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  • Dec 15, 2022

Title Vs. Subtitle: What's the Difference?

The title and subtitle of a piece of writing play a crucial role in determining its success. Yet, people often struggle to determine the difference between titles and subtitles. Titles and subtitles both serve to convey the message of a piece of writing, but they each have their own purpose.

In this blog post, we will explore the differences between titles and subtitles. We will also provide tips and tricks for writing effective titles and subtitles, so you can make the most of these elements in your writing. By the end, you will have a solid understanding of the differences between titles and subtitles and how to use them to your advantage. So, let's get started on our journey to mastering the art of titles and subtitles!

Definition of Titles and Subtitles

A title is the main heading or name given to a piece of writing, typically placed at the top of the page or at the beginning of the text. On the book cover above, the title is " Foresight is 20/20 ." A subtitle , on the other hand, is a secondary heading that provides additional information about the content of the text. The subtitle for the book above is " Unlock Your Past to Create a Better Future ."

Subtitles are usually placed below the main title and help to break up the content into smaller, more manageable sections.

Understanding the differences between titles and subtitles–and knowing how to use them effectively–will help you to take your writing to the next level. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, this blog post will provide valuable insights and information to help you improve your writing and take your skills to the next level.

definition of a subtitle in an essay

The Role of Titles in Writing

The title is the first thing that a reader sees when they pick up a piece of writing. It plays a crucial role in determining whether or not the reader will continue to read the text. The main function of a title is to grab the reader's attention and give them a brief overview of what they’re about to read.

A good title is short, attention-grabbing, and relevant to the content of the text. The title provides the reader with their first impression, so it’s important to make it count.

A good title also establishes the tone of the content, whether it be serious, humorous, or informative. Here are some examples of strong titles that serve their purpose well:

1. " On the Origin of Species " by Charles Darwin

This title falls under the “serious” category. While “On the Origin of Species” gives us some context about what Darwin’s book is about, it’s a little vague. Still, this sweeping title provides the tone for Darwin’s dive into evolutionary biology.

2. " You Can’t Touch My Hair ” by Phoebe Robinson

This title reflects the tone of this New York Times best seller as funny, real, and a little confrontational. It’s a great title for a book written by a stand-up comedian who writes about her experiences with race, gender, and the cultural climate.

3. " The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People " by Stephen Covey

This title doesn’t set much of a tone for the book, but it certainly tells us exactly what we should expect to learn. We know we’re going to learn about highly effective people’s habits, specifically the ones ranking in the Top Seven.

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but it’s hard not to judge a book by its title. A title is the first and most important element of a piece of writing, and its ability to impact readers will determine the writing’s success.

The Role of Subtitles in Writing

A subtitle provides additional information about the content of a piece of writing. Subtitles are usually placed below the main title and serve to break up the content into smaller, more manageable sections. Subtitles provide additional detail and support the main title, making it easier for the reader to understand and engage with the content.

The main function of a subtitle is to provide more specific information about the content than the title does. They help the reader understand the structure and purpose of the writing.

Effective subtitles should be specific, clear, and concise, and they should always relate back to the main title. If we look back at our three previous title examples, we can see how their subtitles make them even easier for readers to understand:

1. “On the Origin of Species: by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life” by Charles Darwin

What a mouthful! Although Darwin’s title is short and serious, his book’s subtitle provides much more information about the content of his writing. Readers who want to know about the scientific theories surrounding natural selection can rejoice, while the ones who were hoping for a sci-fi origin story can safely set the book down.

2. “You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain” by Phoebe Robinson

This subtitle gives us an even stronger sense of tone. The words “still” and “have to” hint at Phoebe’s exasperation with people who want to touch her hair–and do other things! The subtitle still uses plain, confrontational language, but it also reveals more about what the book might have to say.

3. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change" by Stephen Covey

This subtitle lets us know we’re not only going to discover these seven habits; we’re also going to learn lessons about them. These lessons will (hopefully) provide us with the tools we need to make a personal change. While Covey’s original title was pretty specific, the subtitle works perfectly to give even more information to curious perusers in bookstores everywhere.

Subtitles provide crucial information and structure to the content of a piece of writing. By understanding the definition of subtitles and their purpose, you can use them effectively to help your writing flow and make it easier for the reader to engage with the content.

Differences Between Titles and Subtitles

Titles and subtitles are both important elements of writing, but they serve different purposes and have different characteristics. While both are used to provide structure and organization to the content, there are some key differences between titles and subtitles that are worth exploring.

The first difference between titles and subtitles is their size. On covers and title pages, titles are typically much larger and more prominent than subtitles, and they are usually placed at the top of the page or at the beginning of the text. Subtitles, on the other hand, are usually smaller and less prominent, and they are placed below the main title.

Another difference between titles and subtitles is their purpose. Titles are designed to grab the reader's attention and give them a brief overview of the content, while subtitles are designed to provide additional information and support for the main title. Titles also set the tone of the content, while subtitles provide specific details to help the reader better understand the content’s structure.

How to use titles and subtitles effectively is a skill every writer must learn. By knowing the specific purposes and characteristics of each, you can use them effectively in your writing to provide structure, organization, and detail to your content. Don't let title confusion hold you back! Knowing the difference between titles and subtitles will help you give your readers the sneak peek they need to tip the scales in your direction when they see your writing.

definition of a subtitle in an essay

Using Titles and Subtitles Effectively

One of the keys to successful writing is the effective use of titles and subtitles. When used correctly, titles and subtitles can help to organize your content, make it easier to read and understand, and increase engagement with your audience. Here are some tips for using titles and subtitles effectively:

Keep titles short and to the point. Titles should be concise and easy to read with a maximum of ten words. They should grab the reader's attention and give them an idea of what the content is about.

Make subtitles specific and relevant. Subtitles should be specific and directly related to the main title. They should provide additional information about the content and help the reader understand the structure of the writing.

Use different levels of titles and subtitles . When organizing your content, use different levels of titles and subtitles to distinguish between different sections and topics. This makes it easier for the reader to follow the content and understand the overall structure of the writing.

Consistency is key. When using titles and subtitles, be consistent in your use of capitalization, font size, and style. This makes your writing look professional and organized.

By following these tips and using titles and subtitles effectively, you can make your writing more organized, easier to read, and more engaging. Whether you are writing a novel, an article, or any other type of writing, the effective use of titles and subtitles is an essential skill to master.

Take some time to reflect on your own writing and see if there is room for improvement. Maybe your longer titles would work better split into a title-subtitle combo. Maybe your subtitle is better off as a title by itself! By reviewing your own choices, you'll be able to make changes to give your writing more clarity, structure, and impact, and engage your audience more effectively. Remember, the right use of titles and subtitles can make a big difference in your writing, so make sure to use them wisely!

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What Is A Subtitle Of A Book And How To Write One

Sometimes, a title says all your cover needs to say (other than your author name). 

But more often than not, at least when it comes to nonfiction, a good subtitle can be the difference between publishing success and invisibility . 

Why are subtitles necessary, though?

What makes them so powerful? 

And how do you write the kind of subtitle that will give your book the edge it needs in a crowded market ?

Let’s find out. 

What Is a Subtitle of a Book? 

A subtitle in a book is a phrase that often does more to establish your book’s place in the market than your title does.

The title gets more of the spotlight, but the subtitle does most of the work. The title is the hook ; the subtitle is the reel. 

So, what is the subtitle’s purpose? What does it actually do?

  • Clarifies the focus of your book (which is useful if your title is vague); 
  • Tells readers why they should read your book—what they’ll get out of it;
  • Helps convey the tone of your book (serious, scholarly, funny, lighthearted, etc.); 
  • Provides context for the title (which can be short and cryptic but memorable);
  • Uses keywords to make your book visible to search engines. 

Some books have standalone titles that do all the work, making subtitles unnecessary. But effective do-it-all titles are rare. 

And as you’ll see in the examples further down, crafting a killer title-subtitle pairing can be a lot of fun—the kind of fun your readers can feel when they see your cover. 

That’s the hope, anyway. So, how do you get closer to that? 

How to Write a Subtitle that Sells 

There’s no set formula for crafting the perfect subtitle for a book. But many of the best subtitles use the following to their advantage: 

  • Keywords — Book subtitles need targeted keywords to get the attention of both search engines and shoppers. Publisher Rocket can help you find the best ones for your book. Caveat: Don’t overdo it. Keyword cramming is not a good look.
  • Cadence — Subtitles that read easily and are even fun to say are more likely to circulate in the minds of shoppers and anyone who happens upon your book cover.  Cadence gives your words a balanced, rhythmic flow and melodic feel. It lingers. 
  • Brevity — Get to the point in as few words as possible without sacrificing essential details. Shorter isn’t always better. But don’t use more words than you need. 
  • Clarity — Spell out in crystal-clear language exactly how the reader will benefit from reading your book or what problems it will solve for them. 
  • The Rule of Three — The human brain loves groupings of three, and many subtitles capitalize on that with three goals, ideas, or pain points. 

Keeping the above in mind, here are some steps to help get you started on creating the best subtitle for your book: 

  • Research what’s already working — Look at bestseller lists in newspapers and online bookstores to get a sense of what’s working. What do you notice about the subtitles that stand out for you? 
  • Identify the keywords you need — Use the keyword tools at your disposal—including search engines (Google, Amazon, etc.) to find the keywords people use to find books like yours. 
  • Brainstorm a list of at least 20 subtitles —  Using the most important keywords, make a list of at least 20 potential subtitles to consider. Allow yourself to write down even the stinkers that come to mind. No filters. 
  • Identify your top three  — Cut your list of 20 down to the three that make the best possible use of the words in them. Write them out where you’ll see them throughout the day. 
  • Get feedback — Try running them through the CoSchedule Headline Analyzer. Otherwise, try to find your ideal readers (who aren’t friends or family) and ask for their honest, unfiltered feedback. 

5 Examples of Subtitles 

We’ve found five subtitles examples demonstrating the key elements and considerations described above. Look through them carefully and feel free to click on the links to each book’s sales pages for a closer look. 

Example #1:   The Five Hour Workday: Live Differently, Unlock Productivity, and Find Happiness by Stephan Aarstol 

We’ll start with a subtitle that uses the rule of three and popular keywords to capture the attention of book browsers and search engines alike. While the title offers a strong clue to the book’s message, the subtitle drills down to the three key benefits of reading the book. 

Example #2:   The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown

The title here is vague, but the subtitle more than makes up for it by identifying the book’s aim is clear unambiguous language. The aim is two-fold, but it articulates a goal that resonates with millions. It’s a clear invitation to a better life. 

Example #3:   Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

Here again, the title itself is unclear, though the “elegy” bit does suggest we’re looking at a memoir . It says little, though, about the focus of that memoir, and that’s where the subtitle helps us out. The word “crisis” gives the subtitle a sense of urgency, while “family” and “culture” give it resonance. 

Example #4:   The Science of Getting Started: How to Beat Procrastination, Summon Productivity, and Stop Self-Sabotage by Patrick King

Here’s another subtitle using the Rule of Three to hammer home the three main goals for this book. Keywords like “procrastination,” “productivity,” and “self-sabotage” make the book searchable and more likely to be found by those searching for help in those areas. 

Example #5:   The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet by Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman OR The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World by John Robbins

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Does A Comma Go Before Or After But?

Both food books use subtitles to make the book’s purpose clearer to the reader. Forks Over Knives uses the three-fold keywords “life-saving,” “whole-food,” and “plant-based” to make the book searchable and create an emotional impact. Food Revolution uses its subtitle to explain the word “Revolution” in the title by driving home the power of one person’s diet. 

Now that you know why subtitles are essential and how to create a powerful one for your book, what’s your biggest takeaway from this post? 

How many subtitle ideas have already come to mind for your current book? Remember to keep the filter switched off while you’re brainstorming. This is your “rough sketch” of ideas. It’s supposed to look rough. Have fun with it. 

How many subtitles can you think up today? 

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Subtitles in an Essay: How to write Subtitles in Essays or Papers

Writing Essay Titles and Sub-titles

Do you need to know how to write titles and subtitles in essays effectively? The main secret is to ensure that the titles and subtitles you choose represent the content under them.

This article presents reliable ways that you can use to write titles and subtitles.

Can an Essay have Subtitles?

Essays can have subtitles because they are useful writing tools.

formatting title and subtitles

Subtitles direct the reader that the main heading has been divided into several parts. However, before using them, it is always important to inquire whether your subject discipline requires their use.

An essay can have subtitles if they help organize the thoughts, arguments and points into sectional topics that support the main thesis. Subtitles help the writer organize written work, especially if it involves a lot of words. Subheadings can be mini-essays because the writer is required to write their introduction, body, and conclusion before ending them.

Remember that subtitles must comprehend the main title because they can make a relevant piece of writing lose meaning.

How to Write Subtitles in an Essay or Paper

To write good essay subtitles, you need to do the following:

Come up with the Subtitles

To come up with effective subtitles, you need to understand the title of your essay clearly. The objective of the whole essay and the main points you want to put across should also be clear to avoid formulating subtitles that do not rhyme with your essay title.

In some essays, subtitles should be from the main to the minor. For example, if the title of your essay is “How the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the United States economy,” you should start with the main effects and proceed to the minor ones.

When formulating them, keep them arranged in this order for easy writing.

