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Writing a scientific paper.

  • Writing a lab report

What is a "good" title?

"title checklist" from: how to write a good scientific paper. chris a. mack. spie. 2018., other hints for writing a title.

  • INTRODUCTION
  • LITERATURE CITED
  • Bibliography of guides to scientific writing and presenting
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  • Lab Report Writing Guides on the Web

The title will be read by many people. Only a few will read the entire paper, therefore all words in the title should be chosen with care. Too short a title is not helpful to the potential reader. However too long a title can sometimes be even less meaningful. Remember a title is not an abstract. Also a title is not a sentence.

Goals: • Fewest possible words that describe the contents of the paper. • Avoid waste words like "Studies on", or "Investigations on" • Use specific terms rather than general • Watch your word order and syntax • Avoid abbreviations and jargon

 The title should be clear and informative, and should reflect the aim and approach of the work.

 The title should be as specific as possible while still describing the full range of the work. Does the title, seen in isolation, give a full yet concise and specific indication of the work reported?

 Do not mention results or conclusions in the title.

 Avoid: overly clever or punny titles that will not fare well with search engines or international audiences; titles that are too short to be descriptive or too long to be read; jargon, acronyms, or trademarked terms. 

  • Whenever possible, use a declarative rather than a neutral title
  • Don't end your title with a question mark?
  • Begin with the keywords
  • Use verbs instead of abstract nouns
  • Avoid abbrev. in the title

From: How to Write and Illustrate a Scientific Paper (2008)

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  • Last Updated: Aug 4, 2023 9:33 AM
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Enago Academy

6 Important Tips on Writing a Research Paper Title

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When you are searching for a research study on a particular topic, you probably notice that articles with interesting, descriptive research titles draw you in. By contrast, research paper titles that are not descriptive are usually passed over, even though you may write a good research paper with interesting contents. This shows the importance of coming up with a good title for your research paper when drafting your own manuscript.

peer review

Why do Research Titles Matter?

Before we look at how to title a research paper, let’s look at a research title example that illustrates why a good research paper should have a strong title.

Imagine that you are researching meditation and nursing, and you want to find out if any studies have shown that meditation makes nurses better communicators.  You conduct a keyword search using the keywords “nursing”, “communication”, and “meditation.” You come up with results that have the following titles:

  • Benefits of Meditation for the Nursing Profession: A Quantitative Investigation
  • Why Mindful Nurses Make the Best Communicators
  • Meditation Gurus
  • Nurses on the Move: A Quantitative Report on How Meditation Can Improve Nurse Performance

All four of these titles may describe very similar studies—they could even be titles for the same study! As you can see, they give very different impressions.

  • Title 1 describes the topic and the method of the study but is not particularly catchy.
  • Title 2 partly describes the topic, but does not give any information about the method of the study—it could simply be a theoretical or opinion piece.
  • Title 3 is somewhat catchier but gives almost no information at all about the article.
  • Title 4 begins with a catchy main title and is followed by a subtitle that gives information about the content and method of the study.

As we will see, Title 4 has all the characteristics of a good research title.

Characteristics of a Good Research Title

According to rhetoric scholars Hairston and Keene, making a good title for a paper involves ensuring that the title of the research accomplishes four goals as mentioned below:

  • It should predict the content of the research paper .
  • It should be interesting to the reader .
  • It should reflect the tone of the writing .
  • It should contain important keywords that will make it easier to be located during a keyword search.

Let’s return to the examples in the previous section to see if they meet these four criteria.

As you can see in the table above, only one of the four example titles fulfills all of the criteria of a suitable research paper title.

Related: You’ve chosen your study topic, but having trouble deciding where to publish it? Here’s a comprehensive course to help you identify the right journal .

