Documents
Traditionally, the titles of documents in English are given maximal capitalization. That is to say, capitalize the first word and all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs. Do not capitalize articles, conjunctions or prepositions.
 | The Strategic Plan for Teaching and Learning |
However, the first word of a subtitle after a colon is generally capitalized, whatever part of speech it may be (see also Other uses in the section on punctuation).
| Strategic Planning: An Approach to the Future |
Remember, too, that when writing individual titles, you can often exercise a certain amount of personal judgement. A short title, for example, may look better if words that are often lowercased are capitalized.
| All About Erasmus |
In the headings of document sections, however, use sentence-style capitalization (first word and proper nouns) instead of title-style capitalization (first word and all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs), although the exact style will also depend on the number of levels of hierarchy. Capitalize the first word, but lowercase the rest, including the first word after a colon (except for those words that would normally be capitalized in running text).
| Teaching vision |
| Strategic goals: a necessary evil |
| Core teaching values and the Dublin Declaration |
The first element of a compound word is always capitalized in a title; the second element is also capitalized unless it is an article, a preposition or a coordinating conjunction.
| The Role of Computer-Assisted Translation in the Internationalization of European Universities |
| Greater European Integration Gets the Thumbs-up from Catalan-Speaking University Students |
Second elements that are hyphenated to prefixes are capitalized only if they are proper nouns.
| Competences: A Comparison between Pre- and Post-Erasmus Students |
| Post-examination Opening Times for University Libraries |
Publications
Capitalize and set in italics the titles of all sorts of published works (books, theses, audiovisual material, journals, paintings, etc.).
| the book Landscapes: A Guide to University Architecture |
| the thesis Fabrication of Bulk and Interdigitated Solar Cells |
| the film American Beauty |
| the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon |
| the journal Analytical Chemistry |
| Salvador Dalí’s painting The Persistence of Memory |
| Harold Pinter’s play The Birthday Party |
However, only capitalize the first word of the titles of articles, chapters and other sections of a publication, and enclose them in inverted commas.
| The research group wrote the article entitled “The dynamics of charge carriers”. |
| Before the next class, please read the chapter “Revising prose structure and style”. |
For other issues of use of italics, see the explanation about the titles of books, journals and other publications in Italics.
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Let's delve into the intricacies of title capitalization as outlined in the provided article.
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Maximal Capitalization for Document Titles: Traditionally, English document titles follow maximal capitalization. This means capitalizing the first word and all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions, on the other hand, remain lowercase.
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Subtitles and Colon Usage: After a colon in a subtitle, regardless of the part of speech, the first word is generally capitalized. This rule is exemplified in the example: "Strategic Planning: An Approach to the Future."
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Personal Judgment in Individual Titles: The article suggests that personal judgment can be exercised in the capitalization of individual titles. For instance, a short title might benefit from capitalizing words that are typically lowercase.
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Sentence-Style Capitalization in Document Sections: In the headings of document sections, sentence-style capitalization is advised. This involves capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns, differentiating from title-style capitalization.
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Compound Words in Titles: The first element of a compound word in a title is always capitalized. The second element is capitalized unless it is an article, preposition, or coordinating conjunction.
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Hyphenated Second Elements: Second elements hyphenated to prefixes are capitalized only if they are proper nouns.
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Capitalization and Italics for Published Works: Titles of published works (books, theses, audiovisual material, journals, paintings, etc.) are capitalized and set in italics. This includes examples like "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dalí and "The Birthday Party" by Harold Pinter.
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Capitalization of Titles of Articles and Chapters: In contrast, only the first word of titles of articles, chapters, and sections within publications is capitalized. These titles are enclosed in inverted commas.
Understanding and applying these rules enhance the clarity and professionalism of written documents, ensuring consistency and adherence to established style conventions. If you have any specific questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask.
