Are Survey Titles Italicized?
Survey and questionnaire title treatment depends on what the name represents and where it appears. APA-oriented test/measure guidance distinguishes running-text names from reference titles, while university APA guidance for researcher-created surveys treats the instrument as part of the study documentation rather than an ordinary bibliographic source.
Not automatically. In APA-style prose, a named test or measure is generally written in title case without italics; if the instrument itself is formally cited in the reference list, its title may be italicized. A survey or questionnaire you created for your own study is usually described in the method and, when needed, included as an appendix rather than cited as a separate source.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
“Survey” can refer to a data-collection process, an instrument, a published dataset/report, or an appendix. The formatting depends on that role, so this guide does not impose one typography rule on every use.
Further guidance
Recommendation
First identify the context: running prose, a formal reference to a published instrument, or your own questionnaire in an appendix. Use roman title case for a named measure in prose; use the applicable APA reference format when citing a published instrument; follow appendix formatting for a self-created survey.
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.
- Data Sets, Software, and Tests — APA 7th Edition (opens in a new tab)Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus · APA 7 university guidance distinguishing test/scale/inventory titles in prose from reference-list treatment
- How Do I Reference Interviews, Surveys and Questionnaires in APA 7? (opens in a new tab)Cranfield University · APA 7 university guidance for researcher-created surveys and questionnaires, including appendix rather than bibliographic-reference treatment