The title of your paper is your shop front.
Here are 10 rules to write a compelling title for your scientific article.
A thread. π§΅
#AcademicChatter @TheStrugglingS4 #Postdoc
Here are 10 rules to write a compelling title for your scientific article.
A thread. π§΅
#AcademicChatter @TheStrugglingS4 #Postdoc
#1: The title should describe your main result
π Your reader will want to know what exactly the take-away message of your paper is.
π Your reader will want to know what exactly the take-away message of your paper is.
#2: The title doesn't need to convey every detail
π Don't try to cram information into your title and don't try to communicate more than 1 key take-away in your title.
π Don't try to cram information into your title and don't try to communicate more than 1 key take-away in your title.
#3: The title should be fewer than 95 characters long
π Long titles take longer to read and comprehend. Try to keep yours short to get more views and citations.
π Long titles take longer to read and comprehend. Try to keep yours short to get more views and citations.
#4: The title should be specific
π Too general titles lack keywords (important for indexing) and don't tell the reader what your study is about.
π Too general titles lack keywords (important for indexing) and don't tell the reader what your study is about.
#5: The title doesn't need punctuation marks
β Titles with question marks, hyphens or colons receive fewer citations. Using punctuation marks will also likely mean that you are violating rule #2 or #4.
β Titles with question marks, hyphens or colons receive fewer citations. Using punctuation marks will also likely mean that you are violating rule #2 or #4.
#6: The title should feature an active verb
πββοΈ Noun-heavy titles take the reader longer to read and understand. It's better to convey the meaning of your sentence using a verb, e.g. "Running exercise strengthens the intervertebral disk" as in
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
πββοΈ Noun-heavy titles take the reader longer to read and understand. It's better to convey the meaning of your sentence using a verb, e.g. "Running exercise strengthens the intervertebral disk" as in
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
#7: The title doesn't need filler words
π§ Don't waste the space writing phrases such as "an observation of" or "a study of" or "on...". They are likely to violate rules #1, #2 and #4 as well.
π§ Don't waste the space writing phrases such as "an observation of" or "a study of" or "on...". They are likely to violate rules #1, #2 and #4 as well.
#8: The title shouldn't contain acronyms
π€ Spell out any acronyms and abbreviations in your title that the reader of your target journal won't be likely to understand.
π€ Spell out any acronyms and abbreviations in your title that the reader of your target journal won't be likely to understand.
#9: The level of jargon in the title should match the target audience
π¬ Consider the readership of your target journal and only use jargon they will be likely to understand.
π¬ Consider the readership of your target journal and only use jargon they will be likely to understand.
#10: The title should adhere to your target journal's guidelines
π Always check the guidelines of your target journal before you start writing your paper. Some have their own rules in place you don't want to violate.
π Always check the guidelines of your target journal before you start writing your paper. Some have their own rules in place you don't want to violate.
TL;DR: 10 rules to write a compelling title
#1: Describe main result
#2: Be concise
#3: < 95 characters long
#4: Be specific
#5: No punctuation marks
#6: Use an active verb
#7: No filler words
#8: No acronyms
#9: Right level of jargon
#10: Adhere to journal guidelines
#1: Describe main result
#2: Be concise
#3: < 95 characters long
#4: Be specific
#5: No punctuation marks
#6: Use an active verb
#7: No filler words
#8: No acronyms
#9: Right level of jargon
#10: Adhere to journal guidelines
If you found this thread was helpful, then watching my free training is the perfect next step for you!
πIt's only about an hour long and will change the way you write your papers.
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πIt's only about an hour long and will change the way you write your papers.
annaclemens.com
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