Excerpt: Chapter 3: Writing an Effective TitleAugust 18, 2009 Filed under Excerpts, Featured A catchy headline in a newspaper often entices peoples to read a newspaper article that would not have interested them otherwise. Similarly, a well-written title in a journal can entice scientists to look at a journal article that they might otherwise have bypassed. Unfortunately, a poorly constructed title may even scare readers away, regardless of the manuscript’s relevance to the readers’ interests and the quality of the science inside.Because the title is likely the first exposure of your paper to a potential audience, the title should be constructed with care and with purpose. Do not just quickly throw it together! Begin with a working (or draft) title to give your writing scope and perspective. Never underestimate the warm feelings from seeing a titled document in your word processor to motivate further work. When the manuscript is completed, reevaluate the working title to ensure that it still represents the work contained within the manuscript.

The five characteristics of a desirable title (Lipton 1998) are:

Informative Identify one or two main points in the paper to communicate to the audience; a good title is capable of conveying those points. Be as specific as possible without adding unnecessary details. Titles that are too vague or too general do not help the reader distinguish your work from others. Choose words carefully, cognizant that prospective readers will often find your article through electronic searches.

Accurate The title should be truthful about the contents of the paper. Do not overpromise the results of the paper in the title.Clear The audience should not have to think about what the title means. Different people may interpret the title differently, so ask a number of people to critique your title and tell you what they think the paper is about before they even read it.

Concise Short titles are instantly recognizable and jump of the page. Every word should have a reason for being present, and each word should contribute to the message of the title.

Attention commanding Not all research projects can produce an attention-commanding title, nor do all projects need them. But, if you can meet the other four criteria and have a choice between a pedestrian title and one that is a bit provocative, consider the provocative one. Ideally, titles should strive to adhere to these five characteristics. However, not all may be met or can be met in one title. For example, to write an attention-commanding title, often you have to sacrifice being less clear or informative. How much concision are you willing to give up in order to be accurate? Clearly, these are decisions for the author to make.

TITLEA word or phrase given to a text (an essay, article, chapter, report, or other work) to identify the subject, attract the reader's attention, and forecast the tone and substance of the writing to follow.

Etymology:From the Latin, "title"

Examples and Observations: "It is important to know the title before you begin--then you know what you are writing about."

(Nadine Gordimer, quoted by D. J. R. Bruckner in "A Writer Puts the Political Above the Personal." The New York Times, Jan. 1, 1991)

"The title comes afterwards, usually with considerable difficulty. . . . A working title often changes."(Heinrich Böll, interview in The Paris Review, 1983)

Catching the Reader's Interest"At the minimum, titles--like labels--should accurately indicate the contents in the package. In addition, however, good titles capture the reader's interest with some catchy phrasing or imaginative language--something to make the reader want to 'buy' the package. Barbara Kingsolver uses the title, 'High Tide in Tucson' to catch our interest: What are tides doing in landlocked Tucson, Arizona? Samuel H. Scudder's title is a good label (the essay is about looking at fish) and uses catchy phrasing: 'Take This Fish and Look at It.'"(Stephen Reid, The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers, 2003)

Tips for Creating Catchy TitlesTitles catch the attention of readers and provide a clue to the paper's content. If a title doesn't suggest itself in the writing of your paper, try one of these strategies: Use one strong short phrase from your paper Present a question that your paper answers State the answer to the question or issue your paper will explore Use a clear or catchy image from your paper Use a famous quotation Write a one-word title (or a two-word title, a three-word-title, and so on) Begin your title with the word On Begin your title with a gerund (-ing word)

(Toby Fulwiler and Alan R. Hayakawa, The Blair Handbook. Prentice Hall, 2003)

Metaphorical Titles"Is there a factor that above all others contributes to making a title intriguing and memorable? I've studied the titles that have captured the public imagination during my lifetime. Add to The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The Red Badge of Courage, and The Blackboard Jungle the following titles that almost everyone seems to like, and ask yourself what they have in common:Tender Is the NightA Moveable FeastThe Catcher in the RyeThe Grapes of WrathAll seven of these titles are metaphors. They put two things together that don't ordinarily go together. They are intriguing, resonant, and provide exercise for the reader's imagination."(Sol Stein, Stein on Writing. St. Martin's Griffin, 1995)

Selling an Article or Book"An effective title is to your article or book what a good 'preview of coming attractions' is to a movie. It announces what your manuscript is about in such a way that it compels your reader to sit up and take notice. And if that reader is an editor who possibly will buy your material, an enticing title can open doors for you."(John McCollister, quoted by Jim Fisher in The Writer's Quotebook: 500 Authors on Creativity, Craft, and the Writing Life. Rutgers University Press, 2006)