italics in references at the end of a document. Conduct a final review of the references section to ensure all citations are correctly formatted.

Before & After Examples

These examples show common italics errors and their corrections:

Example 1: A graduate student is preparing their literature review and mistakenly formats the title of a book incorrectly in their reference list. They forget to italicize the book title.

Context:

Before (Incorrect):
❌ Smith, J. (2020). Understanding psychology: A guide to human behavior. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Problem identified:

After (Correct):
✅ Smith, J. (2020). Understanding psychology: A guide to human behavior. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

What changed:
- Italicized the title of the book
- Ensured proper casing for the title

Rule applied: APA Publication Manual, 7th edition, Section 6.29 regarding titles of works

Example 2: A student submitted a research paper that included a citation for a book. However, the student forgot to italicize the title of the book, leading to a formatting error.

Context:

Before (Incorrect):
❌ Smith, J. (2020). Understanding psychology: A comprehensive approach. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Problem identified:

After (Correct):
✅ Smith, J. (2020). Understanding psychology: A comprehensive approach. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

What changed:
- Italicized the title of the book
- Ensured proper formatting of the title

Rule applied: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Section 6.22, Title of a work

Example 3: A student submitted their research paper and incorrectly formatted the title of the book they referenced in the citations section.

Context:

Before (Incorrect):
❌ Smith, J. (2020). understanding psychology: A guide to mental health. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Problem identified:

After (Correct):
✅ Smith, J. (2020). Understanding psychology: A guide to mental health. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

What changed:
- Capitalized the first letter of the word 'Understanding'
- Ensured the title is in sentence case
- Italicized the book title

Rule applied: The title of a book should be italicized and in sentence case.

Example 4: A student is writing a research paper on cognitive behavioral therapy and cites a book on the topic but mistakenly does not italicize the book title.

Context:

Before (Incorrect):
❌ Smith, J. A. (2020). Cognitive behavioral therapy: An overview. New York, NY: Therapy Press.

Problem identified:

After (Correct):
✅ Smith, J. A. (2020). Cognitive behavioral therapy: An overview. New York, NY: Therapy Press.

What changed:
- Italicized the book title 'Cognitive behavioral therapy: An overview'

Rule applied: APA 7th Edition, Section 6.29: Titles of books and reports are italicized.

Example 5: A graduate student was preparing a literature review and needed to cite a book but mistakenly omitted the italics for the book title.

Context:

Before (Incorrect):
❌ Smith, J. (2020). understanding psychology: an introduction. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Problem identified:

After (Correct):
✅ Smith, J. (2020). Understanding psychology: An introduction. New York, NY: Psychology Press.

What changed:
- Italicized the book title 'Understanding psychology: An introduction'
- Capitalized the first letter of each major word in the book title
- Corrected the punctuation by ensuring proper capitalization after the colon

Rule applied: APA Style requires that book titles be italicized and in sentence case.

Example Summary

Related Validation Guides

Check Other Elements:

Complete Checking Guides:

• Complete Citation Checking Guide → /guides/
• Reference List Validation → /how-to-check-reference-list-apa/

Related Errors:

Source-Specific Guides:

Last Updated: October 28, 2025
Reading Time: 9 minutes

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use italics in APA citations?

In APA citations, italics are used for titles of books, reports, web pages, and other standalone works. For example, when citing a book, the title should be in italics, such as 'The Great Gatsby.' However, titles of articles, chapters, and webpages are not italicized. Instead, they should be presented in plain text. It can be confusing because the context matters. For instance, if you are referencing a journal article, the title of the journal should be italicized, but the title of the article itself should not be. For more details on formatting titles, you can visit the official APA Style website at https://apastyle.apa.org.

Are italics required for journal names in APA references?

Yes, in APA references, the names of journals should be italicized. This applies to the title of the journal itself, as well as the volume number. For example, a citation would look like this: Smith, J. (2020). The impact of social media on communication. Journal of Communication Studies, 15(3), 45-60. In this example, both 'Journal of Communication Studies' and '15' are italicized. However, the title of the article is in regular font. If you are unsure about specific formatting rules, the APA Style website offers comprehensive guidelines at https://apastyle.apa.org.

Should I italicize the title of a webpage in my reference list?

Yes, the title of a webpage should be italicized in the reference list according to APA style. For example, if you are citing a webpage titled 'How to Use APA Style,' it should appear as follows: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). How to use APA style. Website Name. URL. It is important to remember that while the title of the webpage is italicized, the name of the website is not. If you have further questions about citing web pages, check the APA Style guidelines at https://apastyle.apa.org.

Do I need to italicize movie titles in APA citations?

Yes, movie titles should be italicized in APA citations. When referencing a film, the title appears in italics, for example, 'Inception' or 'The Shawshank Redemption.' Here is an example of a citation format: Director, D. (Director). (Year). Title of film. Production Company. Remember that the title of the film is italicized, while the director's name and production company are not. For more insights on formatting film titles, please refer to the APA Style website at https://apastyle.apa.org.

How do I cite a chapter in a book, and should I use italics?

When citing a chapter in an edited book, you do not italicize the title of the chapter. Instead, you italicize the title of the book itself. For example: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx-xx). Publisher. Here, 'Title of book' is italicized, while 'Title of chapter' is in regular font. This distinction can be tricky, so make sure to pay attention to the details. For further clarification on this topic, you can consult the APA Style resources at https://apastyle.apa.org.

Are there exceptions to using italics in APA citations?

Yes, there are specific exceptions to the use of italics in APA citations. While titles of books, reports, and journals are generally italicized, some materials like articles, chapters, and web pages do not require italics. Additionally, if you are citing a source that is part of a larger work, only the larger work's title is italicized. For instance, in the case of a book chapter, only the book title is italicized. It is essential to follow these rules to ensure correct formatting. For more information, refer to the APA Style guidelines at https://apastyle.apa.org.