How to Arrange a Long Title

Regardless of the discipline the paper is completed in, the necessity of composing or citing a long title is always a possibility. Although the possibility is real, having to actually arrange a long title can seem like a fairly difficult task. Both MLA and APA have separate guidelines for formatting long titles, allowing writers from all disciplines to compose titles with confidence.

MLA Long Title Formatting

Step 1

Capitalize the first letter in each word, except for articles or non-emphasized words: Keeping Solvent in Modern Economies and Governments.

Step 2

Format other titles as they would appear in the body of the paper, according to MLA's newest edition: "Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title."

A short story title within your own would appear as follows: Christmas Capote: Alliteration and Meaning within Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory."

Step 3

Separate opening phrases from the main title with a colon: Keeping the Faith: Romance and Religion in The Canterbury Tales.

Step 4

Center align the title on the title page; if the title requires more than one line, separate after the colon to allow the title to appear more aesthetically pleasing to the reader.

APA Long Title Formatting

Step 1

Capitalize the first letter of each word, except for articles and non-emphasized words. APA's newest edition recommends that researchers "type your title in upper and lowercase letters centered in the upper half of the page."

Step 2

Separate the running head from the main title with a colon.

Step 3

Make the title no more than twelve words: "APA recommends that your title be no more than 12 words in length and that it should not contain abbreviations or words that serve no purpose."

Step 4

Center the title on the page, spacing it so that if it runs more than one line, the title still appears centered: "Your title may take up one or two lines. All text on the title page, and throughout your paper, should be double-spaced."