Write Clear Subtitles that are Straight to the Point

straight to the point

Subtitles should always be meaningful by themselves. The reader should not read the content to know what the subheading is but instead read the subtitle and know what to expect in the content.

This means that subtitles such as “introduction,” “body,” and “conclusion” should not be used in writing.

When the reader goes through the subheadings in your essays, they should know everything they are to expect concerning the thesis statement.

If there is no logical progression of ideas presented by your subtitles, then you have not arranged them properly, and the reader will likely get confused when going through them.

Write Short and Attention Grabbing Subtitles

Subtitles should always be short. They should only take a few seconds to read. Always try to make them as short as possible because you will explain them in detail.

However, always make sure that they make sense. There is no need to write short headlines if they do not make sense or clearly present what you will write about.

Subtitles should also grab the attention of the reader. Once they see them, they should have the urge to read what it is all about. Subtitles should use a smaller heading font than the main title and be bolded to differentiate them from the normal text.

Can an Essay have Titles

Essays should always have titles. Titles present what essays are all about hence giving the reader insight of what to expect when going through them.

An essay without a title cannot be said to be complete. Any cases of untitled essays must be allowed by the instructor or be in the instructions of the work provided.

How to Write Titles in an Essay

You must do the following to write effective titles for your essays.

Write the Title of the Essay after Writing the Content

You always have the title of your essay in mind as you are writing, but you should write it only after completing the text.

Only when you read the entire text will you be able to word the title correctly. This helps come up with a title that accurately presents what you have written and increases the chance of the title emphasizing what the thesis statement entails.

Always come up with similar titles, and from them, you can choose the most appropriate one for your essay.

Through brainstorming, you are sure that the chances of writing a title that does not go hand in hand are minimal.

Use an Academic Tone

A title of an essay should always have an academic tone that spreads throughout the whole paper. This is why we use third-person language and refrain from using personal opinions in papers or essays.

The language and word choice should depict persuasiveness and strictness and be informative. Any jargon should be avoided because essays are academic writings that are considered official documents.

Make it Catchy

Titles should always grab the attention of the reader. This is achieved by connecting with the reader immediately when they read the title.

This can be done by using questions, stating facts, and avoiding mysterious titles

Use Keywords

The title should contain the keywords in your essay. Both the title and the thesis statement should relay the same message.

your keywords

Using keywords is also crucial in grabbing the attention of readers. Readers can know what to expect in an essay the most through keywords.

Make it Simple

Do not complicate an essay title. It is the first thing that the reader must easily understand.

Therefore, avoid using vocabulary may prevent the reader from directly grasping what your essay is all about

Follow the Format

Different writing formats require writers to write titles differently. Check out how to structure a paper and get a few things on the best format to use for term papers and research papers.

If formats are specified in the instructions, always follow their guidelines when writing a title. For example, APA format, MLS format, and the Chicago format have different ways of formulating a title, and using one instead of the recommended one can lead to essay failure.

Keep it Short and Accurate

A good title should always grab the reader’s attention without revealing the details of the essay. Even if no word limitations are provided, avoid making titles too long.

A title should always accurately represent what is in your essay and set expectations of what to learn in the essay.

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What Are Subtitles In A Paper

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Introduction

When it comes to writing a paper, there are several elements that contribute to its overall structure and organization. One such element is the use of subtitles. Subtitles, also known as subheadings or headings, are short phrases or titles that provide a concise summary of the content that follows. They serve as a roadmap for readers, helping them navigate through the paper and understand the main points being discussed.

The use of subtitles in a paper is not only a stylistic choice but also an important tool for effective communication. Subtitles help break down complex ideas into smaller, more manageable sections, making it easier for readers to grasp the main ideas and follow the logical flow of the paper. Additionally, subtitles provide visual cues that assist readers in skimming through the paper and quickly locating specific information.

Whether you are writing an essay, research paper, or any other academic document, using subtitles can greatly enhance the reader’s experience and understanding. By structuring your paper with clear and informative subtitles, you can present your ideas in a cohesive and organized manner, making it easier for readers to engage with your content.

In the following sections, we will explore the purpose and importance of subtitles in academic writing, as well as provide guidelines and examples for effectively using subtitles in your paper. But before we delve into those details, let us first understand what exactly subtitles are and how they differ from headings and subheadings.

Definition of Subtitles

Before we delve into the benefits and guidelines for using subtitles in a paper, it is important to establish a clear understanding of what exactly subtitles are and how they differ from headings and subheadings.

Subtitles, also known as subheadings or headings, are concise phrases or titles that provide a brief summary of the content that follows. They are typically used in written materials, such as papers, articles, books, and presentations, to break down the main text into smaller, more manageable sections.

Unlike headings, which are used to designate major sections or chapters within a document, subtitles are used to further divide these sections into more specific categories or topics. They provide a hierarchical structure to the content, allowing readers to easily navigate through the paper and locate relevant information.

Subtitles are often distinguished from headings by their formatting. While headings are typically presented in a larger font size, subtitles are usually formatted with bold text or placed within quotation marks to visually differentiate them from the main text. This visual distinction makes it easier for readers to identify and locate specific sections within a paper.

It is crucial to note that the use of subtitles should be consistent throughout the paper. Ideally, they should be used in a logical and systematic manner, following a clear and coherent structure. This ensures that readers can easily follow the flow of ideas and connect the different sections of the paper.

Now that we have established the definition of subtitles and their role in organizing a paper, let us explore the purpose and importance of using subtitles in academic writing.

Purpose of Subtitles in a Paper

The use of subtitles in a paper serves various purposes that contribute to effective communication and enhanced reader comprehension. Understanding the purpose of subtitles can help you strategically incorporate them into your writing to create a well-structured and engaging document.

One of the primary purposes of subtitles is to guide the reader through the content of the paper. By providing clear and descriptive titles for different sections, subtitles act as signposts, indicating the main ideas or topics covered in each section. This helps readers orient themselves and understand the overall organization of the paper, making it easier for them to navigate through the text and locate specific information.

Furthermore, subtitles facilitate the skimming and scanning of a paper. In academic settings, readers often have limited time and may need to quickly assess the relevance of a document to their research or study. Subtitles provide visual cues that allow readers to skim through the paper and identify sections or subsections that are of particular interest. This not only helps readers save time but also encourages them to engage with the content more effectively.

In addition to aiding navigation and skimming, subtitles also improve the readability of a paper. Breaking down large blocks of text into smaller, subsections with descriptive subtitles makes the content more digestible. This is especially important for academic papers that may contain complex concepts or lengthy discussions. Subtitles provide a logical structure to the content, allowing readers to follow the flow of ideas and maintain focus throughout the paper.

Another purpose of subtitles is to highlight key points or arguments within the paper. By using concise and informative subtitles, you can draw attention to important concepts, findings, or discussions. This helps readers understand the significance of specific sections and enables them to selectively dive deeper into the content that is most relevant to their needs.

Overall, the purpose of subtitles in a paper is to improve readability, facilitate navigation, and enhance the overall comprehensibility of the content. By strategically incorporating subtitles, you can guide your readers through your paper, provide visual cues for efficient skim reading, and create a more engaging and accessible document.

Importance of Subtitles in Academic Writing

Subtitles play a crucial role in academic writing, offering significant benefits for both writers and readers. Recognizing the importance of subtitles can help you improve the clarity, organization, and overall impact of your academic papers.

First and foremost, subtitles help improve the overall structure and organization of academic writing. By breaking down the content into smaller sections with clear subtitles, you create a sense of coherence and logical progression. This not only makes it easier for readers to understand your arguments and ideas but also enables you to organize your thoughts better as a writer. Subtitles help you communicate your main points effectively, ensuring that your paper flows smoothly and is easy to follow.

Additionally, subtitles enhance the readability of academic papers. When readers encounter lengthy paragraphs or dense text, they can quickly become overwhelmed, leading to reduced comprehension. Subtitles provide visual breaks in the text, making the content more accessible and digestible. The use of subtitles allows readers to skim through the paper, locate relevant information, and focus on specific sections that align with their research interests or needs. This not only improves the reader’s experience but also increases the chances of your paper being read and cited by others.

Furthermore, subtitles in academic writing help to improve the overall accessibility and inclusivity of your paper. Different readers may have varying levels of background knowledge or may be approaching your paper from different disciplinary perspectives. Subtitles allow readers to quickly assess the content of each section, enabling them to decide which sections are most relevant to their interests or expertise. This ensures that your paper can be accessed and understood by a wider range of readers, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.

The use of subtitles in academic writing also promotes effective communication of complex ideas. Academic papers often address intricate concepts or present detailed findings. By breaking down these ideas into smaller sections with descriptive subtitles, you can guide readers through the content and help them grasp the main arguments or findings. Subtitles serve as signposts, highlighting the key points and ensuring that readers can follow the logical flow of your paper, even when dealing with intricate subject matter.

In summary, the importance of subtitles in academic writing cannot be overstated. They contribute to the overall structure, readability, accessibility, and clarity of your papers. By incorporating subtitles strategically, you improve the organization of your ideas, enhance the reader’s experience, and increase the impact and reach of your academic work.

Guidelines for Using Subtitles in a Paper

Using subtitles effectively is essential for creating a well-structured and accessible academic paper. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your subtitles enhance the overall organization and readability of your work.

1. Be clear and concise: Subtitles should accurately reflect the content of the section while being concise and informative. Avoid using vague or overly broad titles that may confuse the reader. Instead, choose subtitles that provide a clear and concise summary of what will be discussed in that particular section.

2. Maintain a logical hierarchy: Subtitles should follow a logical hierarchy, with main sections identified by larger headings and subsections labeled with subheadings. This hierarchical structure helps readers grasp the overall organization of your paper and understand the relationships between different sections.

3. Ensure parallelism: When using subtitles for multiple sections within the same level, make sure they have a consistent structure. This means using parallel grammatical form, such as using all nouns, verbs, or phrases, to maintain consistency and clarity.

4. Avoid redundancy: Subtitles should provide new and distinct information from the main heading. Avoid duplicating words or phrases that are already mentioned in the main title. Instead, use the subtitle to add additional details or to focus on a specific aspect of the main topic.

5. Consider your audience: Take into account the background and expertise of your intended audience when crafting subtitles. Use terminology and language that is appropriate for your target readership, ensuring that the subtitles are accessible and understandable to them.

6. Use formatting consistently: Formatting is an important aspect of subtitles. Consistently follow the formatting guidelines provided by your institution or publisher. This may include using bold text, italicization, or quotation marks to distinguish subtitles from the main text.

7. Review for coherence: Once you have incorporated subtitles into your paper, review the overall flow and coherence of the sections. Ensure that the subtitles create a logical progression and help guide the reader through your arguments or findings. Adjust and revise as necessary to create a seamless and well-organized document.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can effectively incorporate subtitles into your academic writing, creating a clear and organized paper that is accessible to your readers.

Formatting Subtitles in a Paper

Formatting subtitles in a paper is essential for visually distinguishing them from the main text and creating a clear hierarchy of information. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your subtitles are formatted consistently and effectively.

1. Use appropriate font size and style: Subtitles should be formatted using a slightly larger font size than the main text to make them stand out. However, they should not be excessively larger, as this may disrupt the flow and visual coherence of the paper. Choose a font style that is clear and easy to read, such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri.

2. Utilize bold or italics: To further emphasize subtitles, you can use bold or italics formatting. Decide on a consistent approach for your subtitles and apply the same formatting throughout the paper. For example, you may choose to use bold for main section subtitles and italics for subsections. This helps visually differentiate the different levels of subtitles.

3. Consider using numbering or lettering: In certain cases, such as when presenting a step-by-step process or outlining multiple points, using numbering or lettering can provide clarity and organization. This helps readers understand the sequence or hierarchy of the information being presented. Ensure that the formatting for the numbering or lettering is clear and easily distinguishable from the main text.

4. Use consistent punctuation: Decide on a consistent style for punctuation in subtitles and apply it throughout the paper. For example, you may choose to use sentence case (capitalizing only the first word and any proper nouns) or title case (capitalizing the first letter of each word). Consistency in punctuation helps maintain the visual coherence and professionalism of your paper.

5. Maintain a clear hierarchy: Formatting should reflect the hierarchical structure of your paper. Use larger headings for major sections and smaller subheadings for subsections. Consider using a different font size or formatting style for each level of subtitles to visually indicate the hierarchy. This makes it easier for readers to navigate your paper and locate specific sections.

6. Follow specific style guidelines: Depending on the academic discipline or publication guidelines, there may be specific rules for formatting subtitles. Familiarize yourself with the recommended style guide, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago style, and adhere to their formatting guidelines for subtitles. This ensures consistency and compliance with academic standards.

7. Proofread for consistency: After formatting your subtitles, take the time to proofread your paper for consistency. Check that the font sizes, styles, and punctuation are applied uniformly throughout the document. Consistent formatting enhances the professional appearance of your paper and facilitates readability for your audience.

By following these formatting guidelines, you can effectively structure and present subtitles in your paper, enhancing readability and aiding in the navigation of your content.

Examples of Subtitles in Different Disciplines

Subtitles in academic writing can vary depending on the specific discipline or field of study. Different disciplines may have their own conventions and expectations for how subtitles are used. Here are some examples of how subtitles are commonly employed in various disciplines:

1. Social Sciences: In social sciences, subtitles are often used to indicate different research questions or hypotheses being addressed within a study. For example:

  • “The Effects of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health: A Quantitative Analysis”
  • “Factors Influencing Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections: A Comparative Study”

2. Natural Sciences: In natural sciences, subtitles are commonly used to outline different stages of an experimental procedure or to present key findings and interpretations. For example:

  • “Experimental Setup and Materials”
  • “Results and Discussion: Analysis of Growth Patterns”

3. Humanities: In humanities disciplines, subtitles are often employed to present different themes or topics within an overall argument or analysis. For example:

  • “Exploring Symbolism in the Novels of Virginia Woolf”
  • “The Evolution of Renaissance Art: A Comparative Study of Italian and Flemish Painting”

4. Engineering and Technology: In engineering and technology disciplines, subtitles are frequently used to indicate different stages or components of a design or experimental process. For example:

  • “Design and Fabrication of a Microfluidic Chip for Drug Delivery”
  • “Testing and Evaluation of Mechanical Properties: Tensile Strength and Hardness”

5. Business and Management: In business and management fields, subtitles may be used to outline different aspects of a case study, business plan, or strategic analysis. For example:

  • “Case Study: Success Factors in International Market Entry”
  • “Strategic Analysis: SWOT Analysis and Competitive Landscape”

These examples provide a glimpse into how subtitles are commonly employed in different disciplines. However, it is important to consult the specific style guidelines or preferences of your field when formatting and structuring subtitles in your own academic writing.

Final Thoughts on Using Subtitles in a Paper

Using subtitles in a paper can greatly enhance its organization, readability, and overall impact. By considering the purpose and following the guidelines for using subtitles effectively, you can create a well-structured and engaging academic document.

Subtitles serve as signposts, guiding readers through the content and aiding in the navigation of the paper. They break down complex ideas into smaller, more manageable sections, making it easier for readers to follow the flow of your arguments or findings.

When incorporating subtitles, it is important to be clear, concise, and consistent. Use descriptive subtitles that accurately reflect the content of each section. Maintain a logical hierarchy and formatting style for your subtitles, ensuring they are visually distinguishable from the main text.

Remember to consider your audience when crafting subtitles, using terminology and language that is appropriate for your readership. Avoid redundancy and ensure that the subtitles add new and distinct information to the overarching title.

Keep in mind that different disciplines may have specific conventions for using subtitles. Familiarize yourself with the guidelines and style requirements of your field to ensure consistency and compliance.

Overall, subtitles play a vital role in improving the organization, readability, and accessibility of academic papers. They facilitate effective communication, aid in skimming and scanning, and enhance the overall reading experience for your audience.

Incorporating subtitles demonstrates your mastery of structuring information and catering to the needs of your readers. By utilizing them strategically, you can effectively convey your ideas, promote understanding, and engage with your audience more effectively.

Remember to proofread your paper for consistency and coherence, ensuring that the subtitles contribute to the overall flow and logical progression of your arguments or findings.

By utilizing and formatting subtitles thoughtfully, you can create a well-organized and impactful paper that captivates readers and effectively communicates your research or ideas.

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

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The title summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study. A good title contains the fewest possible words needed to adequately describe the content and/or purpose of your research paper.

Importance of Choosing a Good Title

The title is the part of a paper that is read the most, and it is usually read first . It is, therefore, the most important element that defines the research study. With this in mind, avoid the following when creating a title:

  • If the title is too long, this usually indicates there are too many unnecessary words. Avoid language, such as, "A Study to Investigate the...," or "An Examination of the...." These phrases are obvious and generally superfluous unless they are necessary to covey the scope, intent, or type of a study.
  • On the other hand, a title which is too short often uses words which are too broad and, thus, does not tell the reader what is being studied. For example, a paper with the title, "African Politics" is so non-specific the title could be the title of a book and so ambiguous that it could refer to anything associated with politics in Africa. A good title should provide information about the focus and/or scope of your research study.
  • In academic writing, catchy phrases or non-specific language may be used, but only if it's within the context of the study [e.g., "Fair and Impartial Jury--Catch as Catch Can"]. However, in most cases, you should avoid including words or phrases that do not help the reader understand the purpose of your paper.
  • Academic writing is a serious and deliberate endeavor. Avoid using humorous or clever journalistic styles of phrasing when creating the title to your paper. Journalistic headlines often use emotional adjectives [e.g., incredible, amazing, effortless] to highlight a problem experienced by the reader or use "trigger words" or interrogative words like how, what, when, or why to persuade people to read the article or click on a link. These approaches are viewed as counter-productive in academic writing. A reader does not need clever or humorous titles to catch their attention because the act of reading research is assumed to be deliberate based on a desire to learn and improve understanding of the problem. In addition, a humorous title can merely detract from the seriousness and authority of your research. 
  • Unlike everywhere else in a college-level social sciences research paper [except when using direct quotes in the text], titles do not have to adhere to rigid grammatical or stylistic standards. For example, it could be appropriate to begin a title with a coordinating conjunction [i.e., and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet] if it makes sense to do so and does not detract from the purpose of the study [e.g., "Yet Another Look at Mutual Fund Tournaments"] or beginning the title with an inflected form of a verb such as those ending in -ing [e.g., "Assessing the Political Landscape: Structure, Cognition, and Power in Organizations"].

Appiah, Kingsley Richard et al. “Structural Organisation of Research Article Titles: A Comparative Study of Titles of Business, Gynaecology and Law.” Advances in Language and Literary Studies 10 (2019); Hartley James. “To Attract or to Inform: What are Titles for?” Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 35 (2005): 203-213; Jaakkola, Maarit. “Journalistic Writing and Style.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication . Jon F. Nussbaum, editor. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018): https://oxfordre.com/communication.

Structure and Writing Style

The following parameters can be used to help you formulate a suitable research paper title:

  • The purpose of the research
  • The scope of the research
  • The narrative tone of the paper [typically defined by the type of the research]
  • The methods used to study the problem

The initial aim of a title is to capture the reader’s attention and to highlight the research problem under investigation.

Create a Working Title Typically, the final title you submit to your professor is created after the research is complete so that the title accurately captures what has been done . The working title should be developed early in the research process because it can help anchor the focus of the study in much the same way the research problem does. Referring back to the working title can help you reorient yourself back to the main purpose of the study if you find yourself drifting off on a tangent while writing. The Final Title Effective titles in research papers have several characteristics that reflect general principles of academic writing.

  • Indicate accurately the subject and scope of the study,
  • Rarely use abbreviations or acronyms unless they are commonly known,
  • Use words that create a positive impression and stimulate reader interest,
  • Use current nomenclature from the field of study,
  • Identify key variables, both dependent and independent,
  • Reveal how the paper will be organized,
  • Suggest a relationship between variables which supports the major hypothesis,
  • Is limited to 5 to 15 substantive words,
  • Does not include redundant phrasing, such as, "A Study of," "An Analysis of" or similar constructions,
  • Takes the form of a question or declarative statement,
  • If you use a quote as part of the title, the source of the quote is cited [usually using an asterisk and footnote],
  • Use correct grammar and capitalization with all first words and last words capitalized, including the first word of a subtitle. All nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that appear between the first and last words of the title are also capitalized, and
  • Rarely uses an exclamation mark at the end of the title.

The Subtitle Subtitles are frequently used in social sciences research papers because it helps the reader understand the scope of the study in relation to how it was designed to address the research problem. Think about what type of subtitle listed below reflects the overall approach to your study and whether you believe a subtitle is needed to emphasize the investigative parameters of your research.

1.  Explains or provides additional context , e.g., "Linguistic Ethnography and the Study of Welfare Institutions as a Flow of Social Practices: The Case of Residential Child Care Institutions as Paradoxical Institutions." [Palomares, Manuel and David Poveda.  Text & Talk: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Language, Discourse and Communication Studies 30 (January 2010): 193-212]

2.  Adds substance to a literary, provocative, or imaginative title or quote , e.g., "Listen to What I Say, Not How I Vote": Congressional Support for the President in Washington and at Home." [Grose, Christian R. and Keesha M. Middlemass. Social Science Quarterly 91 (March 2010): 143-167]

3.  Qualifies the geographic scope of the research , e.g., "The Geopolitics of the Eastern Border of the European Union: The Case of Romania-Moldova-Ukraine." [Marcu, Silvia. Geopolitics 14 (August 2009): 409-432]

4.  Qualifies the temporal scope of the research , e.g., "A Comparison of the Progressive Era and the Depression Years: Societal Influences on Predictions of the Future of the Library, 1895-1940." [Grossman, Hal B. Libraries & the Cultural Record 46 (2011): 102-128]

5.  Focuses on investigating the ideas, theories, or work of a particular individual , e.g., "A Deliberative Conception of Politics: How Francesco Saverio Merlino Related Anarchy and Democracy." [La Torre, Massimo. Sociologia del Diritto 28 (January 2001): 75 - 98]

6.  Identifies the methodology used , e.g. "Student Activism of the 1960s Revisited: A Multivariate Analysis Research Note." [Aron, William S. Social Forces 52 (March 1974): 408-414]

7.  Defines the overarching technique for analyzing the research problem , e.g., "Explaining Territorial Change in Federal Democracies: A Comparative Historical Institutionalist Approach." [ Tillin, Louise. Political Studies 63 (August 2015): 626-641.

With these examples in mind, think about what type of subtitle reflects the overall approach to your study. This will help the reader understand the scope of the study in relation to how it was designed to address the research problem.

Anstey, A. “Writing Style: What's in a Title?” British Journal of Dermatology 170 (May 2014): 1003-1004; Balch, Tucker. How to Compose a Title for Your Research Paper. Augmented Trader blog. School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Tech University; Bavdekar, Sandeep B. “Formulating the Right Title for a Research Article.” Journal of Association of Physicians of India 64 (February 2016); Choosing the Proper Research Paper Titles. AplusReports.com, 2007-2012; Eva, Kevin W. “Titles, Abstracts, and Authors.” In How to Write a Paper . George M. Hall, editor. 5th edition. (Oxford: John Wiley and Sons, 2013), pp. 33-41; Hartley James. “To Attract or to Inform: What are Titles for?” Journal of Technical Writing and Communication 35 (2005): 203-213; General Format. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Kerkut G.A. “Choosing a Title for a Paper.” Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology 74 (1983): 1; “Tempting Titles.” In Stylish Academic Writing . Helen Sword, editor. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012), pp. 63-75; Nundy, Samiran, et al. “How to Choose a Title?” In How to Practice Academic Medicine and Publish from Developing Countries? A Practical Guide . Edited by Samiran Nundy, Atul Kakar, and Zulfiqar A. Bhutta. (Springer Singapore, 2022), pp. 185-192.

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Getting the title right

book titles.

The title is the first thing you write. It is the moment you decide what is the purpose, focus and message of your article.

The title is also the first thing we will see of your published article. Whether we decide to click and read the abstract, or download the full article depends – at least, partly - on this first impression.

In this blogpost, I share some thoughts on what makes a good title, and how to come up with one. Even if you can´t find a great title for your article, what you can definitely do is avoid a bad one. I start with tips on what to avoid, proceed with properties and examples of good titles and finish with an illustration of how to get a decent title for a paper.

Five big ‘No’s.

A good title should be informative, argumentative and intriguing. And that’s all - any extra words that do not inform us or intrigue us about the argument, question, hypothesis or contribution of your article are redundant.

While it is difficult to come up with strong titles, you can start by avoiding bad ones!

Never do the following (disclosure - I’ve done all five of them):

Don't tell us in the title what is it that you are doing (‘a study of’, ‘lessons from’, ‘insights on’, ‘the case of’, ‘a comparison of’, ‘exploring’, ‘investigating’, ‘assessing’, ‘evaluating’, ‘measuring’). We know that this is a research paper. Go ahead and tell us what you found, not what you did.

Do not add dead words or words that are too general, such as: ‘beyond’, ‘from … to …’, ‘towards a’.

Avoid clichés and platitudes (‘exploring the contradictions of’, ‘integrating the’, ‘revealing the complexity of’). We know that research objects are complex (we wouldn’t study them if they were not), that causal relations in the real world are contradictory, or that integrating is better than separating.

Don´t tell us the method you are using or the approach you are following (‘a survey of’, ‘an econometric panel data analysis of’, ‘a case study of’, ‘an interdisciplinary perspective’). Exception: do it if the innovation of your paper is the method itself - but then tell us what your innovation is, not the name of your method.

Don’t try too hard to be witty. I’ve seen one too many papers that are ‘a tale of two’ .. islands, rivers, case-studies, ethnographies or surveys. I am sure there are also papers that are ‘gone with the wind’, or worst, ‘gone with the sea’.

Ashamed of past sins

Consider this title of an early paper of mine. “The EU water framework directive: measures and implications” .

Terrible. Boring as hell. I don’t want to read this paper and I am the one who wrote it.

What is wrong with this title?

First, it does not inform the reader about the purpose of my research or my argument. The reader only learns that I am analysing a legislative piece called the Water Framework Directive.

Second, ‘measures’ and ‘implications’ are descriptive, redundant terms. I am analysing a legislation, so of course I will describe its measures and talk about its implications.

