Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles Course Workbook

Checklists for Writing a Scientific Manuscript 14- 13

How to Write the Title

The purpose of the title is to summarize the essence of the article concisely and definitively in 1 phrase or sentence so that the paper can be easily found in Medline title searches and those who read the title are persuaded to read the entire paper. To write an effective title:

Name the main factors studied.

▪ Name the population (or animal, plant, or cell line) studied, if applicable.

▪ For clinical studies, identify the type of study, such as “randomized controlled trial.”

▪ Consider stating your study’s major findings.

Make your title specific.

▪ Start the title with a word or term that represents the most important aspect of the study.

▪ Avoid uninformative phrases such as “A Study of,” “A Report of,” “The Treatment of,” “The Role of,” or “The Effects of” in the title and in the subtitle.

Use subtitles sparingly.

▪ Use approved generic or common nonproprietary names rather than trade names or chemical names for drugs and chemicals.

▪ Always check the author instructions of the target journal for specific guidelines on titles.

▪ Avoid using abbreviations and acronyms.

Keep punctuation to a minimum.

Avoid using questions for titles.

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