Should acronyms in titles stay uppercase in APA references?

In an APA Style reference, should acronyms in a work’s title be altered to lowercase, or should they retain their original capitalization?

Answer

Acronyms, initialisms, and abbreviations in a work’s title should remain in their original uppercase format. If an acronym includes mixed casing (e.g., fMRI), it should be preserved as it appears in the title.

But remember that group/organization names that are acronyms or abbreviations should always be written out. 
 

Examples:

McSneaky, R. T. (2022). How CEO decisions impact office Wi-Fi speeds: The mysterious case of VPN overload. Journal of Workplace Mysteries, 15(3), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.5678/jwm.2022.456

Zorgblatt, X. Q. (2023). The impact of UFO sightings on human snack consumption: A study of late-night cravings. Intergalactic Journal of Snackology, 42(7), 99-115. https://doi.org/10.1234/ijs.2023.789

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  • Last Updated Feb 25, 2025
  • Views 22
  • Answered By Mil Ryan

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