1. Excerpt: Chapter 3: Writing an Effective Title
August 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.
TITLE
A 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)

2.  "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 Titles
Titles 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 Night
A Moveable Feast
The Catcher in the Rye
The Grapes of Wrath
All 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)