Tips for Writing an Effective Research Paper Title

When writing a research title , you can use the four criteria listed above as a guide. Here are a few other tips you can use to make sure your title will be part of the recipe for an effective research paper :

  • Make sure your research title describes (a) the topic, (b) the method, (c) the sample, and (d) the results of your study. You can use the following formula:
[ Result ]: A [ method ] study of [ topic ] among [ sample ] Example : Meditation makes nurses perform better: a qualitative study of mindfulness meditation among German nursing students
  • Avoid unnecessary words and jargons. Keep the title statement as concise as possible. You want a title that will be comprehensible even to people who are not experts in your field. Check our article for a detailed list of things to avoid when writing an effective research title .
  • Make sure your title is between 5 and 15 words in length.
  • If you are writing a title for a university assignment or for a particular academic journal, verify that your title conforms to the standards and requirements for that outlet. For example, many journals require that titles fall under a character limit, including spaces. Many universities require that titles take a very specific form, limiting your creativity.
  • Use a descriptive phrase to convey the purpose of your research efficiently.
  • Most importantly, use critical keywords in the title to increase the discoverability of your article.

how to write a scientific paper title

Resources for Further Reading

In addition to the tips above, there are many resources online that you can use to help write your research title. Here is a list of links that you may find useful as you work on creating an excellent research title:

  • The University of Southern California has a guide specific to social science research papers: http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/title
  • The Journal of European Psychology Students has a blog article focusing on APA-compliant research paper titles: http://blog.efpsa.org/2012/09/01/how-to-write-a-good-title-for-journal-articles/
  • This article by Kristen Hamlin contains a step-by-step approach to writing titles: http://classroom.synonym.com/choose-title-research-paper-4332.html

Are there any tips or tricks you find useful in crafting research titles? Which tip did you find most useful in this article? Leave a comment to let us know!

  • Hairston, M., & Keene, M. 2003. Successful writing . 5th ed. New York: Norton.
  • University of Southern California. 2017. Organizing your social sciences research paper: choosing a title . [Online] Available at: http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/title

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Thank you so much:) Have a nice day!

Thank you so much, it helped me.. God bless..

Thank you for the excellent article and tips for creating a research work, because I always forget about such an essential element as the keywords when forming topics. In particular, I have found a rapid help with the formation of informative and sound titles that also conforms to the standards and requirements.

I am doing a research work on sales girls or shop girls using qualititative method. Basicly I am from Pakistan and writing on the scenario of mycountry. I am really confused about my research title can you kindly give some suggestions and give me an approperaite tilte

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Hi Zubair, Thank you for your question. However, the information you have provided is insufficient for drafting an appropriate title. Information on what exactly you intend to study would be needed in order to draft a meaningful title. Meanwhile, you can try drafting your own title after going through the following articles our website: https://www.enago.com/academy/top-10-tips-on-choosing-an-attractive-research-title/ , https://www.enago.com/academy/writing-a-good-research-title-things-to-avoid/ , https://www.enago.com/academy/write-irresistible-research-paper-title/ We would be happy to give you feedback and suggest changes if required. Did you get a chance to install our free Mobile App? https://www.enago.com/academy/mobile-app/ . Make sure you subscribe to our weekly newsletter https://www.enago.com/academy/subscribe-now/ .

thanks for helping me like this!!

Thank you for this. It helped me improve my research title. I just want to verify to you the title I have just made. “Ensuring the safety: A Quantitative Study of Radio Frequency Identification system among the selected students of ( school’s name ).

(I need your reply asap coz we will be doing the chap. 1 tomorrow. Thank u in advance. 🙂 )

I am actually doing a research paper title. I want to know more further in doing research title. Can you give me some tips on doing a research paper?

Hi Joan, Thank you for your question. We are glad to know that you found our resources useful. Your feedback is very valuable to us. You can try drafting your own title after going through the following articles on our website: https://www.enago.com/academy/top-10-tips-on-choosing-an-attractive-research-title/ , https://www.enago.com/academy/writing-a-good-research-title-things-to-avoid/ , https://www.enago.com/academy/write-irresistible-research-paper-title/

We would be happy to give you feedback and suggest changes if required. Did you get a chance to install our free Mobile App? https://www.enago.com/academy/mobile-app/ . Make sure you subscribe to our weekly newsletter https://www.enago.com/academy/subscribe-now/ .

That really helpful. Thanks alot

Thank you so much. It’s really help me.

Thanks for sharing this tips. Title matters a lot for any article because it contents Keywords of article. It should be eye-catchy. Your article is helpful to select title of any article.

nice blog that you have shared

This blog is very informative for me. Thanks for sharing.

nice information that you have shared

i’m found in selecting my ma thesis title ,so i’m going to do my final research after the proposal approved. Your post help me find good title.

