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APA 7 provides specific guidelines about when to use italics. You can find these rules in Section 6.22 of the Publication Manual As a general rule, use italics sparingly.

When to Use Italics

According to APA 7, italics are appropriate for the following uses. 

Use

Examples


Titles of books, journals and periodicals, webpages, films, and videos 

 

  • The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is widely used.
  • In the show Friends, Rachel and Ross have an on-again, off-again relationship. 


Key terms or phrases, often accompanied by a definition

 

  • A group of words working together that contains a subject and a verb is called a clause.
  • The term zone of proximal development refers to the range of tasks that a learner can complete with guidance but not yet independently.


Anchors on a scale, but not the associated numbers

 

  • Participants could rate their agreement using a Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree).
  • Scores ranged from 0 (never) to 5 (continuously). 


General/scientific names, species, and varieties

 

  • Humans are homo sapiens.
  • Equus caballus (the scientific name for a horse) is an example.   


Letters in statistical symbols and algebraic values

 

  • The results were significant, t(28) = 2.45, p = .02.
  • The analysis revealed a strong positive correlation, r(45) = .72, p < .001, indicating a significant relationship between the two variables. 


The first use of a word, phrase, or abbreviation from another language when readers may not be familiar with it.

 

  • The phrase geçmiş olsun is sometimes used to wish someone a fast recovery from a health problem.
  • The concept of ikigai has gained popularity in discussions on well-being. 

When Not to Use Italics

Do not use italics for the following situations.

For Mere Emphasis

Do not use italics to add emphasis to your writing. Instead, rely on strong word choice or sentence structure to create emphasis.

For Greek Letters or Common Foreign Phrases

Do not italicize Greek letters (α) or foreign terms that are widely used in English

  • et al.
  • a posteriori
  • ex post facto

For words, phrases, or letters presented as linguistic examples

APA 7 suggests using quotation marks for this situation.

  • The word “psychology” is often misunderstood.
  • The term “research” is frequently used in different contexts, which can lead to confusion about its precise meaning.

Key Takeaway

Italics should be used intentionally, following the guidelines outlined by APA 7.

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