Are Report Section Titles Italicized?
Report section headings are not universally italicized. APA 7 assigns italics only to particular heading levels, while MLA-oriented formatting guidance allows a consistent hierarchy chosen for the document, so the correct treatment depends on the governing style and heading level.
Not automatically. Follow the heading system required by your style: for example, APA 7 uses italics at Levels 3 and 5 but not Levels 1, 2, or 4.
Key details
Important caveats
Hierarchy Boundary
A section heading is part of a document hierarchy, so its level and the governing style matter more than the fact that it names a report section.
Style Boundary
MLA-oriented guidance does not prescribe one universal heading design for every document; when a specific style does not dictate typography, make levels clear and apply the chosen treatment consistently.
Further guidance
Recommendation
Not automatically. Follow the heading system required by your style: for example, APA 7 uses italics at Levels 3 and 5 but not Levels 1, 2, or 4.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- APA Headings and Seriation — Purdue OWL (opens in a new tab)Purdue Online Writing Lab · Current APA 7 heading-level guidance showing which report section headings use roman versus italic type
- MLA General Format (opens in a new tab)Purdue Online Writing Lab · MLA-style guidance for formatting the title of the writer’s own paper