APA 7th Edition Title Capitalization Rules
The American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition has specific rules for capitalizing titles in research papers, journal articles, and academic writing.
What Gets Capitalized?
- First and Last Words: Always capitalize, regardless of length
- Major Words: Capitalize all words with 4 or more letters
- Important Short Words: Capitalize nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs
- Words After Colons: Capitalize the first word after a colon in titles
What Stays Lowercase?
According to APA style, keep these words lowercase (unless they're the first or last word):
Examples
Research Paper Titles:
- Input: the effects of social media on adolescent mental health
APA: The Effects of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health - Input: analyzing the impact of remote work on employee productivity
APA: Analyzing the Impact of Remote Work on Employee Productivity - Input: machine learning applications in healthcare diagnostics
APA: Machine Learning Applications in Healthcare Diagnostics
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't capitalize all words: "The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health" ❌
- Don't use sentence case: "The effects of social media on mental health" ❌
- Don't forget the first/last word: "the Effects of Social Media on mental health" ❌
- Do capitalize 4+ letter words: "The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health" ✓
APA vs Other Style Guides
| Style | Key Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| APA | 4+ letters capitalized | The Effects of Climate Change |
| MLA | All principal words | The Effects of Climate Change |
| Chicago | All major words | The Effects of Climate Change |
| AP | 4+ letters capitalized | The Effects of Climate Change |
When to Use APA Title Case
- Psychology and social science research papers
- Journal article titles (in reference lists)
- Section headings (Level 1 and 2)
- Titles of books and reports in your reference list
- Figure and table titles
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I capitalize "with" in APA style?
Yes! "With" has 4 letters, so it gets capitalized according to APA 7th edition rules: "Working With Children in Therapy."
What about hyphenated words?
Capitalize both parts if they're significant words: "Twenty-First Century" or "Self-Esteem." If the second part is a particle (like -up, -in), lowercase it unless it's the first/last word.
Are there exceptions to the 4-letter rule?
Yes. Always capitalize verbs (like "Is," "Are," "Was") and important short words, even if they're under 4 letters. The small words list (a, an, and, as, at, etc.) are specifically excepted.
Should I capitalize after a colon?
Yes, in APA style, capitalize the first word after a colon in titles: "Climate Change: The Effects on Biodiversity."