Titles

The Title is usually the first, and often the only, thing about your published work that readers will see.

An effective title should:

• Be brief and concise (a full sentence is not needed)
• Capture attention and make readers want to read further
• Accurately reflect the contents of your manuscript
• Highlight an important feature of the research
• Include at least one keyword
• Be clear and easily understood (avoid uncommon abbreviations and jargon)

Developing a good title for your manuscript can be challenging. We recommend that you draft a general “working title” soon after you have analyzed your results and made an outline of your text. You can even use or modify your MyManuscript project title to begin with. You can refine your title after you have finished drafting your manuscript and decided the most important message.

Here are some more tips for your title:

• List the main topics and most important feature of your work, and link them using as few words as possible.
• Consider mentioning the variables, materials, sample, scope, duration, or study type.
• Later, edit your title to be as concise and specific as possible, and to answer the question “What was studied?” or “What was the main conclusion?”
• Delete words such as “A study of”
• Ask your collaborators and supervisor for their opinion.

Check published articles (or a past Table of Contents of your target journal) for the preferred title style:

• Title poses a question (interrogative style)
• Title indicates the topic or aim (indicative/descriptive style)
• Title declares the conclusion (declarative/informative style)
• Title in two parts, with additional details (e.g., special feature, study type) after a colon or dash
• Other style requirements and the allowed number of words or characters in a title

Examples of Titles: