Are titles of books underlined in a research paper?

Instead, you should italicize book titles.

Here's why:

* Underlining was the standard practice for titles in typed papers before the widespread use of computers and word processing programs.

* Italics are now the preferred way to indicate emphasis and distinguish titles from regular text.

Example:

Instead of: _The Lord of the Rings_

You should write: *The Lord of the Rings*