What Make a Good Research Paper Title?

The title is definitely the part of a paper that is read the most, and it is usually read first.
Writing a research paper title may seem a simple task but in fact it requires serious consideration.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟭𝟮 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿.
1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲. Avoid words with little or no meaning as they increase
the total length. Good research titles are brief, with no more than 12 words.
2. 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀
𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.
3. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲. It delivers the largest amount of information and
emphasizes the technical side of the research.
4. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 and distinguish the paper from others on a
similar topic.
5. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. In the majority of cases writing a complete sentence simply
adds unnecessary words.
6. 𝗗𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘆𝗺𝘀, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲. Readers, who are not familiar with the
meaning of such words, may just skip your article.
7. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Avoid complex phrases and unnecessary details.
8. 𝗔 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 used in the manuscript and should determine the
nature of the study. Try to figure out what terms people would use to search for your paper and include them in
the title.
9. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 so that a reader could notice
them when looking through the table of contents.
10. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 and return to the title when the text is
ready to decide on the final version.
11. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲. Everything in your manuscript should relate back to the title.
12. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀. Try writing several variants and ask, which one draws their attention
and interest the most.
Writing a good research paper title can be difficult and time consuming. However, it is worth the trouble as it
identifies your research.
Follow these tips and make it excellent.