Hey there, fellow researchers! Have you ever felt the struggle of coming up with the perfect title for your paper? You’re not alone. The title is like the headline of your favorite news article – it’s got to be catchy yet informative. Let’s dive into some tips and tricks to ensure your title stands out in the academic crowd.
1. Why is the Research Paper Title Important?
Every word in your title is crucial. It’s the first thing a reviewer or reader will see, and it can determine whether your paper gets read or skipped.
✖ Title is too long, wordy, and confusing
An In-depth Examination into The Overall Chance of Becoming a World-Renowned Athlete vs Getting an Executive Position in a Fortune 500 Company
✖ Title is written for a small group of readers
Examining Humor in Asian Nations as Expressed in Instagram Videos
✔ Title is short and to the point
Autonomous Cars: The Ethical Dilemma
A great title is a concise summary of your research and a sneak peek into your work’s unique aspects and main findings. It’s a balance between being specific and informative without overwhelming the reader with details.
2. Rules for Writing Good Titles
Rules for writing great titles are like rules for good writing in general. Let’s look at some basic rules to follow while crafting a fitting title for your research paper.
2.1 Be Specific and Avoid Being Generic
A generic title is broad, vague, and lacks specificity about the research findings. It does not highlight the research’s unique factors or the study’s contribution.
✖ Generic title
An Analysis of Healthcare Data Privacy
✔ Improved title
Assessing the Effectiveness of Encryption Techniques in Protecting User Data Privacy in a Healthcare Organization
_ Focus of research _ Context _ Aspect being studied
2.2 Highlight Your Main Findings and Unique Aspects
Craft the perfect title using three steps.
| Steps | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Identify your main finding | Teaching math on a mobile app with an interactive chatbot significantly improved math grades for high school students. |
| 2. What was new and interesting? | Interactive Chatbot |
| 3. Identify 3-5 Key Terms | Math, mobile app, interactive chatbot, improved grades |
| 4. CREATE TITLE | Improving Math Grades Using a Mobile Interactive Chatbot |
2.3 Make it Concise and Short
While a five-word short title may seem ideal, when trying to include the specificity of focus, method, and context, you are likelier to have an 8-12 word title. This length is perfect for journal articles.
✖ Not concise
A Comprehensive Examination of the Use and Impact of AI-Driven Predictive Analytics for Improving Patient Outcomes in Healthcare Settings Including Hospitals, Labs, Physician’s Offices and Primary Care Facilities
✔ Concise
AI-Driven Predictive Analytics in Healthcare: Improving Patient Outcomes
2.4 Attract Attention to Your Work
You want people to be able to find your research article easily through a Google search. Specificity is essential. Using vague adjectives like novel or unique to describe a method doesn’t mean anything, and these words are not likely to be entered into a search bar. Ask yourself, what would the person likely type into the search bar?
✖ Title with poor searchability
A Novel Technique for Learning Science
✔ Title with good searchability
AI Driven Exercises for Elementary Science Classes
3. Common Questions
Many questions arise when writing an article title. We will answer some of the most common questions, starting with writing mechanics.
3.1 Should Titles be Grammatically Correct?
You might wonder if using prepositions (for, in, of, for, by) in a title is okay. The answer is yes. It is often necessary for the title to make sense and be grammatically correct. Using articles (the, a, an) correctly is also essential. Let’s look at some examples.
| Incorrect (no prepositions or articles) | Correct (with prepositions and articles) |
|---|---|
| Anxiety measuring factors | Factors for measuring anxiety |
| Stress causes: Avoidable measurable risks | Causes of stress: Estimate of avoidable risks |
| Occupation factor influences Alzheimer’s disease | The occupation factor’s influence on Alzheimer’s disease |
| Survey: Asian teenage drinking | A survey of teenage drinking in Japan |
Please remember, a countable singular noun (factor, cause, risk) must be preceded by an article. Are verbs acceptable in titles? Absolutely. Verbs make titles more dynamic.
Tip: Use the …ing form of verbs rather than vague nouns.
✖ Using abstract nouns
The examination and categorization of educational software for high schools
✔ Replace abstract nouns with …ing form of verb
Examining and categorizing educational software for high schools
Using verbs in the second example adds action words that depict the tasks performed in the study.
3.2 Can I Add Humor to My Title?
Humor can make a title more engaging and memorable, but it must be balanced with relevance to the research topic. The humor must not detract from the study’s credibility.
| Good Humour in Titles | Why it Works? |
|---|---|
| Gone with the Wind: Analyzing the Effects of Turbulence on Small Aircraft Stability | The title, which references the classic novel and film Gone with the Wind, adds a light-hearted touch while remaining relevant to turbulence and aircraft stability. |
| Bad Humour in Titles | Why it Doesn’t Work? |
|---|---|
| Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Futility of Current Cancer Research | This title undermines the efforts and significance of cancer research, a sensitive and critical field. |
3.3 Can I Formulate My Paper Title as a Question?
Titles that ask questions are well-suited to abstracts submitted to conferences. Questioning titles are informal and catch the reader’s attention quickly. The question must be aligned with the primary focus of the research.
| Good Titles with Questions |
|---|
| What Factors Influence Student Success in Online Classes? |
| Can Artificial Intelligence Revolutionize Personalized Education? |
Rule: A title can end with a question mark. However, no other punctuation is required at the end of a title.
3.4 What is the Difference Between Conference and Journal Titles?
When you submit an abstract to a conference, you want it noticed so it will be accepted as a presentation. However, you also hope it will be published in the conference proceedings. You want to attract attention, but the title can’t be too witty as to lose professionalism. Two-part titles work well to blend fun and professionalism.
| Conference Papers (Fun and Serious) |
|---|
| From Doodles to Data: How Handwriting Analysis Can Enhance Cognitive Assessment _ Fun _ Serious |
3.5 When is a Two-Part Title a Good Idea
Two-part titles can pose a question in the first part to grab attention, with the second part providing a more academic description of the content. Two-part questions can also use the second part to explain the first part. Two-part questions must be specific, and the two parts must be connected.
✖ Poorly written two-part title : first and second parts don’t connect
Advanced Algorithms in Machine Learning: Can They Really Improve Anything?
✔ Improved title
Advanced Algorithms in Predictive Analytics: Are They Transforming Healthcare Outcomes?
The poorly written title does not strongly connect the first and second parts. “Can They Really Improve Anything?” isn’t specific enough to connect to the first part, which also lacks specificity.
4. Summary
Crafting an engaging and informative research article title is crucial for capturing attention and ensuring your work is read. You can create titles that stand out by being specific, highlighting unique findings, keeping titles concise, and ensuring grammatical correctness. Remember, a well-placed question or a bit of humor can enhance your title, but it must remain relevant and professional. Whether for journals or conferences, a well-crafted title can make a difference in the searchability and impact of your research. Happy titling!
If you have any questions, please drop a comment below, and we will answer as soon as possible. We also recommend you to refer to our other blogs on academic writing tools, academic writing resources, academic writing phrases, research paper examples and research paper writing tips which are relevant to the topic discussed in this blog.
