Writing a Research Title

Title

The title summarizes the main idea or ideas of your study. A good title contains the fewest possible words needed to adequately describe the content and/or purpose of your research paper.

Importance of the Title

The title is the part of a paper that is read the most, and it is usually read first. Therefore, it is the most important element that defines the research study.

Characteristics of a Good Research Title

• It should predict the content of the research paper.
• It should be interesting to the reader.
• It should reflect the tone of the writing.
• It should contain important keywords that will make it easier to be located during a keyword search.

Examples:

• Benefits of Meditation for the Nursing Profession: A Quantitative Investigation
• Why Mindful Nurses Make the Best Communicators
• Meditation Gurus
• Nurses on the Move: A Quantitative Report on How Meditation Can Improve Nurse Performance

Tips for Writing an Effective Paper

Make sure your research title describes:
• the topic
• the method
• the sample
• the results of your study

Formula: [Result]: A [method] study of [topic] among [sample]
Example: Meditation makes nurses perform better: a qualitative study of mindfulness meditation among German nursing students

General Tips

• Avoid unnecessary words and jargon.
• Title should be between 5 to 15 words.
• If the title is too long, it usually contains unnecessary words.
• Avoid language like "A Study to Investigate the..."
• Avoid too broad titles like "African Politics."
• Ensure title conforms to the standards and requirements of journals or academic assignments.
• Use descriptive phrases to efficiently convey your research purpose.
• Use critical keywords in the title to increase discoverability.

Common Title Formats

Declarative titles – state the main findings or conclusions.
Example: A three-month weight loss program increases self-esteem in adolescent girls.

Descriptive titles – describe the subject of the article but do not reveal the main conclusions.
Example: Effects of family support on patients with dementia.

Interrogative titles – introduce the subject in the form of a question.
Example: Does cognitive training improve performance on pattern recognition tasks?

Use of Subtitles

Subtitles are frequently used in social sciences research papers to help the reader understand the scope of the study in relation to how it was designed.
Example: Linguistic Ethnography and the Study of Welfare Institutions as a Flow of Social Practices: The Case of Residential Child Care Institutions as Paradoxical Institutions

Importance of Subtitles

• Explains or provides additional context
• Adds substance to a literary or imaginative title
• Qualifies the geographic or temporal scope of the research
• Focuses on investigating the ideas, theories, or work of a particular individual
• Identifies the methodology used or the technique for analyzing the research problem

What NOT TO DO in Writing Titles

• Avoid periods, semi-colons, dashes (except hyphens), abbreviations, initialisms, question marks, uncommon words, exclamation marks.
• Do not use vague terms, cryptic/complex drug names, or taxonomic hierarchy of species.
• Do not shorten scientific names.
• Avoid obvious phrases like "A Study of" or "Results of."
• Avoid italics, except for species names.