The reader does not learn what is interesting or new about my analysis – no hint of what I found or what I will argue. I do not intrigue you to read the paper (unless you are a serious water nerd).

The three elements of a good title

What makes a great title?

Let me repeat.

A good title is informative: the core variables, phenomena or concepts you are contributing to, are there. The purpose of your paper is clear.

A better title is also argumentative: your (hypo)thesis, core finding, or politically-relevant conclusion is there. Ideally, this may include the process that connects your core variables, or the empirical pattern you demonstrate for your phenomenon.

A great title is also intriguing (without being cheesy): it attracts the attention of the reader, it promises something interesting and a new argument or explanation that the reader has not encountered before.

Most of us can write good titles. Titles that inform about the research we did (e.g. my “Social metabolism, ecological distribution conflicts, and valuation languages” ). The challenge is to go the extra mile and write great titles – titles that let the reader know not only what you researched, but also what you found. Titles that intrigue the reader to read your paper.  

Learn from the champs

Consider two of the most cited titles in environmental studies.

‘ Limits to growth ’. It can´t get better than that. In just three words, the title informs you what this work is about: growth and its limits. The thesis, novelty and contribution are clear: unlike what others claim, this piece will argue that there are limits to growth – unlike others studying the causes of growth, this work studies the limits to growth. And this makes it intriguing.

Or Garett Hardin’s four-worded ‘tragedy of the commons’ . By reading the title you know what it is about: the commons. You also get the process, or hypothesis, Hardin is going to demonstrate and explain – the collapse of the commons.

The argument is intriguing: commons end up in tragedy. Written at the height of the Cold War, Hardin’s paper had an underlying political message: commons (shorthand for communism) end up in tragedy and there is a scientific reason why this is so. Like or dislike his conclusion, you are curious to read his paper and you want to engage with the argument, to support it or refute it.

My own In defence of degrowth tries something similar. It is short. It is politically provocative. And it is informative: the reader knows this paper is going to be about growth and degrowth.

But it lacks something that the limits or tragedy titles have: they make an argument. They have a thesis. My title does not say why or how I defend degrowth. (I could add a subtitle to capture this, but then some of the intrigue would be lost – see further on about subtitles and title length).

This is fine. We can´t be perfect. Rules can be broken. If your title is informative and intriguing enough, I think you can excuse yourself if you cannot capture also the thesis within the title.

Create some suspense with a question

Good research papers have good research questions. And good questions can be effective titles. Question titles lack an argument, but they intrigue with suspense.

Consider Daron Acemoglu’s and James Robinson’s ‘Why nations fail’ . You sure want to know why nations fail!

The book deals with the study of so-called ‘state failure’ – corruption and the collapse of government institutions. Instead of using this academic terminology, it uses simple language that speaks to everyone, while hinting to academics what it is about.

Another good question-title my ex-classmate Nathan McClintock came up with is ‘Why farm the city?’

I’ve seen scores of recent articles on urban agriculture (or urban gardening). I would never read one called ‘Beyond existing explanations of urban agriculture: lessons and contradictions’. But I am intrigued to learn why so many people suddenly farm in cities.

Often a subtitle follows a main, shorter title. ´Why nations fail´ for example, is followed by ‘The origins of power, prosperity and poverty´. ‘Why farm the city’ is followed by the more esoteric ‘Theorizing urban agriculture through the lens of metabolic rift’.

A subtitle explains or provides context to a shorter main title, it sets the place and time under study or the method used, and adds substance if your main title is a catchy visual cue, verbal quote or open question.

If you can avoid a subtitle, and your title is powerful enough on its own, I would say avoid it. Hardin did. Adding the place, time or method of your research weakens the generality of your claim – the reader will find this information in the abstract or the paper anyway. Darwin did not have to explain that his study of the origin of species covered millions of years and was based on specimens collected in England and the Galapagos.

Too short or too long?

One reason I am sceptical of subtitles is because very long headings tend to be confusing. As a rule of thumb, a title, including the subtitle, should be between 5 and 15 words.

I am personally fan of ‘short is beautiful’. If you can say it in three or four words, go for it!

Why nations fail? Why farm the city? The tragedy of the commons. The origin of species. You don’t need to say more than that.

Fair enough: you may feel you are not Darwin yet. A longer title with many dead words diminishes your claim to contribution and makes you feel safer. But time to get out of your comfort zone and stake the relevance of your research. If it is not relevant, why did you do it? And why do you want us to read it?

Lively titles

A common title structure used in the social sciences is “Lively cue: informative title”.

The lively cue takes the form of a visual cue, a metaphor, a pun, a literary reference or a quote from something someone said.

As I wrote, if you have to try hard to be witty, then don’t. Do it only if the cue comes naturally to you and only if it is your thesis.

Consider Robert Putnam’s ‘Bowling alone: America's declining social capital’ .

The thesis, and core finding of the book - that social bonds are weakening in the U.S. - is in the title for you to see: a person bowling alone. The subtitle informs you about the phenomenon studied, ‘social capital’ - and the process that is demonstrated empirically: the ‘decline’ of social capital. This is the perfect use of the cue: it really drives home the message of what this book is about, with a visual metaphor that speaks to all of us. The subtitle explains and asserts scientific credibility: make no mistake this is not a book about bowling.

Consider instead the title I chose with my friends Christos Zografos and Erik Gomez for our paper ‘To value or not to value? That is not the question’ .

The paper deals with the monetary valuation of nature: should we try to calculate the worth of a river? Our Shakespearean hint points to the quasi-existential dimension of this dilemma among ecological economists, the audience of this particular article. ‘That is not the question’ summarises our conclusion: the terms of the debate are wrong.

Looking back at it, I find our title somewhat pompous. The rest of the article is an esoteric debate on methods of monetary valuation with arcane academic language. The comparison to a Shakespearean drama makes us good candidates to be covered by the Onion .

My advice: use wit with caution and only if you are 100% sure that you can pull it off. Like an airplane cockpit, journal articles are not the place to be funny - titles even less so. Be aware of the risk when you use literary or other references. You might seem to be exaggerating the importance of your own work (we are the Shakespeares of ecological economics) – not a good idea, more so if you are a starting researcher.

Same principles apply to quotes from interviews. Don’t do it unless the quote is your thesis. Consider a title like “‘Let them die alone’: homelessness and social exclusion in downtown New York” (I imagined this).

‘Let them die alone’ could be a phrase that an officer, businessman or an angry neighbour told you the researcher. If the core thesis of your article is that there is an intentional abandonment of homeless people, and as a result they die, then this quotation is impactful.

If however your article is about something different, say increasing numbers of homelessness and unfair housing policies, or if you touch only peripherally on questions of intentional neglect, then the phrase is just sensational and distractive.

If you end up using a quote, make sure that it is grammatically correct, and that its meaning is crystal clear to everyone. Using quotes in the title is risky if you are not a native speaker. Many of my students are not (I am not either). Translating quotes from interviews they took in Spanish or Greek often times do not make sense in English.

Let’s do this!

You know what your article is going to be about. It's time to baptise it! I have created a workbook with a three step process to help you create better titles. Click on the image below to access the workbook.

workbook image.

If you tried any of this and it worked or didn't work let me know in the comments below. And if you have other tips to share, please let us know!

Email

Written by Giorgos Kallis

Giorgos Kallis is an ICREA professor of environmental science at ICTA in Barcelona. Giorgos has degrees in Chemistry, Economics, Environmental Engineering and Environmental Policy and Planning. Before coming to Barcelona, he was a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley.

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How to Do Subtitles in APA Format

Many colleges require students to follow a specific style guide, such as the manual published by the American Psychological Association, when writing papers. APA formatting is commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences. A style guide provides a consistent set of rules that writers must follow regarding formatting, content and citations. The sixth edition of the APA's "Publication Manual" was published in 2010. The manual includes instructions for properly formatting titles and subtitles, which the APA refers to as "headings" and "subheadings."

Style your main heading, called the Level 1 heading, in text that is centered, bold and capitalized in title case. Title case capitalization means using uppercase letters to begin all major words -- including nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns and adverbs -- as well as any conjunctions or prepositions that are four letters or more. All headings other than Level 1 are considered subtitles, or subheadings.

Type your second-level heading flush with the left margin, bold and capitalized in title case.

Compose your third-level heading by indenting one-half inch and typing the heading in bold. Capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns within a third-level heading, and place a period at the end of the heading.

Construct your fourth-level heading by indenting one-half inch and typing the heading in bold italics. Capitalize as you do a third-level heading and place a period at the end.

Generate a Level 5 heading the same way you style a Level 4 heading, removing the boldface.

Do not label any titles or subtitles with numbers or letters.

The beginning of a manuscript is assumed to be the introduction, so do not place an "Introduction" header before it.

Although APA formatting allows for up to 5 heading levels, many papers that are not particularly detailed will only require level 1 and level 2 headings. Use only what you need to organize and explain your ideas clearly.

Follow the guidelines for APA format exactly or the paper is not considered "APA style."

  • Purdue University Online Writing Lab: APA Headings and Seriation

Deanne Lachner has been writing and editing fiction and nonfiction for more than 15 years. She has published articles in "Working Women," "Performance Magazine" and the "Direct Selling News." Lachner holds a master's degree in English from Texas Woman's University and is pursuing a second master's degree in instructional design and technology.

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What Makes a Good Subtitle (and how long should it be?)

(NOTE: We got a call from a doctor in Los Angeles who found this post and called us for emergency help with her subtitle. She and her agent had been working on her title and subtitle for months, but then realized they had left out significant key words. The challenge was how to include them without making the subtitle too long. She found this post (on our original blog) by searching "book subtitle tips," and we're glad she did. We did an on-the-spot consultation that resulted in a subtitle she is now taking to publishers as part of her book proposal.)

We all agree that a great title is important for any book and willingly give it the attention it deserves. For many, however, the subtitle is often an afterthought, something quickly thrown together before moving onto back cover marketing copy and book cover design. Please don't do this to your book. Your subtitle is not just some front-cover formatting slot to fill. It is a critical piece of marketing real estate for creating your brand and selling your book.

The book title, Courageous Parents Confident Kids , was already in place by Dr. Amy Tiemann when she came to us for help with her subtitle and back cover copy. (She had already successfully published her first book using this same process with us.) What we developed for her this time is an example of how a longer title--or a title with longer words--often benefits from a short subtitle. This subtitle also has a tagline, sing-song quality that both clarifies the title and is highly memorable at the same time. In other words, it is an example of an ideal subtitle that along with the title creates a complete and compelling message. See more examples and subtitle tips below. First, the Role of Your Subtitle There are many important things your subtitle can do for your book: __ Identify and draw in your target audience __ Quickly differentiate your book in a crowded market __ Clarify a major benefits of your book __ Add definition to a provocative but possibly obscure title, like those in Malcolm Gladwell's      bestselling series, which includes Blink , The Tipping Point , and Outliers .

Long or Short--Is There a Rule?

We get asked this a lot: "How long should my subtitle be?" The answer is--it depends. There are no hard and fast rules. Say what you need to say. Simply do it in as few words as possible to keep your ideas crisp, authoritative, and memorable. An example of a long subtitle is Rich Like Them: My Door-to-Door Search for the Secrets of Wealth in America's Richest Neighborhoods. That's a lot of words, and some long ones, but they work hard together to say what this book is about in a personal, refreshing way. While longer subtitles are the exception rather than the rule, it's helpful to see how they can work when handled skillfully.

Part of Tim Ferriss's successful book series brand, The 4-Hour Work Week, has a subtitle that contains a generous nine words and consists of three different elements. But, every word serves a specific purpose and also includes elements that help establish Ferriss's 4-Hour W ork Week brand. Your subtitle can do the same for your book or book series.

  SUBTITLE TIPS: Here are some tips to help you think about and recognize what will work for your book: __ If your title is long, keep the subtitle short. And, if your title is short, you have      more flexibility with the length of the subtitle.   __ Do not repeat in the subtitle words that you have already used in the title.      If your subtitle repeats words in the title, it looks like you have already run out of      things to say--not a good signal to send. __ Practice economy of language. Four-letter words work just as well as 12-letter      words. And, often the same thing can be said just as well if not better in seven words      than 14. __ Consider your target audience. This may go without saying, but books on investing,      entrepreneurship, and leadership, for example, will all have a different feel as will books      about improving your medical practice, or nurturing teens, or caring for elderly parents. If you would like help with your book title and/or subtitle, or if you are simply ready for some feedback on your ideas , get in touch with us. Call us at 715-634-4120 or email [email protected].

Subtitle Guide: Definition, Purpose, Creation, and Usage

Guide to use subtitles, with 'SD' play button icon, for video accessibility.

Transkriptor 2024-01-17

Subtitles represent content of any kind of audiovisual content such as films or television shows. They usually provide the translation of spoken dialogues. They are also direct transcriptions of the dialogues. Subtitles are for people who are not able to hear or who do not know the language of the audiovisual content.

Subtitles’ purposes include ensuring accessibility, facilitating language translation, minimizing noise or distractions, aiding in search and navigation, and meeting legal and regulatory standards. Accessibility is the method and approach of ensuring that products, services, and information are usable by everyone.

To create captions with a software, choose and download a dedicated subtitle software. Some popular options are Aegisub, Subtitle Edit, Subtitle Workshop, and Jubler. Download the video content and create a new subtitle file within the program.

