Choosing a Title for the Research Paper

The principles that apply to choosing a title for the research paper are the same as choosing a title for any other piece of academic writing. You have to apply the same rule if you want to choose a title for a blog or a web article etc. Once you know the topic for your research paper you can create a title as well. The title should follow some rules and should have some characteristics that can make it a good title. A title should have the following characteristics:

• Informative

A title needs to be informative in a sense that the readers can guess what they will find inside the research paper. It should be self-explanatory and not vague. A research paper title needs to give some idea about your research paper in easy words. Too much vague or general titles are not suitable for the research paper. The research paper title does not need to have fancy words or complex phrases. All you need is to write an informative, precise phrase that best describes the information one can find inside.

• Phrase

A research paper title should better be a phrase than a sentence. A sentence as a title describes too much about the research paper. The titles of books and journals are always a phrase so the same applies to a research paper as well. The phrase does not need any punctuation at the end.

• Straightforward

The language and wording of the title should be straightforward and easy to understand. Some students make a mistake of choosing vague terms for their research paper title. They think that catchy titles might be more appealing but it is not true. Catchy and cute titles might work for a story or an essay but not for a research paper. Think about the audience before using too much technical language in the title.

• Concise

A long title tells too much about your research paper. You do not need to have details in your title rather you can provide details later when you are writing a thesis statement. Write a concise and precise title that works as a topic for your research paper. Too many details in the research paper title can distract the audience.

• No punctuation

You do not need to add punctuation at the end of the research paper title. A phrase does not need a punctuation, have you seen a punctuation at the end of a book title? Definitely no! You can have a colon or a comma in between the title phrase where required.

• Capitalize the first letter of each word

Capitalize the first letter of each word except for the conjunctions, articles, and prepositions. The same rule applies to any other title like a book title, or a journal title. You do not need to underline the title or use quotation marks.

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