Difference between revisions of "Typography of titles"
DavidWalker (Talk | contribs) |
DavidWalker (Talk | contribs) m |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | Although there is a tendency in some areas of usage not to mark [[title]]s of sources in any way [[typography|typographically]], this is an error in an area as precise as academic writing. Readers should be clear whether the topic about which they are reading is a work by an identifiable person, or a general topic. The titles of some biographies, for example, consist simply of the name of their subject. When, in the course of a review, I see the sentence | + | Although there is a tendency in some areas of usage not to mark [[title]]s of sources in any way [[typography|typographically]], this is an error in an area as precise as academic writing. Readers should be clear whether the topic about which they are reading is a work by an identifiable person, or a general topic. The titles of some biographies, for example, consist simply of the name of their subject. When, in the course of a review, I see the sentence "Churchill was very successful", I don't want to have to pause to understand whether this is intended to mean that the man was a good politician, or that the biography was a good book. If the publisher enforces the rule that titles are marked as such typographically, I don't have to pause. I can see straightaway. The first is "<big>Churchill</big> was very successful"; the second is "''<big>Churchill</big>'' was very successful". Note that even in a rather less direct meaning, there is a difference between "Roy Jenkins's ''Churchill'' is appealing" (which means "I am drawn to the book"), and "Roy Jenkins's Churchill is appealing". The latter means "I am drawn to the man that Jenkins portrays in his book". |
| − | In a similar way, in literary study, we must be clear whether we are talking of a play | + | In a similar way, in literary study, we must be clear whether we are talking of a play (or a novel or other work) or its [[eponym]]ous hero (the central character after whom it is named). <big>Hamlet</big> is the name of a character (the Prince of Denmark) in a play by William Shakespeare. ''<big>Hamlet</big>'' is the name of the play. |
For details, see [[Titles - italicisation]] or [[titles - capitalisation]]. You may also want to see [[Titles - personal|personal titles]]. | For details, see [[Titles - italicisation]] or [[titles - capitalisation]]. You may also want to see [[Titles - personal|personal titles]]. | ||
Revision as of 12:11, 19 September 2015
Although there is a tendency in some areas of usage not to mark titles of sources in any way typographically, this is an error in an area as precise as academic writing. Readers should be clear whether the topic about which they are reading is a work by an identifiable person, or a general topic. The titles of some biographies, for example, consist simply of the name of their subject. When, in the course of a review, I see the sentence "Churchill was very successful", I don't want to have to pause to understand whether this is intended to mean that the man was a good politician, or that the biography was a good book. If the publisher enforces the rule that titles are marked as such typographically, I don't have to pause. I can see straightaway. The first is "Churchill was very successful"; the second is "Churchill was very successful". Note that even in a rather less direct meaning, there is a difference between "Roy Jenkins's Churchill is appealing" (which means "I am drawn to the book"), and "Roy Jenkins's Churchill is appealing". The latter means "I am drawn to the man that Jenkins portrays in his book". In a similar way, in literary study, we must be clear whether we are talking of a play (or a novel or other work) or its eponymous hero (the central character after whom it is named). Hamlet is the name of a character (the Prince of Denmark) in a play by William Shakespeare. Hamlet is the name of the play.
For details, see Titles - italicisation or titles - capitalisation. You may also want to see personal titles.
Be aware that different publishers and different academic departments and subjects have different rules for how to mark titles. Follow the appropriate guidelines for your current purposes.