Save the transcript in a format compatible with the video player. Use a subtitle editing software to sync the subtitle block. Save the subtitle file.

There are several uses of subtitles which are accessibility, language translation,and noise-free viewing. Subtitles make video contents more accessible for people with hearing impairments.

What are Subtitles?

Subtitles are textual representations of spoken dialogue, sound effects, and other auditory information in a movie, film, television show, or other multimedia content. They appear at the bottom of the screen, synchronized with the soundtrack in real-time. It is accessible for a wider audience.

One of the most popular tools that create subtitles is Subly. It is a software and online service that provides tools for creating and translating subtitles for videos. It allows users to upload videos and generate or edit subtitles.

How Does Subtitles Work?

Subtitles work by providing a textual representation of spoken dialogue, sounds, and sometimes other audio information in a video, film, or other multimedia content. Subtitles display a text-based representation of the spoken dialogue and other relevant audio elements on the screen while an audiovisual program, such as a movie or video, is playing.

Hands holding a smartphone displaying a 'Get Subtitles!' button, indicative of the ease of adding subtitles.

What is the Purpose of Subtitles?

The purpose of subtitles is accessibility, language translation, noise or distraction reduction, search and navigation, and legal and compliance requirements. Accessibility refers to the design and practice of making products, services, and information usable and accessible to all individuals.

Language translation provides people watching content in a language. Subtitles provide a better comprehension for people. Instead of listening to the content, people are able to follow the subtitles.

Subtitles are helpful for learning new things such as a foreign language. It is possible to open a movie in a language you know and follow it with subtitles in a language you do not know helps the learning process.

Subtitles are helpful in search and navigation as they make video content more discoverable by providing context. They allow the audience to access the content and improve the user experience. Subtitles also help the audience find and engage with the content that aligns with their interests and needs. Subtitles ease the comprehension process of cultural aspects.

Who Uses Subtitles?

Many different kinds of people use subtitles for various reasons. People with hearing impairments or deaf people take advantage of subtitles. They follow the subtitles.

Foreigners use translated subtitles to understand the content. People who understand better by reading things are also using subtitles, rather than depending on the audiovisual content.

How to Create a Subtitle?

To manually produce subtitles, follow the steps below.

  • First transcribe the video material.
  • Add timestamps at regular intervals after transcription to synchronize the subtitles with the audio. Timestamps indicate when each subtitle appears and disappears on-screen. Break the transcript into subtitle portions because subtitle frames are typically 2-7 seconds long.
  • Save the transcript in a format that the video player can understand.
  • Use subtitle editing software to sync the subtitle block with the video's timestamps
  • Save the subtitle file.

To create subtitles with a software, follow the steps below.

  • Choose and download a dedicated subtitle program to make captions with. Aegisub, Subtitle Edit, Subtitle Workshop, and Jubler are some popular solutions.
  • Utilize video editing tools like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. These software products include subtitle tools.
  • Load the video footage into the program.
  • Generate a new subtitle file within the program.

What Parts of the Video are Covered by the Subtitle?

The parts of the video that are covered by the subtitle are listed below.

  • Sound Effects. Subtitles of anything audible in the video.
  • Music Lyrics. Subtitles of lyrics of the music content.
  • Narration. Subtitles of third person narration in the video.
  • Speaker Indication. Subtitles that show who is speaking on the screen.
  • Foreign Language Translation. Subtitles that highlights subtitles of different languages in the video
  • On-Screen Text. Subtitles of the written content on the screen.
  • Spoken Dialogue. Subtitles of dialogues in the video.

1. Sound Effects

Sound effects usually serve for people who have hearing impairments or deaf people. They provide a better experience for the users, by creating the exact same environment of the audio content.

2. Music Lyrics

Music lyrics cannot be heard when watching something on mute. SMusic lyrics as subtitles are helpful for people to comprehend the lyrics better and clearer.

3. Narration

Narration is another important aspect. Some movies have narrators that are not visible on the screen. Subtitles for narration serve for people to follow the narrator’s voice both audibly and readably.

4. Speaker Indication

Speaker indication is a need when there are more than one person on the screen. Subtitles indicate the speaker directly so that watchers are able to follow who is speaking at the moment. Speaker indication is a need when there are more than one person in the scene as subtitles generally are in the same font and style.

5. Foreign Language Translation

Foreign language translation is a need when there is more than one language spoken in the video.

6. On-Screen Text

On-screen texts are not readable due to the quality or the font of the text. Thus, subtitles also include on-screen texts for the audience.

7. Spoken Dialogue

Spoken dialogues in subtitles is the most common type of subtitles. They aim to transcribe the spoken content into written content for the audience.

Stylized artwork of open and closed signs, representing the different types of subtitles.

What are the Different Types of Subtitles?

The different types of subtitles are open caption, closed caption, and live caption.

Open captions are often called hard-coded captions, closed captions, or burned-in captions. These objects are “burnt” into the video frames after production and become an indivisible and permanent part of it.

Closed Caption (CC) is a textual version of the dialogue/audio content of a video, movie or a TV show. Standard settings usually hide them, but viewers are able to toggle them on or off through TV or video player preferences. Captions serve for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and also like to read the text while listening to the audio.

Live captions are a kind of textual portrayal of spoken substance produced continuously in live occasions, transmissions, or introductions. As a last type of subtitles , people know live captions as real-time captions or live captions. Human captioners or automated speech recognition (ASR) technologies create these captions.

How to Add Subtitles to a Video?

To add subtitles to a video, follow the steps below.

Option 1: Manually Creating and Adding Subtitles

  • Create a subtitle transcript. Put in words what people say in an open world report if the video has sound.
  • Format the transcript . Break the transcript into smaller sentences or chunks for readability, and sync with the video timing.
  • Save the transcript file. Store the subtitle in a plain text (.txt), subtitle file format ( .srt ) or WebVTT (.vtt ). Make the name of the CSV file the same as the video’s name so that it would be easier to match them.
  • Choose a video editing software . Use Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, iMovie for Mac, or some of the free options like Shotcut, HitFilm Express, or DaVinci Resolve.
  • Import the video and subtitle file. Launch the video editing software and add both the video file and subtitle file to the project.

Option 2: Professional Captioning Services

  • Choose a captioning service. If you need to, hire professional captioning services or utilize an audio transcription tool with speech recognition like Rev, 3Play Media, or the YouTube auto-captioning.
  • Upload your video. Make sure to upload the video to the preferred service/application.
  • Generate or order captions . Captioning can be either done automatically with ASR technology (Automatic Speech Recognition), or manually depending on the service.
  • Review and edit . Check the translated captions and make modifications as needed.
  • Export or download . Export the video with captions in it or save caption file to playback with your video.
  • Sync subtitles with the video. Move and set the SRT filename on the video timeline. Align the timing of each subtitle to the spoken portion of the corresponding audio in the video.
  • Edit subtitle appearance. Change the font, size, color, and location of the subtitles to make them readable and let the main visuals play their role.
  • Preview and fine-tune. Run the video with captions so as to assure proper synchronization and legibility. Make any necessary adjustments.
  • Export the video . Click on Export Video with subtitles. Select the right video format and settings.

Option 3: Using Online Subtitle Tools

  • Find an online subtitle tool. There are some online tools to add subtitles to the videos. Some of the popular choices include Kapwing, VEED and Amara.
  • Upload the video . Visit the website of the selected online tool and upload the video file.
  • Add subtitles. Then add the subtitles by using the tool’s Interface. Users are able to upload the SubRip file if they have one.
  • Customize settings. There are some online tools in which the users are able to change the style, shape and delays of the subtitles.
  • Preview and adjust. Check the video with captions. Make adjustments if needed.
  • Export the subtitled video. The application allows users to export the movie, along with the subtitles embedded. Choose the desired output format.

How are Subtitles Edited?

To edit subtitles, follow the steps below.

Option 1: Editing Subtitle Files Manually

  • Open the subtitle file. Find the subtitle file of the video. Common subtitle file types include SubRip (*.srt), WebVTT (*.vtt), and SubStation Alpha (*.ssa/.ass).
  • Use a text editor. Open the subtitle file in a simple text editor – like Notepad (windows) / TextEdit (macOS) or using a dedicated subtitle editing – software like Subtitle Edit (Windows) / Aegisub (cross-platform) / Jubler (cross-platform).
  • Edit the subtitles. There is a timestamp (begins time and ends time) in the subtitle file and the message of each subtitle. Edit the text including timing or the placement of subtitles.
  • Save your changes. Save the edited subtitle file with the same format and extension (e.g., .srt, .vtt).

Option 2: Using Subtitle Editing Software

  • Choose subtitle editing software. Get and install a specialist subtitling text editor such as Subtitle Edit, Aegisub, or Jubler.
  • Open your video and subtitle file. Open the subtitle editing software and import both the video file and the subtitle file.
  • Edit subtitles. Users modify the text, timing, and formatting of subtitles within the application’s interface. Almost all subtitle editors have a visual timeline which makes it easier to alter stuff.
  • Preview your changes. Make sure the subtitles match the video by playing the video with the edited captions.
  • Save or export . Save the changes on the subtitle editing software and export the subtitle file.

Option 3: Online Subtitle Editing Tools

  • Find an online subtitle editor. There are some online platforms which provide basic editing features for subtitles like Kapwing and VEED.
  • Upload the video and subtitle file . Open the website of the online subtitle editing tool, upload the video as well as the subtitle file.
  • Preview and Adjust. Preview the changed subtitles on the video & edit those if required.
  • Save or export. Save the modified subtitle records or export them.

What Stage of Video Production are Subtitles Typically Added At?

Subtitles are usually added in the part of post production of video content. Post-production is the part of film or video production following the filming stage and which comprises various tasks including editing, sound design, color grading, adding titles or subtitles.

How are Preferences for the Color, Size, and Style of Subtitles Determined?

Preferences for the color, size, and style of subtitles are usually determined according to various factors. These factors include audience needs, visual aesthetics, readability, consistency, and clarity. Subtitles must meet the needs of the audience, so they must be accessible. Accessibility is important for people with visual impairments and color blindness.

Subtitles must be in harmony with the video’s general design and mood. They must not distract the video content. For instance, subtitles in a documentary have a different style than subtitles in a romantic comedy movie. Subtitles are easy to read and follow. High contrast between the text and the background is crucial to achieve readability.

Subtitles in a video must be consistent in terms of font, size, and style. Subtitles must be clear and legible on small screens such as smartphones. Subtitle creators avoid overly decorative fonts and they must prefer larger font sizes as much as possible.

What is the Best Font Commonly Used in Subtitles?

There are different font choices for subtitles. The most common subtitle fonts are Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana.

Arial is widely used because it is simple and readable. Arial, as one of the best subtitle fonts , is available almost on all programs. Helvetica is a highly legible font style. It has a clean and timeless design. Verdana is specifically designed for being readable. It has generous letter spacing and an open design.

How do Subtitles Assist Individuals with Hearing Impairments?

The advantages of subtitles for people with hearing impairments are access to spoken content, enhanced comprehension, equal access for everyone, and independent viewing opportunity.

Subtitles provide access to spoken content for individuals with hearing impairments. They follow the written content on the screen instead of pushing themselves to hear the spoken content.

Some kinds of subtitles include background noises as well. This way, people with hearing impairments are able to comprehend the whole content as if they are listening to it.

People with hearing impairments are in a more disadvantaged place than other people. Subtitles provide equal access for everyone by giving accessibility for people with hearing impairments.

Individuals with hearing impairments are not able to watch audiovisual content on their own without subtitles. They need someone who will translate the content with sign language. Subtitles provide independent viewing opportunities for people with hearing impairments.

How are subtitles used to understand something spoken in a foreign language?

Subtitles are commonly used for watching audiovisual content in a foreign language. Watching something in a foreign language with subtitles contributes to the learning process of a new language. Audience is able to connect subtitles and video.

Audiences are hearing something in a foreign language and reading its translation in their native language. Therefore, their vocabulary and listening skills improve in that foreign language.

Is it Possible to Use Subtitles in a Foreign Language?

Yes, it is possible to use subtitles in a foreign language. Foreign language subtitles provide translation for a global audience.

In addition, foreign language subtitles are very helpful for language learning. Audience is able to watch something in their native languages and use the subtitles in a language that they want to learn.

 A screenshot of a subtitle file showing timecodes and dialogue, demonstrating the standard format.

What Type of Subtitle File Formats are Commonly Used?

The most popular subtitle formats are SubRip (.srt), WebVTT (.vtt), and SubStation Alpha (.ssa/.ass). SubRip is one of the most widely used subtitle formats. It contains text along with timestamps indicating when each subtitle should appear and disappear on the screen. Most video players and streaming platforms support SRT files, which are plain text files.

WebVTT, or Web Video Text Tracks, is a subtitle format used for web-based video players. It supports more advanced styling and positioning of subtitles in HTML5 video players.

SSA and ASS are subtitle formats known for their advanced styling and formatting options. Fans often use them for fansubbing, which involves adding subtitles to fan-translated versions of media, and in anime subtitling.

What Are the Effects of Subtitles on Video Content?

The effects of subtitles on video content are accessibility, multilingual accessibility, language learning, cultural exchange, and content localization.Subtitles make video contents more accessible for people with hearing impairments. They use subtitles as those people are not fully able to follow the audio of the video.