I need help. I need a research title for my study about early mobilization of the mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thank you for posting your query on the website. When writing manuscripts, too many scholars neglect the research title. This phrase, along with the abstract, is what people will mostly see and read online. Title research of publications shows that the research paper title does matter a lot. Both bibliometrics and altmetrics tracking of citations are now, for better or worse, used to gauge a paper’s “success” for its author(s) and the journal publishing it. Interesting research topics coupled with good or clever yet accurate research titles can draw more attention to your work from peers and the public alike. You can check through the following search results for titles on similar topics: https://www.google.com/search?q=early+mobilization+of+the+mechanically+ventilated+patients+in+the+icu&rlz=1C1GCEU_enIN907IN907&oq=&aqs=chrome.0.69i59.4920093j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 .

We hope this would be helpful in drafting an attractive title for your research paper.

Please let us know in case of any other queries.

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In case the topic is new research before you’re writing. And then to stand out, you end up being different.and be inclined to highlight yourself.

There are many free directories, and more paid lists.

To be honest your article is informative. I search many site to know about writing but I didn’t get the information I needed. I saw your site and I read it. I got some new information from here. I think some of your tips can be applied to those too! Thank you so very much for such informative and useful content.

Nice and well written content you have shared with us. thanks a lot!

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how to write a scientific paper title

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How to write a good research paper title

“Unread science is lost science .”

how to write a scientific paper title

Credit: Mykyta Dolmatov/Getty

“Unread science is lost science.”

28 July 2020

how to write a scientific paper title

Mykyta Dolmatov/Getty

With the influx of publications brought on by the pandemic, it’s become more challenging than ever for researchers to attract attention to their work.

Understanding which elements of a title will attract readers – or turn them away – has been proven to increase a paper’s citations and Altmetric score .

“In the era of information overload, most students and researchers do not have time to browse the entire text of a paper,” says Patrick Pu , a librarian at the National University of Singapore.

“The title of a paper, together with its abstract, become very important to capture and sustain the attention of readers.”

1. A good title avoids technical language

Since the primary audience of a paper is likely to be researchers working in the same field, using technical language in the title seems to make sense.

But this alienates the wider lay audience, which can bring valuable attention to your work . It can also alienate inexperienced researchers, or those who have recently entered the field.

“A good title does not use unnecessary jargon,” says Elisa De Ranieri , editor-in-chief at the Nature Communications journal (published by Springer Nature, which also publishes Nature Index.) “It communicates the main results in the study in a way that is clear and accessible, ideally to non-specialists or researchers new to the field.”

How-to: When crafting a title, says De Ranieri, write down the main result of the manuscript in a short paragraph. Shorten the text to make it more concise, while still remaining descriptive. Repeat this process until you have a title of fewer than 15 words.

2. A good title is easily searchable

Most readers today are accessing e-journals, which are indexed in scholarly databases such as Scopus and Google Scholar.

“Although these databases usually index the full text of papers, retrieval weightage for ‘Title’ is usually higher than other fields, such as ‘Results’,” Pu explains.

At the National University of Singapore, Pu and his colleagues run information literacy programmes for editors and authors. They give advice for publishing best practice, such as how to identify the most commonly used keywords in literature searches in a given field.

“A professor once told us how he discovered that industry experts were using a different term or keyword to describe his research area,” says Pu.

“He had written a seminal paper that did not include this ‘industry keyword’. He believes his paper, which was highly cited by academics, would have a higher citation count if he had included this keyword in the title. As librarians, we try to highlight this example to our students so that they will consider all possible keywords to use in their searches and paper titles.”

How-to: Authors should speak to an academic librarian at their institution to gain an understanding of keyword and search trends in their field of research. This should inform how the paper title is written.

3. A good title is substantiated by data

Authors should be cautious to not make any claims in the title that can’t be backed up by evidence.

“For instance, if you make a discovery with potential therapeutic relevance, the title should specify whether it was tested or studied in animals or humans/human samples,” says Irene Jarchum , senior editor at the journal Nature Biotechnology (also published by Springer Nature, which publishes the Nature Index.)

Jarchum adds that titles can be contentious because different authors have different views on the use of specific words, such as acronyms, or more fundamentally, what the main message of the title should be.

Some authors may over-interpret the significance of their preliminary findings, and want to reflect this in the title.

How-to: If you know your paper will be contentious within the scientific community, have the data ready to defend your decisions .

4. A good title sparks curiosity

A one-liner that sparks a reader’s interest can be very effective.

“A title has to pique the interest of the person searching for literature in a split-second – enough that they click on the title to read the abstract. Unread science is lost science,” says Christine Mayer , editor-in-chief of the journal Advanced Therapeutics .

Paper titles such as, "White and wonderful? Microplastics prevail in snow from the Alps to the Arctic" ( 2019 Science ), and “Kids these days: Why the youth of today seem lacking” ( 2019 Science Advances ) are good examples of this principle. Both papers have high Altmetric Attention scores, indicating that they have been widely read and discussed online.

How-to: Take note of the characteristics of paper titles that spark your own interest. Keep a record of these and apply the same principles to your own paper titles.

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  • How to Write a Great Title

Title

Maximize search-ability and engage your readers from the very beginning

Your title is the first thing anyone who reads your article is going to see, and for many it will be where they stop reading. Learn how to write a title that helps readers find your article, draws your audience in and sets the stage for your research!

How your title impacts the success of your article

Researchers are busy and there will always be more articles to read than time to read them.  Good titles help readers find your research, and decide whether to keep reading. Search engines use titles to retrieve relevant articles based on users’ keyword searches. Once readers find your article, they’ll use the title as the first filter to decide whether your research is what they’re looking for. A strong and specific title is the first step toward citations, inclusion in meta-analyses, and influencing your field. 

how to write a scientific paper title

What to include in a title

Include the most important information that will signal to your target audience that they should keep reading.

Key information about the study design

Important keywords

What you discovered

Writing tips

Getting the title right can be more difficult than it seems, and researchers refine their writing skills throughout their career. Some journals even help editors to re-write their titles during the publication process! 

how to write a scientific paper title

  • Keep it concise and informative What’s appropriate for titles varies greatly across disciplines. Take a look at some articles published in your field, and check the journal guidelines for character limits. Aim for fewer than 12 words, and check for journal specific word limits.
  • Write for your audience Consider who your primary audience is: are they specialists in your specific field, are they cross-disciplinary, are they non-specialists?
  • Entice the reader Find a way to pique your readers’ interest, give them enough information to keep them reading.
  • Incorporate important keywords Consider what about your article will be most interesting to your audience: Most readers come to an article from a search engine, so take some time and include the important ones in your title!
  • Write in sentence case In scientific writing, titles are given in sentence case. Capitalize only the first word of the text, proper nouns, and genus names. See our examples below.

how to write a scientific paper title

Don’t

  • Write your title as a question In most cases, you shouldn’t need to frame your title as a question. You have the answers, you know what you found. Writing your title as a question might draw your readers in, but it’s more likely to put them off.
  • Sensationalize your research Be honest with yourself about what you truly discovered. A sensationalized or dramatic title might make a few extra people read a bit further into your article, but you don’t want them disappointed when they get to the results.

Examples…

Format: Prevalence of [disease] in [population] in [location]

Example: Prevalence of tuberculosis in homeless women in San Francisco

Format: Risk factors for [condition] among [population] in [location]

Example: Risk factors for preterm births among low-income women in Mexico City

Format (systematic review/meta-analysis): Effectiveness of [treatment] for [disease] in [population] for [outcome] : A systematic review and meta-analysis

Example: Effectiveness of Hepatitis B treatment in HIV-infected adolescents in the prevention of liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Format (clinical trial): [Intervention] improved [symptoms] of [disease] in [population] : A randomized controlled clinical trial

Example: Using a sleep app lessened insomnia in post-menopausal women in southwest United States: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Format  (general molecular studies): Characterization/identification/evaluation of [molecule name] in/from [organism/tissue] (b y [specific biological methods] ) 

Example: Identification of putative Type-I sex pheromone biosynthesis-related genes expressed in the female pheromone gland of Streltzoviella insularis

Format  (general molecular studies): [specific methods/analysis] of organism/tissue reveal insights into [function/role] of [molecule name] in [biological process]  

Example: Transcriptome landscape of Rafflesia cantleyi floral buds reveals insights into the roles of transcription factors and phytohormones in flower development

Format  (software/method papers): [tool/method/software] for [what purpose] in [what research area]

Example: CRISPR-based tools for targeted transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in plants

Tip: How to edit your work

Editing is challenging, especially if you are acting as both a writer and an editor. Read our guidelines for advice on how to refine your work, including useful tips for setting your intentions, re-review, and consultation with colleagues.

  • How to Write an Abstract
  • How to Write Your Methods
  • How to Report Statistics
  • How to Write Discussions and Conclusions
  • How to Edit Your Work

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How to write an effective title and abstract and choose appropriate keywords

Title, Abstract & keywords

Velany Rodrigues

How to write an effective title and abstract and choose appropriate keywords

Key takeaways:

  • Without the title, abstract, and keywords—the key marketing tools for research papers—most papers may never be read or even found by interested readers.
  • Good research paper titles (typically 10–12 words long) use descriptive terms and phrases that accurately highlight the core content of the paper.
  •  The abstract should provide a quick and accurate summary of the paper, to help the reader decide whether the rest of the paper is worth reading.
  • Keywords ensure that your paper is indexed well by databases and search engines, and thus improve the discoverability of your research. Therefore, keywords should be selected after careful consideration.

More often than not, when researchers set about writing a paper, they spend the most time on the "meat" of the article (the Methods, Results, and Discussion sections). Little thought goes into the title and abstract, while keywords get even lesser attention, often being typed out on-the-spot in a journal’s submission system.

Ironically, these three elements—the  title, abstract, and keywords —may well hold the key to publication success.  A negligent or sloppy attitude towards these three vital elements in the research paper format would be almost equivalent to leaving the accessibility of the research paper up to chance and lucky guessing of target words, indirectly making the effort and time expended on the research and publication process almost null and void.

It could be said that the keywords, title, and abstract operate in a system analogous to a chain reaction. Once the keywords have helped people find the research paper and an effective title has successfully lassoed and drawn in the readers’ attention, it is up to the abstract of the research paper to further trigger the readers’ interest and maintain their curiosity. This functional advantage alone serves to make an abstract an indispensable component within the research paper format.

However, formulating the abstract of a research paper can be a tedious task, given that abstracts need to be fairly comprehensive, without giving too much away. This is mainly because if readers get all the details of the research paper in the abstract itself, they might be discouraged from reading the entire article.

how to write a scientific paper title

The title, abstract, and keywords: Why it is important to get them right The  title, abstract, and keywords  play a pivotal role in the communication of research. Without them, most papers may never be read or even found by interested readers 1-4 . Here’s why:

  • Most electronic search engines, databases, or journal websites will use the words found in your title and abstract, and your list of keywords to decide whether and when to display your paper to interested readers. 1,2,5-8 Thus, these 3 elements enable the dissemination of your research; without them, readers would not be able to find or cite your paper.
  • The title and abstract are often the only parts of a paper that are freely available online. 1,9  Hence, once readers find your paper, they will read through the title and abstract to determine whether or not to purchase a full copy of your paper/continue reading. 2-4
  • Finally, the abstract is the first section of your paper that journal editors and reviewers read. While busy journal editors may use the abstract to decide whether to send a paper for peer review or reject it outright, reviewers will form their first impression about your paper on reading it. 10

Given the critical role that these 3 elements play in helping readers access your research, we offer a set of guidelines (compiled from instructions and resources on journals’ websites and academic writing guidelines, listed in the references) on writing effective titles and abstracts and choosing the right keywords. 

How to write a good title for a research paper Journal websites and search engines use the words in research paper titles to categorize and display articles to interested readers, while readers use the title as the first step to determining whether or not to read an article. This is why it is important to know how to  write a good title for a research paper . Good research paper titles (typically 10–12 words long) 6,7  use descriptive terms and phrases that accurately highlight the core content of the paper (e.g., the species studied, the literary work evaluated, or the technology discussed). 1,5  

how to write a scientific paper title

How to write a research paper abstract The abstract should work like a marketing tool. 4,11 It should help the reader decide “whether there is something in the body of the paper worth reading” 10  by providing a quick and accurate summary of the entire paper, 2,3  explaining why the research was conducted, what the aims were, how these were met, and what the main findings were. 1,2,6-8,12   Types of abstracts Generally between 100 and 300 words in length, 1,3,4,12 abstracts are of different types:  descriptive, informative, and structured. 

  • Descriptive abstracts, usually used in the social sciences and humanities, do not give specific information about methods and results. 13,14
  • Informative abstracts are commonly used in the sciences and present information on the background, aim, methods, results, and conclusions. 13,14
  • Structured abstracts are essentially informative abstracts divided into a series of headings (e.g., Objective, Method, Results, Conclusion) 9,15,16 and are typically found in medical literature and clinical trial reports.

In this section, we focus on how to write a research paper abstract that is concise and informative, as such abstracts are more commonly used in scientific literature. You can follow the same strategy to write a structured abstract; just introduce headings based on the journal guidelines.

Here are some steps (with examples) you can follow to write an effective title: 

1. Answer the questions: What is my paper about? What techniques/ designs were used? Who/what is studied? What were the results?

  • My paper studies whether X therapy improves the cognitive function of patients suffering from dementia.
  • It was a randomized trial.
  • I studied 40 cases from six cities in Japan.
  • There was an improvement in the cognitive function of patients.

2. Use your answers to list key words.

  • Randomized trial
  • 6 Japanese cities
  • Improved cognitive function

3. Build a sentence with these key words: This study is a randomized trial that investigates whether X therapy improved cognitive function in 40 dementia patients from 6 cities in Japan; it reports improved cognitive function. (28 words)

4. Delete all unnecessary words (e.g., study of, investigates) and repetitive words; link the remaining.  This study is a  randomized trial  that investigates whether  X therapy improved cognitive function in 40 dementia patients from 6 cities in Japan;  it reports improved cognitive function Randomized trial of X therapy for improving cognitive function in 40 dementia patients from 6 cities in Japan (18 words)

5. Delete non-essential information and reword. Randomized trial  of  X therapy  for improving  cognitive function in 40 dementia patients  from 6 cities in Japan reports improved cognitive function

Randomized trial of X therapy for improving cognitive function in 40 dementia patients (13 words) OR (reworded with subtitle and a focus on the results)X therapy improves cognitive function in 40 dementia patients: A randomized trial (12 words)

  • Begin writing the abstract after you have finished writing your paper.
  • First answer the questions “What problem are you trying to solve?” and “What motivated you to do so?” by picking out the major objectives/hypotheses and conclusions from your Introduction and Conclusion sections.
  • Next, answer the question "How did you go about achieving your objective?" by selecting key sentences and phrases from your Methods section.
  • Now, reveal your findings by listing the major results from your Results section.
  • Finally, answer the question "What are the implications of your findings?"
  • Arrange the sentences and phrases selected in steps  2, 3, 4,  and  5  into a single paragraph in the following sequence: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
  • Information not present in the paper
  • Figures and tables
  • Abbreviations
  • Literature review or reference citations
  • Now, link your sentences.
  • Ensure that the paragraph is written in the past tense 1,7,17  and check that the information flows well, preferably in the following order: purpose, basic study design/techniques used, major findings, conclusions, and implications.
  • Contains information that is consistent with that presented in the paper.
  • Meets the guidelines of the targeted journal (word limit, type of abstract, etc.)
  • Does not contain typographical errors as these may lead referees and editors to “conclude that the paper is bad and should be rejected.” 10

How to choose appropriate keywords in a research paper Journals, search engines, and indexing and abstracting services classify papers using keywords. 2,4,5,7  Thus, an accurate list of keywords will ensure correct indexing and help showcase your research to interested groups. 2  This in turn will increase the chances of your paper being cited. 3 Here’s how you can go about choosing the right keywords for your paper : 3,5,7,18

  • Read through your paper and list down the terms/phrases that are used repeatedly in the text.
  • Ensure that this list includes all your main key terms/phrases and a few additional key phrases.
  • Include variants of a term/phrase (e.g., kidney and renal), drug names, procedures, etc.
  • Include common abbreviations of terms (e.g., HIV).
  • Now, refer to a common vocabulary/term list or indexing standard in your discipline (e.g., GeoRef, ERIC Thesaurus, PsycInfo, ChemWeb, BIOSIS Search Guide, MeSH Thesaurus) and ensure that the terms you have used match those used in these resources.
  • Finally, before you submit your article, type your keywords into a search engine and check if the results that show up match the subject of your paper. This will help you determine whether the keywords in your research paper are appropriate for the topic of your article.

