APA Title Capitalization™

APA Title Capitalization Rules & Guidelines

APA title capitalization follows the American Psychological Association Style Guide (7th edition). Understanding APA title capitalization is crucial for academic writing in psychology, education, and social sciences.

APA Title Capitalization Rules

• Use sentence case for most titles
  Capitalize only the first word, first word after a colon, and proper nouns.
• Capitalize the first word
  Always capitalize the first word of any title or subtitle
• Capitalize words after colons
  The first word after a colon in a title is always capitalized
• Capitalize proper nouns
  Names, places, specific organizations, and proper adjectives
• Lowercase everything else
  Common nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are lowercase
• Maintain acronym capitalization
  Keep standard capitalization for abbreviations like "HIV," "COVID-19," "ADHD"

APA Title Capitalization Examples

• ✓ "The effects of social media on adolescent mental health"
• ✓ "Understanding depression: A comprehensive guide for practitioners"
• ✓ "Cultural differences in anxiety disorders across European populations"
• ✓ "Meta-analysis of cognitive behavioral therapy outcomes in PTSD treatment"
• ✓ "The role of mindfulness in reducing workplace stress: Implications for organizational psychology"

APA vs Journal Title Capitalization

Important distinction in APA style:

• Article/book titles: Use sentence case
• Journal names: Use title case (capitalize major words)
• Example: Smith, J. (2023). The impact of remote work on productivity. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 45(2), 123-145.

Common APA Title Capitalization Mistakes

• ❌ Using title case: "The Effects Of Social Media On Adolescent Mental Health"
• ✓ Correct: "The effects of social media on adolescent mental health"
• ❌ Not capitalizing after colon: "Understanding depression: a comprehensive guide"
• ✓ Correct: "Understanding depression: A comprehensive guide"
• ❌ Not capitalizing proper nouns: "cultural differences in anxiety disorders across european populations"
• ✓ Correct: "Cultural differences in anxiety disorders across European populations"

When to Use APA Title Capitalization

APA title capitalization is required for:

• Psychology research papers and dissertations
• Educational research publications
• Social science journal articles
• Business and management studies
• Nursing and healthcare research
• Clinical and counseling literature

APA Style References and Citations

• Use sentence case for article and book titles in reference lists
• Use title case for journal names and proper nouns
• Be consistent throughout your entire document
• Follow APA 7th edition guidelines for digital sources

Quick APA Title Capitalization Tips

• Think "sentence case" - capitalize like a normal sentence
• Always capitalize the first word after a colon or dash
• Don't capitalize common nouns, verbs, or adjectives
• Keep proper nouns and acronyms in their standard form
• Use our free APA title capitalization tool above for instant formatting

Need perfect APA title capitalization?
Use our free APA title capitalization tool to instantly format your academic titles according to APA 7th edition guidelines.

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