Foreign language subtitles provide accessibility for people who do not know the original language of the video content. Subtitles make improvements in the language learning process possible. The audience is able to choose subtitles in a language they want to learn.

People are able to watch videos in foreign languages with subtitles. This provides accessibility for videos from different languages.Subtitles are a key component of content localization. They allow content creators to adapt their videos for specific markets or regions.

How to Download Subtitles from YouTube?

To download subtitles from Youtube, open the YouTube video from which you want to download subtitles, making sure it has subtitles. To access the subtitle tracks, go to the "Subtitles/CC" menu.

Choose your favorite language if multiple options are available. Then, find the download icon (a downward-pointing arrow) and right-click on it. Select "Save Link As" from the context menu and save the subtitle file to a location on your computer. To finish, click "Save."

How are Subtitles Used in Educational Materials?

Benefits of subtitles in education are improved comprehension, language learning, and enhanced note-taking.

Some learners are not able to comprehend the audible lectures and they prefer written information. Subtitles improve such kinds of learners. Subtitles are preferred when there are a lot of complex terms in the lecture content. Students are able to comprehend better those complex terms with subtitles.

Learners are able to follow the content in subtitles which are in a foreign language they want to learn. Sometimes it is hard to follow the lecture audibly and take notes simultaneously. Subtitles provide enhanced note-taking opportunities for students.

What is the difference between subtitles and captions?

The difference between subtitles and captions are their use areas. Subtitles provide a translation of spoken dialogue in a video. Subtitles do not include written forms of sound effects, music, or other background noises.

Captions provide text-based representation of all audio elements in a video. These elements include spoken dialogue, sound effects, music, and the other audible elements in the content. Another point of captions vs subtitles is their primary target group which is people with hearing impairments or deaf people. They provide accessibility laws and regulations to ensure that people with hearing impairments have equal access to video content.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, subtitles are not mandatory for all video content, but they are highly recommended for accessibility and reaching a wider audience.

Creating accurate subtitles involves challenges like ensuring linguistic accuracy, synchronizing text with audio, capturing the tone and context of spoken dialogue, and accounting for cultural nuances in translation. Technical challenges include maintaining readability in terms of font size, color, and background contrast.

Subtitles can significantly enhance the viewer's experience by providing clarity in dialogue, aiding comprehension for non-native speakers, and making content accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Yes, Transkriptor can be used to create subtitles. It utilizes AI-powered speech recognition to transcribe audio into text, which can then be formatted as subtitles.

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[ suhb -tahyt-l ]

  • a secondary or subordinate title of a literary work, usually of explanatory character.
  • a repetition of the leading words in the full title of a book at the head of the first page of text.
  • a translation or transcription of spoken language in a television program, film, video, or video game, as of dialogue in a foreign language or speech that is audible but may not be easily understood, displayed as a graphic overlay on the lower part of the screen.
  • caption ( def 3a ) .
  • (in silent films) an intertitle or caption.

verb (used with object)

  • to supply a subtitle or subtitles for.

/ ˈsʌbˌtaɪtəl; -ˈtɪtʃə-; sʌbˈtɪtjʊlə /

  • an additional subordinate title given to a literary or other work
  • a written translation superimposed on a film that has foreign dialogue
  • explanatory text on a silent film
  • tr; usually passive to provide a subtitle for

Derived Forms

  • subtitular , adjective

Other Words From

  • sub·tit·u·lar [ suhb-, tich, -, uh, -ler, -, tit, -y, uh, - ] , adjective
  • un·sub·ti·tled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of subtitle 1

Example Sentences

This time, the puritan robot overlords that run the Play Store briefly decided that listing support for common subtitle files is enough to get your app banned.

The developer says they "immediately filed an appeal" and today, the app is back up with the ASS subtitle listing still in the description.

The subtitle of my article on Kurt Gödel’s infamous 1931 incompleteness theorems states that the theorems “destroyed the search for a mathematical theory of everything.”

I asked Glaeser to justify each of the claims in his book’s subtitle, that cities make us richer, smarter, greener, healthier, and happier.

On the web, you can click the Options link on the subtitles list to change the appearance of the subtitle text.

He answers in the subtitle: “Probably not—and government should stop bribing people to stay there.”

The book is not, as the subtitle maternally suggests, about “Protecting the Heart of Christmas.”

Its subtitle: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart.

The disconnect points ironically to the subtitle of this book and the concept of liberalism.

The subtitle says it all:  How Affirmative Action Hurts Students Its Intended to Help and Why Universities Won't Admit It.

If he look more closely, he will find a subtitle, “An Old Story,” but this confuses him still more.

In his subtitle Beughem makes clear what he intended to include in the Bibliotheca bibliothecarum.

As his subtitle indicates, he has included many books that are not bibliographies.

It is pragmatism as method which is emphasized, I take it, in the subtitle, "a new name for some old ways of thinking."

The dateline of each letter, which is right justified in the original, is here presented as a subtitle to each header.

Related Words

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Definition of subtitle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of subtitle  (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

Examples of subtitle in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subtitle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

1830, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near subtitle

Cite this entry.

“Subtitle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtitle. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of subtitle, more from merriam-webster on subtitle.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for subtitle

Nglish: Translation of subtitle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of subtitle for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about subtitle

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  • MLA titles: Formatting and capitalization rules

MLA Titles | How to Format & Capitalize Source Titles

Published on April 2, 2019 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on March 5, 2024.

In MLA style , source titles appear either in italics or in quotation marks:

  • Italicize the title of a self-contained whole (e.g. a book, film, journal, or website).
  • Use  quotation marks around the title if it is part of a larger work (e.g. a chapter of a book, an article in a journal, or a page on a website).

All major words in a title are capitalized . The same format is used in the Works Cited list and in the text itself.

Place in quotation marks Italicize

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Table of contents

Capitalization in mla titles, punctuation in mla titles, titles within titles, exceptions to mla title formatting, sources with no title, abbreviating titles, titles in foreign languages, frequently asked questions about mla titles.

In all titles and subtitles, capitalize the first and last words, as well as any other principal words.

What to capitalize

Part of speech Example
in Time
and Me
for It
Girl
in Love
of You

What not to capitalize

Part of speech Example
(a, an, the) Road
(against, as, between, of, to) Africa
(and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) the Chocolate Factory
“To” in infinitives Run

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definition of a subtitle in an essay

Use the same punctuation as appears in the source title. However, if there is a subtitle, separate it from the main title with a colon and a space, even if different (or no) punctuation is used in the source.

Example of a work with a subtitle

The exception is when the title ends in a question mark, exclamation point or dash, in which case you keep the original punctuation:

Sometimes a title contains another title—for example, the title of an article about a novel might contain that novel’s title.

For titles within titles, in general, maintain the same formatting as you would if the title stood on its own.

Type of title Format Example
Longer works within shorter works Italicize the inner work’s title → “ and the Cacophony of the American Dream”
Shorter works within shorter works Use single quotation marks for the inner title “The Red Wedding” → “‘The Red Wedding’ at 5: Why Game of Thrones Most Notorious Scene Shocked Us to the Core”
Shorter works within longer works Enclose the inner title in quotation marks, and italicize the entire title “The Garden Party” → & Other Stories
Longer works within longer works Remove the italicization from the inner title and Richard II Henry V

Titles and names that fall into the following categories are not italicized or enclosed in quotation marks:

  • Scripture (e.g. the Bible, the Koran, the Gospel)
  • Laws, acts and related documents (e.g. the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution , the Paris Agreement)
  • Musical compositions identified by form, number and key (e.g. Beethoven’s Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67)
  • Conferences, seminars, workshops and courses (e.g. MLA Annual Convention)

Sections of a work

Words that indicate a particular section of a work are not italicized or placed within quotation marks. They are also not capitalized when mentioned in the text.

Examples of such sections include:

  • introduction
  • list of works cited
  • bibliography

Introductions, prefaces, forewords and afterwords

Descriptive terms such as “introduction”, “preface”, “foreword” and “afterword” are capitalized if mentioned in an MLA in-text citation or in the Works Cited list, but not when mentioned in the text itself.

Example of descriptive term capitalization

In-text citation: (Brontë, Preface )

In text: In her preface to the work, added in a later edition, Brontë debates the morality of creating characters such as those featured in Wuthering Heights .

If there is a unique title for the introduction, preface, foreword or afterword, include that title in quotation marks instead of the generic section name when referencing the source in the Works Cited list or an in-text citation.

For sources with no title, a brief description of the source acts as the title.

Example of a source reference with no title

Follow these rules for capitalization:

  • Capitalize the first word
  • Capitalize proper nouns
  • Ignore other MLA rules for capitalization

There are some exceptions to this general format: descriptions including titles of other works, such as comments on articles or reviews of movies; untitled short messages, like tweets; email messages; and untitled poems.

Exceptions to general format for sources with no title

Source type Rules Example
Comment/review of a work Sam. Comment on “The Patriot’s Guide to Election Fraud.” , 26 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/26/opinion
Tweet or other short untitled message @realDonaldTrump. “No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!” , 24 Mar. 2019, 1:42 p.m., twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status
Email Labrode, Molly. “Re: National Cleanup Day.” Received by Courtney Gahan, 20 Mar. 2019.
Untitled poem Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “O! there are spirits of the air.” , edited by Zachary Leader and Michael O’Neill, Oxford UP, 2003, pp. 89–90.

If you need to mention the name of a work in the text itself, state the full title, but omit the subtitle.

If you need to refer to the work multiple times, you may shorten the title to something familiar or obvious to the reader. For example, Huckleberry Finn for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . If in doubt, prefer the noun phrase.

If the standalone abbreviation may not be clear, you can introduce it in parentheses, following the standard guidelines for abbreviations. For example, The Merchant of Venice ( MV ) . For Shakespeare and the Bible , there are well-established abbreviations you can use.

When you abbreviate a title, make sure you keep the formatting consistent. Even if the abbreviation consists only of letters, as in the MV example, it must be italicized or placed within quotation marks in the same way as it would be when written in full.

Abbreviating very long titles in the Works Cited list

Titles should normally be given in full in the Works Cited list, but if any of your sources has a particularly long title (often the case with older works), you can use an ellipsis to shorten it here. This is only necessary with extremely long titles such as the example below.

In the Works Cited list, if you are listing a work with a title in a language other than English, you can add the translated title in square brackets.

Example of a reference with a translated title

If you are using the foreign-language title in the text itself, you can also include the translation in parenthesis. For example, O Alquimista ( The Alchemist ) .

You don’t need to include a translation in your reference list or in the text if you expect your readers to be familiar with the original language. For example, you wouldn’t translate the title of a  French novel you were writing about in the context of a French degree.

Non-Latin script languages

For works in a language that does not use the Latin alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, or Russian, be consistent with how you mention the source titles and also quotations from within them.

For example, if you choose to write a Russian title in the Cyrillic form, do that throughout the document. If you choose to use the Romanized form, stick with that. Do not alternate between the two.

Yes. MLA style uses title case, which means that all principal words (nouns, pronouns , verbs, adjectives , adverbs , and some conjunctions ) are capitalized.

This applies to titles of sources as well as the title of, and subheadings in, your paper. Use MLA capitalization style even when the original source title uses different capitalization .

In MLA style , book titles appear in italics, with all major words capitalized. If there is a subtitle, separate it from the main title with a colon and a space (even if no colon appears in the source). For example:

The format is the same in the Works Cited list and in the text itself. However, when you mention the book title in the text, you don’t have to include the subtitle.

The title of a part of a book—such as a chapter, or a short story or poem in a collection—is not italicized, but instead placed in quotation marks.

When a book’s chapters are written by different authors, you should cite the specific chapter you are referring to.

When all the chapters are written by the same author (or group of authors), you should usually cite the entire book, but some styles include exceptions to this.

  • In APA Style , single-author books should always be cited as a whole, even if you only quote or paraphrase from one chapter.
  • In MLA Style , if a single-author book is a collection of stand-alone works (e.g. short stories ), you should cite the individual work.
  • In Chicago Style , you may choose to cite a single chapter of a single-author book if you feel it is more appropriate than citing the whole book.

The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style , but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals , newspapers , websites , or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published. For example:

Use the same formatting in the Works Cited entry and when referring to the article in the text itself.

The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition , published in 2021.

This quick guide to MLA style  explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA.

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What is a subtitle in an essay?

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A subtitle in an essay is used to denote subsections of the essay. Depending on the format it must be written in, they may start with letters or numbers or even alternate text styles like underline, bold, or italics.

Yes, but if the essay is very short subtitles may look odd.

Add your answer:

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What is a sentence for subtitle?

she needs to put the subtitle on.

What are the steps to survey an essay in the pre-reading stage?

Ask yourself why you're reading the essay. Think about the prior knowledge you have on this topic. Highlight the title, subtitle, headings, subheadings, and key phrases from the first sentences of paragraphs. Predict key points and make personal connections.

Where can i download English subtitle for Korean drama?

You can download English subtitle for Korean drama at fever.com and viki.com.

What is a synonym for subtitle?

What is the definition of subtitle.

The definition for subtitle is a printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign language. In film the dialogues shown at the bottom of the screen.