Conclusion While it may be challenging to write effective titles and abstracts and to choose appropriate keywords, there is no denying the fact that it is definitely worth putting in extra time to get these right. After all, these 3 smallest segments of your paper have the potential to significantly impact your chances of getting published, read, and cited. 

You might find this handbook helpful: How and how not to title your research paper - A handbook for authors

You might also find the following articles helpful:

3 Basic tips on writing a good research paper title

  • Why do journals ask for keywords?

A 10-step guide to make your research paper abstract more effective

  • Tips on effective use of tables and figures in research papers

Bibliography  

1. Department of Biology, Bates College. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWsections.html .  

2. Day R and GastelB. How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 6thEdition. Westport, Connecticut:Greenwood Press, 2006.  

3. Taylor & Francis Author Services. Writing your article. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/category/writing-your-paper/ .

4. Koopman P. How to Write an Abstract. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/essays/abstract.html .  

5. SAGE Publications. Help Readers Find Your Article. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journalgateway/findArticle.htm .   

6. Bem DJ. Writing the empirical journal article. In MP Zanna& JM Darley (Eds.),  The Complete Academic: A Practical Guide for the Beginning Social Scientist  (pp. 171-201). New York: Random House, 1987.  

7. Fathalla M and Fathalla M. A Practical Guide for Health Researchers. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://www.emro.who.int/dsaf/dsa237.pdf .  

8. Coghill A and Garson L (Eds.).Scientific Papers. In A Coghill& L Garson (Eds.),  The ACS Style Guide , 3rdEdition (pp. 20–21).New York: Oxford University Press, 2006T  

9. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals: Writing and editing for biomedical publication [Accessed: June 14, 2011] Available from:  http://www.ICMJE.org .  

10. SatyanarayanaK.  How to Write a Research Paper . Proceedings of11th Workshop on Medical Informatics & CME on Biomedical Communication , 2008; 44–48.  

11. Rhodes W. Guest Editorial: The Abstract as a Marketing Tool.  Optical Engineering , 2010; 49:7.   

12. Nadim A.How to Write a Scientific Paper?  Ain Shams Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology , 2005; 2:256–258.  

13. The University of Adelaide. Writing an Abstract. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/all/learning_guides/learningGuide_writingAnAbstract.pdf .  

14. The Writing Center, University of North Carolina. Abstracts. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/abstracts/ .   

15. US National Library of Medicine. Structured Abstracts. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/policy/structured_abstracts.html .  

16. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. How to Write an Abstract. [Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/guides/write/abstracts.htm .  

17. Cordova S. How to Write a Scientific Paper.[Accessed: July 20, 2011] Available from:  http://www.nmas.org/JAhowto.html .  

18. Council of Science Editors. Journal Style and Format. In Council of Science Editors(Eds.), Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers ,7th Edition (p. 460). Reston, VA: Rockefeller University Press, 2006.

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COMMENTS

  1. TITLE

    Use verbs instead of abstract nouns Avoid abbrev. in the title From: How to Write and Illustrate a Scientific Paper (2008) Last Updated: Aug 4, 2023 9:33 AM https://guides.lib.uci.edu/scientificwriting Print Page Discussion of how to understand and write different sections of a scientific paper.

  2. How to write a good research paper title

    1. A good title avoids technical language Since the primary audience of a paper is likely to be researchers working in the same field, using technical language in the title seems to make...

  3. How to Write a Great Title

    In scientific writing, titles are given in sentence case. Capitalize only the first word of the text, proper nouns, and genus names. See our examples below. Don’t Write your title as a question In most cases, you shouldn’t need to frame your title as a question. You have the answers, you know what you found.

  4. How to write an effective title and abstract and choose

    Good research paper titles (typically 10–12 words long)6,7 use descriptive terms and phrases that accurately highlight the core content of the paper (e.g., the species studied, the literary work evaluated, or the technology discussed).1,5 Choosing between tables, figures, and text for your research data