Publication titles

The 2 key elements to consider when citing the title of a publication are the:

The professional world has applied these elements in different ways in different eras to:

  • distinguish a formal title from surrounding text
  • set up a hierarchy of different titles (published versus unpublished, acts versus regulations)
  • make the best use of available technology.

For the digital age, the ASG recommends title case to clearly show the name of all titles, but without formatting them in italics because it is harder to read on screens. The titles of articles and sections within published works can be distinguished with quote marks around their title using title case.

We recognise that the shift away from italics will be significant for some writers, simply because of what we’re used to. But title case will be enough to distinguish a publication title without the italics. And the cleaner roman text will enhance legibility. 

This section explains this shift in more detail, and provides examples of the recommended style.

Formatting titles
Use capitals but not italics when formatting publication titles
The Holy Bible

To choose the best formatting option for publication titles, it is important to balance 2 needs:

  • showing clearly what phrase represents the formal title for a work
  • maximising legibility and readability on both screen and on paper.

Formatting choices have been regularly evolving with writing technology. When text was hand-written, we tended to use capital letters (title case) to show that a phrase was the title of a published work. As book printing evolved, we added italic formatting to distinguish between the titles of published and unpublished works. 

But business documents presented a problem, because typewriters did not offer italics. So in workplace and academic documents not published through a printing press, we turned to capitals and underlining to format publication titles.

The recent move toward minimal capitalisation shifted government style in Australia to sentence case for publication titles, where only the first word is capitalised. While formally published works kept their italics, it wasn't clear where the title ended for unpublished titles in roman text. Many used quote marks or reverted to title case.

Most recently, we have found that italics presents problems for reading onscreen because the sloped letters are harder to capture in pixels on a monitor. So we've been moving away from italic formatting in general.

Taking all of these factors into account, the ASG recommends returning to title case for both published and unpublished titles, but moving away from italics. 

We recognise this represents a significant departure for many writers. But it is an adjustment worth making for the digital age.

Books and periodicals
Use title case but no italics for main titles
A Brief History of Time
The Quarterly

Use title case without italics for the main title of:

  • a book
  • a newspaper, magazine, journal or other periodical.

If the publication includes a subtitle, add a colon after the main title and leave the subtitle in sentence case.

Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a bestselling business and self-help book.

Of the mainstream media, The Guardian was the quickest to report the story.

Neil James is the author of Writing at Work: How to write clearly, effectively and professionally (Allen & Unwin, 2007).

For an article title referenced within a periodical, use sentence case and put single quote marks around it.

We are issuing a correction for our article ‘NSW declared Sheffield Shield winners’.

Reports and other workplace documents
Use title case but no italics for full references
Interim Report Volume 2: Case studies
Guidelines for Privately Financed Projects

Use title case without italics when you're giving a full title or name of a workplace publication, such as a:

  • report
  • policy or procedure
  • plan or strategy
  • form.

It doesn't make any difference if you've published the document in hard copy or online. In the second example below, the form is hyperlinked on a website.

The Productivity Commission has released its Report on Government Services.
Please complete the Out-of-Pocket Expenses Claim Form.

For short-form references, you can use lower case.

The report is likely to garner significant media attention.
Please send your completed form to our finance department.
Legislation
Refer to acts, ordinances, regulations and bills the same way, giving the jurisdiction where needed
Major Bank Levy Act 2017 (Cth)
Gaming Control Amendment Regulations 2020 (Tas)
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (UK)

Traditionally, people have styled different pieces of legislation differently to show the legal hierarchy. Acts and ordinances were formatted into italics, while lesser regulations and unpublished bills before parliament were set in roman type.

The ASG now recommends using title case without italics no matter what type of legislation you’re dealing with. This will make referencing legal instruments more consistent and improve legibility for the digital age.

The Juries Act 1967 sets the number of jurors required at a trial.
Western Australia established its supreme court under the Supreme Court Ordinance 1861.

If you need to clarify the jurisdiction, you can:

  • do this in the surrounding discussion of the legislation, or
  • add a short form of the jurisdiction in round brackets after the title.
Several states introduced lockout laws that were later lifted or relaxed, including the Liquor Amendment Act 2014 (NSW).
See also:   Articles,  Italics,  Legislation,  Parts of a text,  Referencing systems,  Subtitles,  Title case