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Meaning of subtitle in English

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  • acknowledgment
  • acknowledgments phrase
  • bibliographical
  • bibliographically
  • concordance
  • non-biographical
  • At first they thought American viewers would not understand the Scottish accents and wanted to subtitle it.
  • The dialogue is mostly in French and is subtitled in English .
  • She doesn't like watching subtitled films .
  • He subtitled this concert work his " dramatic legend in four parts ".
  • The compilation is aptly subtitled "Obscure Electronic Funk & Disco 1978-1985."
  • audio described
  • computer-generated imagery

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

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Subtitle | american dictionary, examples of subtitle, translations of subtitle.

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What is the Sahm Rule?

How the sahm rule works, types of sahm rule indicators, history of the sahm rule, limitations of the sahm rule, the bottom line, the sahm rule recession indicator definition and how it's calculated.

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Erika Rasure is globally-recognized as a leading consumer economics subject matter expert, researcher, and educator. She is a financial therapist and transformational coach, with a special interest in helping women learn how to invest.

definition of a subtitle in an essay

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The "Sahm Rule" is a recession indicator created and named after Claudia Sahm, a macroeconomist who worked at the Federal Reserve and the White House Council of Economic Advisers. According to the Sahm Rule, the early stages of a recession is signaled when the three-month moving average of the U.S. unemployment rate is half a percentage point or more above the lowest three-month moving average unemployment rate over the previous 12 months.

The Sahm Rule has been widely recognized for its accuracy, simplicity, and ability to quickly reflect the onset of a recession.

Key Takeaways

  • The Sahm Rule is a indicator that looks at signals related to the onset of a recession.
  • According to the rule, the early stages of recession are signaled when the three-month average unemployment rate moves above the lowest three-month moving average unemployment rate over the last 12 months by half a percentage point or more.
  • The rule has become widely recognized as a recession indicator due to its accuracy and simplicity.
  • The Sahm rule was first introduced by macroeconomist Claudia Sahm in 2019 as part of a policy proposal.

The unemployment rate represents the percentage of the overall labor force that is unemployed. The rate tends to rise when the economy is struggling and workers are having difficulty finding jobs, and fall when the economy is strong and workers can more easily find jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) typically releases the unemployment rate for the previous month on the first Friday of every month. The unemployment rate is one of the main economic indicators used to measure the health of the economy, and the Sahm Rule inputs the rate into a simple formula to determine whether the U.S. is headed into a recession.

The rule compares the value of the current three-month moving average unemployment rate to the value of the lowest three-month moving average unemployment rate over the last 12 months. If the former is half a percentage point or more above the latter, the Sahm Rule indicates that U.S. is in the early stages of a recession. The Sahm Rule uses the three-month moving average unemployment rate—rather than the current unemployment rate—to prevent overreacting to a single month of data, Sahm said as a guest on The Investopedia Express podcast released in April 2024.

The Sahm Rule simply indicates that the economy is in the early stages of a recession. Since the early 1970s, the indicator has never been triggered outside of a recession, according to Sahm. Historically, when the unemployment rate passes the threshold outlined by the Sahm rule, it continues to increase.

The Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) database includes current and real-time Sahm Rule recession indicators.

Current Sahm Rule Recession Indicator

The BLS regularly revises the unemployment rate of previous months based on additional information from its survey that was not initially available. The current Sahm Rule recession indicator is calculated using the unemployment rate's revised values.

Real-Time Sahm Rule Recession Indicator

Unlike the current Sahm Rule recession indicator, the real-time Sahm Rule recession indicator uses "real-time" data. It is calculated using just the unemployment rate and recent history of unemployment rates that were available in a given month.

Sahm first introduced the indicator that would later be named after her as part of a policy proposal called "Direct Stimulus Payments to Individuals" published by The Hamilton Project, an economic policy initiative that is part of the Brookings Institution. The proposal was also included in The Hamilton Project's book "Recession Ready: Fiscal Policies to Stabilize the American Economy" published in 2019.

In the proposal, Sahm explained that consumer spending tends to slow significantly during recession growth, which can make job losses (and a recession overall) worse. She proposed that to combat that unemployment, the government distribute stimulus payments automatically to families in the face of a recessions—specifically, when the three-month average national employment rate jumps at least half a percentage point relative to its low over the last 12 months.

"Recent research finds that broadly distributed, lump-sum payments to individuals directly boost spending and help stabilize demand, making these types of payments effective responses to recessions," Sahm explained. "The total amount of stimulus would offset about half of the slowdown in consumer spending, totaling about 0.7 percent of GDP." Gross domestic product (GDP) refers to a country's total market value of goods and services within a certain time frame. Fiscal policies like the one Sahm proposed are known as automatic stabilizers .

The indicator became widely recognized, with the Federal Reserve adding it to the FRED database in October 2019.

As Sahm has pointed out in her newsletter, the rule is "empirical regularity," not a proposition. She emphasized that this means that the rule can also be broken.

For example, Sahm wrote in an April 2022 newsletter, imagine a scenario in which the unemployment rate increased hovered around 3.5%, up from a low of 3.0%, meeting the criteria for signaling the early stages of a recession based on the Sahm Rule. However, if around that same time, GDP growth held around 2.5%, down from a high of 5.5%, and inflation gradually slid down to 2%, such a combination of circumstances probably wouldn't constitute a recession, she explained.

What is the Sahm Rule today?

First introduced in 2019, the Sahm Rule is a recession indicator based on conditions of the labor market. When the three-month average unemployment rate rises above its 12-month low by at least half a percentage point, we are in the early stages of a recession, according to the rule.

Who created the Sahm Rule?

Claudia Sahm, a macroeconomist who worked at the Federal Reserve and the White House Council of Economic Advisers, introduced the indicator as part of a policy proposal. The rule was then named after her.

How Accurate is the Sahm Rule?

The rule has proved to be very accurate with the indicator always triggering in the early stages of a recession and never outside of one since the 1970s.

The Sahm Rule refers to an indicator that signals the early stages of a recession. According to the rule, the beginning of a recession is signaled when the three-month moving average unemployment rate is half a percentage point or more higher than the lowest three-month moving average unemployment rate over the last 12 months. Historically, when the unemployment rate has passed this threshold, it has continued to rise.

Sahm Consulting. " About ."

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Release Calendar: List View ."

Sahm, Claudia. " Direct Stimulus Payments to Individuals ." The Hamilton Project, The Brookings Institute , May 2019, pp. 77.

Sahm, Claudia. " Direct Stimulus Payments to Individuals ." The Hamilton Project, The Brookings Institute , May 2019, pp. 77-79.

Economic Research, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. " FRED Adds Sahm Rule Recession Indicators ."

The Hamilton Project. " Direct Stimulus Payments to Individuals ."

The Hamilton Project. " Recession Ready: Fiscal Policies to Stabilize the American Economy ."

Stay-At-Home-Macro. " Rules Are Made to Be Broken ."

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Arrow Video Scares Up A Terrifying October 2024 4K UHD & Blu-ray Slate

Posted Fri Jul 26, 2024 at 07:16 AM PDT by Matthew Hartman

The closer we get to October, the more studios and independent labels unleash the terrors of their horror archives! Arrow Video is the latest to deliver their slate of spooky tales on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Some of these have appeared on either side of the Atlantic already, but we get a couple of new releases of old favorites to devour!  

Given the wonderfully messy world of international rights issues, Arrow's October 2024 slate of discs is a mix of titles that have been released on one side of the Atlantic or the other. But now they're going to be available in both parts of the world which is great (if you didn't already import some of these). But then we're also getting a couple of first-time heavy hitters for our collections. So let's get to it. 

Trick 'r Treat - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition

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Trick 'r Treat - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition Website Exclusive 

definition of a subtitle in an essay

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

  • Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films, approved by writer-director Michael Dougherty
  • 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Archival audio commentary by Michael Dougherty, conceptual artist Breehn Burns, storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins and composer Douglas Pipes
  • Tales of Folklore & Fright, an archival featurette with Michael Dougherty, Breehn Burns and Simeon Wilkins
  • Tales of Mischief & Mayhem: Filming Trick 'r Treat, an archival interview with Michael Dougherty on the making of the film
  • Sounds of Shock & Superstition: Scoring Trick 'r Treat, an archival featurette with Michael Dougherty and Douglas Pipes
  • Tales of Dread & Despair: Releasing Trick 'r Treat, an archival featurette with Michael Dougherty and Rob Galluzzo of the Shock Waves podcast, exploring the film's release and fandom
  • Season's Greetings, a short film from 1996 directed by Michael Dougherty with optional director commentary
  • The Lore and Legends of Halloween, an archival featurette narrated by actor Brian Cox
  • School bus VFX comparison
  • Additional scenes
  • FEARnet promos
  • Sam O'Lantern
  • Storyboard and conceptual artwork gallery
  • Behind the scenes gallery
  • Monster Mash comic book set in the Trick 'r Treat universe
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
  • Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
  • Six postcard-sized artcards
  • Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Becky Darke and Heather Wixson
  • And more extras to be confirmed

Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition 

definition of a subtitle in an essay

Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment -  Arrow Video Blu-ray Limited Edition 

definition of a subtitle in an essay

Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment -  Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition Website Exclusive 

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4-DISC ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

  • Brand new 4K restorations of all four films from the original camera negatives by Arrow Films
  • Ultra High Definition (2160p) presentations of all four films in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Original lossless stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio for all four films
  • Ages of Desire, an exclusive 200-page hardback book with new writing from Clive Barker archivists Phil and Sarah Stokes
  • Limited edition layered packaging featuring brand new Pinhead artwork

DISC 1 HELLRAISER

  • Brand new audio commentary featuring genre historian (and unit publicist of Hellraiser) Stephen Jones with author and film critic Kim Newman
  • Archival audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker and actor Ashley Laurence, moderated by Peter Atkins
  • Archival audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker
  • Power of Imagination – brand new 60-minute discussion about Hellraiser and the work of Clive Barker by film scholars Sorcha Ní Fhlainn (editor of Clive Barker: Dark Imaginer) and Karmel Kniprath
  • Unboxing Hellraiser – brand new visual essay celebrating the Lament Configuration by genre author Alexandra Benedict (The Beauty of Murder)
  • The Pursuit of Possibilities – brand new 60-minute discussion between acclaimed horror authors Paula D. Ashe (We Are Here To Hurt Each Other) and Eric LaRocca (Everything the Dark Eats) celebrating the queerness of Hellraiser and the importance of Clive Barker as a queer writer
  • Flesh is a Trap – brand new visual essay exploring body horror and transcendence in the work of Clive Barker by genre author Guy Adams (The World House)
  • Newly uncovered extended EPK interviews with Clive Barker and stars Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, and effects artist Bob Keen, shot during the making of Hellraiser, with a new introduction by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
  • Original 1987 Electronic Press Kit
  • Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser – archival interview with the actor
  • Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser – archival interview with the iconic actor about his first appearance as ‘Pinhead’
  • Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score – archival interview with Coil member Stephen Thrower
  • Trailers and TV spots
  • Image gallery
  • Draft screenplays

DISC 2 HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II

  • Brand new audio commentary featuring Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
  • Archival audio commentary with director Tony Randel, writer Peter Atkins and actor Ashley Laurence
  • Audio commentary with director Tony Randel and writer Peter Atkins
  • Hell Was What They Wanted! – brand new 80-minute appreciation of Hellbound, the Hellraiser mythos and the work of Clive Barker by horror authors George Daniel Lea (Born in Blood) and Kit Power (The Finite)
  • That Rat-Slice Sound – brand new appreciation of composer Christopher Young’s scores for Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II by Guy Adams
  • Archival on-set interview with Clive Barker
  • Archival on-set interview with cast and crew
  • Behind the scenes footage
  • Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound – archival interview about the actor’s return to the role of Frank Cotton
  • Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellbound – archival interview with the iconic actor about his second appearance as ‘Pinhead’
  • Lost in the Labyrinth – archival featurette featuring interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others

DISC 3 HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH

  • Alternative Unrated version (contains standard definition inserts)
  • Archival audio commentary with screenwriter Peter Atkins (Theatrical Cut only)
  • Archival audio commentary with director Anthony Hickox and actor Doug Bradley (Unrated Version only)
  • Previously unseen extended EPK featuring interviews with Clive Barker and Doug Bradley
  • Time with Terri – archival interview with actor Paula Marshall
  • Raising Hell on Earth – archival interview with director Anthony Hickox
  • Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser III – archival interview with the iconic actor about his third appearance as ‘Pinhead’
  • Theatrical trailer

DISC 4 HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE

  • Brand new audio commentary featuring screenwriter Peter Atkins, with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
  • The Beauty of Suffering – brand new featurette exploring the Cenobites' connection to goth, fetish cultures and BDSM
  • Newly uncovered workprint version of the film, providing a fascinating insight into how it changed during post production
  • Hellraiser Evolutions – archival documentary on the evolution of the franchise and its enduring legacy, featuring interviews with Scott Derrickson (director, Hellraiser: Inferno), Rick Bota (director, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, Deader and Hellworld), Stuart Gordon (director, Re-Animator, From Beyond) and others
  • Books of Blood and Beyond: The Literary Works of Clive Barker – archival appreciation by horror author David Gatwalk of Barker’s written work, from The Books of Blood to The Scarlet Gospels

J-Horror Rising - Arrow Video Blu-ray Limited Edition 

J-Horror Rising

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

  • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all seven films
  • Original lossless 5.1 and lossless stereo sound options for Shikoku, Isola: Multiple Personality Girl, Inugami, St. John’s Wort, Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman and Noroi: The Curse, and original lossless stereo audio for Persona
  • Optional English subtitles for each film
  • Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Eugene Thacker, Jasper Sharp, Anton Bitel, Amber T., Mark Player, Jim Harper and Sarah Appleton
  • Double-sided foldout poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by John Conlon
  • Limited Edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by John Conlon

DISC ONE: SHIKOKU / ISOLA: MULTIPLE PERSONALITY GIRL

  • Brand new audio commentary on Shikoku by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes
  • Brand new audio commentary on Isola: Multiple Personality Girl by critics and Japanese cinema experts Jasper Sharp and Amber T.
  • The Aftermath, Tom Mes discusses J-Horror at the turn of the millennium
  • Something in the Water, a brand new interview with Shikoku director Shunichi Nagasaki
  • Archive interviews with director Shunichi Nagasaki and actors Chiaki Kuriyama and Yui Natsukawa on Shikoku
  • Archive interview with actors Yoshino Kimura and Yu Kurosawa on Isola: Multiple Personality Girl
  • On-set footage of the filming of Shikoku
  • Original trailers and TV spots for both films
  • Image galleries

DISC TWO: INUGAMI / ST. JOHN'S WORT

  • Brand new audio commentary on Inugami by Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements
  • Brand new audio commentary on St. John’s Wort by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.
  • Dog Days, brand new video interview with Inugami director Masato Harada
  • The Making of St. John’s Wort, archival featurette
  • Archive interviews with St. John’s Wort actors Megumi Okina, Koichiro Saito, Reiko Matsuo and Koji Okura
  • On-set behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of St. John’s Wort
  • Original trailers and TV spots for St. John’s Wort
  • Image galleries for both films

DISC THREE: CARVED: THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN / PERSONA

  • Brand new audio commentary on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese folklore expert Zack Davisson
  • Why So Serious?, a brand new interview with Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman director Koji Shiraishi
  • Weapon of Choice, a brand new video essay on Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay Nelson
  • Confessions of a Mask, a brand new interview with Persona director Takashi Komatsu

DISC FOUR: NOROI: THE CURSE

  • Brand new audio commentary by film critic Julian Singleton
  • Director’s POV, a brand new video interview with Noroi: The Curse director Koji Shiraishi
  • The Man in the Shadows, a brand new interview with Noroi: The Curse producer Taka Ichise
  • Changing Perspective, a brand new video essay on Noroi: The Curse by Japanese horror specialist Lindsay Nelson
  • Ectoplasmic Worms, a brand new video essay on Noroi: The Curse and Japanese cosmic horror by Japanese cinema expert Amber T.
  • How to Protect Yourself Against Curses
  • Urgent report! Pursuing the Truth about Kagutaba!! TV Special
  • Over half an hour of deleted scenes

Exorcist II: The Heretic - Arrow Video Blu-ray Limited Edition (UK) 

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  • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of the 118-minute Original Premiere Version and the 103-minute International Version
  • Original lossless mono audio
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Savieri
  • Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by film critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Glenn Kenny and Matt Rogerson, plus an archival interview with cinematographer William Fraker

DISC ONE - ORIGINAL PREMIERE VERSION

  • New commentary by film historian Lee Gambin and filmmaker David Kittredge, director of the forthcoming feature-length Exorcist II documentary, Heretics
  • New audio commentary by screenwriter and author Kelly Goodner and film historian Jim Hemphill
  • Archive audio commentary with director John Boorman
  • Archive audio commentary with special consultant Scott Michael Bosco
  • It's Okay, He's Gone, a new visual essay by film critics BJ and Harmony Colangelo
  • What Does She Remember?, an archive interview with actress with Linda Blair
  • Archive interview with editor Tom Priestley
  • Teaser trailer
  • Extensive image galleries

DISC TWO - INTERNATIONAL VERSION

  • Archive audio commentary by film critic Mike White of The Projection Booth podcast

The Exorcist III - Arrow Video 4K UHD Limited Edition (UK)

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The Exorcist III - Arrow Video 4k UHD Limited Edition Website Exclusive (UK)

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  • Original theatrical 2.0 stereo audio on both cuts and optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio for the theatrical cut
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Richard Wells
  • Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by Lee Gambin, archival articles and reviews

DISC ONE - THEATRICAL CUT (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)

  • 4K restoration of the theatrical cut of The Exorcist III, presented in presented on 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Audio commentary by critics Alexandra Heller Nicholas and Josh Nelson
  • Audio interview with writer/director William Peter Blatty
  • Death, Be Not Proud: The Making of The Exorcist III, an in-depth 2016 documentary divided into five chapters: Chapter One: A "Wonderfull" Time, an interview with producer Carter DeHaven and members of the supporting cast and production crew; Chapter Two: Signs of the Gemini, an interview with actor Brad Dourif; Chapter Three: The Devil in the Details, an interview with production designer Leslie Dilley and more; Chapter Four: Music for a Padded Cell, an interview with composer Barry DeVorzon; Chapter Five: All This Bleeding, interviews about the additional shoot and special effects
  • The Exorcist III: Vintage Interviews, archival interviews with cast and crew members including William Peter Blatty, producer James Robinson, actors George C. Scott, Jason Miller, Grand L. Bush and Ed Flanders
  • Falling Down a Long Flight of Steps, an interview with special effects artist Randy Moore
  • The Exorcist III: Vintage Featurette, making-of documentary with on-set footage and interviews
  • Deleted scenes, alternate takes and bloopers
  • Trailers, TV spots and radio spots

DISC TWO - 'LEGION' DIRECTOR'S CUT (BLU-RAY)

  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Legion director's cut, assembled from the best available film and video elements
  • Legion audio commentary with esteemed film critics Mark Kermode and Kim Newman
  • Deleted Prologue, an alternate opening to Legion with optional audio commentary from Mark Kermode and Kim Newman

Several of these discs look like they may have more extras to be announced soon so when we get that info we'll add it to our listings zip quick. If there are any release date changes or if a title gets canceled, obviously we'll update that info ASAP. Happy Collecting! 

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IMAGES

  1. Explaining Humor Theories

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  2. Subtitle

    definition of a subtitle in an essay

  3. Informative Text Examples

    definition of a subtitle in an essay

  4. Chapter Author and Subtitle

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  5. Definition & Meaning of "Subtitle"

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  6. Page 1 Author Title of the essay Possible Subtitle Lenibh et loborero

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COMMENTS

  1. Title Vs. Subtitle: What's the Difference?

    A title is the main heading or name given to a piece of writing, typically placed at the top of the page or at the beginning of the text. On the book cover above, the title is "Foresight is 20/20." A subtitle, on the other hand, is a secondary heading that provides additional information about the content of the text.

  2. What Is A Subtitle? (5 Examples of Subtitles)

    Both food books use subtitles to make the book's purpose clearer to the reader. Forks Over Knives uses the three-fold keywords "life-saving," "whole-food," and "plant-based" to make the book searchable and create an emotional impact.Food Revolution uses its subtitle to explain the word "Revolution" in the title by driving home the power of one person's diet.

  3. Subtitles in an Essay: How to write Subtitles in Essays or Papers

    An essay can have subtitles if they help organize the thoughts, arguments and points into sectional topics that support the main thesis. Subtitles help the writer organize written work, especially if it involves a lot of words. Subheadings can be mini-essays because the writer is required to write their introduction, body, and conclusion before ...

  4. What Are Subtitles In A Paper

    Subtitles, also known as subheadings or headings, are concise phrases or titles that provide a brief summary of the content that follows. They are typically used in written materials, such as papers, articles, books, and presentations, to break down the main text into smaller, more manageable sections. Unlike headings, which are used to ...

  5. Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

    The Subtitle Subtitles are frequently used in social sciences research papers because it helps the reader understand the scope of the study in relation to how it was designed to address the research problem. Think about what type of subtitle listed below reflects the overall approach to your study and whether you believe a subtitle is needed to emphasize the investigative parameters of your ...

  6. PDF WRITING AN EFFECTIVE TITLE, SUBTITLE, and EPIGRAPH

    The subtitle needs to hold it to draw the reader in for more information. It does that by giving the title direction and telling the reader what to expect.The right subtitle will make the right reader want to open the book, pick up the essay, or read that work. The subtitle answers the question raised by the title, giving it direction and focus. 3.

  7. APA Headings and Subheadings

    Headings and subheadings provide structure to a document. They signal what each section. is about and allow for easy navigation of the document. APA headings have five possible levels. Each heading level is formatted differently. Note: Title case simply means that you should capitalize the first word, words with four or more letters, and all ...

  8. Getting the title right

    Getting the title right. The title is the first thing you write. It is the moment you decide what is the purpose, focus and message of your article. The title is also the first thing we will see of your published article. Whether we decide to click and read the abstract, or download the full article depends - at least, partly - on this first ...

  9. Mastering Essay Title and Subtitle Formatting

    Start by aligning your title in the center of the page. It should be positioned about one-third of the way down the page. Step 1. Step 2. Step 3. Step 4. Step 5. Perfecting the art of essay writing is not just about content; it's also about presentation. One of the most crucial aspects of this presentation is your essay title and subtitle ...

  10. How to Do Subtitles in APA Format

    All headings other than Level 1 are considered subtitles, or subheadings. Type your second-level heading flush with the left margin, bold and capitalized in title case. Compose your third-level heading by indenting one-half inch and typing the heading in bold. Capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns within a third-level heading, and ...

  11. What Makes a Good Subtitle (and how long should it be?)

    Part of Tim Ferriss's successful book series brand, The 4-Hour Work Week, has a subtitle that contains a generous nine words and consists of three different elements. But, every word serves a specific purpose and also includes elements that help establish Ferriss's 4-Hour Work Week brand. Your subtitle can do the same for your book or book series.

  12. Forging good titles in academic writing

    Writing effective headings. Although similar, headings are not the same as titles. Headings head paragraphs and help structure a document. Effective headings make your paper easily scannable. Common high level headings in dissertations and research papers are "Methods", "Research results", and "Discussion". Lower level headings are ...

  13. Subtitle Guide: Definition, Purpose, Creation, and Usage

    Subtitles work by providing a textual representation of spoken dialogue, sounds, and sometimes other audio information in a video, film, or other multimedia content. Subtitles display a text-based representation of the spoken dialogue and other relevant audio elements on the screen while an audiovisual program, such as a movie or video, is playing.

  14. SUBTITLE Definition & Meaning

    Subtitle definition: a secondary or subordinate title of a literary work, usually of explanatory character.. See examples of SUBTITLE used in a sentence.

  15. Subtitle Definition & Meaning

    The meaning of SUBTITLE is a secondary or explanatory title. a printed statement or fragment of dialogue appearing on the screen between the scenes of a silent motion picture or appearing as a translation at the bottom of the screen during the scenes of a motion picture or television show in a foreign language

  16. SUBTITLE

    SUBTITLE meaning: 1. a word, phrase, or sentence that is used as the second part of a book title and is printed under…. Learn more.

  17. How to Write and Format Headings in Academic Writing

    At the outset, make a plan for how you will deal with matters of capitalization, formatting and sequencing of headings. Headings at the same level should be formatted the same. For instance, "Section 2.2" should get the same treatment as "Section 4.1". They should also have parallel structure.

  18. How to Title an Essay, With Tips and Examples

    In MLA format, your essay's title should be in title case. That means every principle word— words that aren't articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, or the word "to" paired with an infinitive—is capitalized. The only exception to this is when one of these words is the first or last word in the essay's title.

  19. MLA Titles

    Use quotation marks around the title if it is part of a larger work (e.g. a chapter of a book, an article in a journal, or a page on a website). All major words in a title are capitalized. The same format is used in the Works Cited list and in the text itself. When you use the Scribbr MLA Citation Generator, the correct formatting and ...

  20. Full article: The layers of subtitling

    1. Introduction. Subtitling is a form of translation known the world over and yet a general audience's knowledge is limited to the subtitles' bare functionality, preferably actualized in as invisible a way as possible (Bannon, Citation 2009). As it is the first activity falling within current definitions of AVT to have been the object of scholarly interest Footnote 1, its study still ...

  21. AN INTRODUCTION TO SUBTITLING: CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES

    the subtitle such as subtitling within the same language for hard hearing as in the following example; 2. Calque: This strategy presents translation for the source text words with very close ...

  22. What is a subtitle in an essay?

    The subtitle in an essay is an additional line of text that provides more specific information about the topic or focus of the essay. It can help clarify the main title and give readers a better ...

  23. SUBTITLE

    SUBTITLE definition: 1. a word, phrase, or sentence that is used as the second part of a book title and is printed under…. Learn more.

  24. The Sahm Rule Recession Indicator Definition and How It's Calculated

    The Sahm Rule is a recession indicator based on labor market conditions. Read more about how it's calculated, how it signals that the economy is in a recession, its origin and more.

  25. Arrow Video Scares Up A Terrifying October 2024 4K UHD & Blu-ray Slate

    High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of the 118-minute Original Premiere Version and the 103-minute International Version Original lossless mono audio Optional English subtitles for the ...