Tips on writing paper titles

Academic titles usually have three parts:

1. A catchy "hook".
2. Topic keywords – the “what” of the paper.
3. Focus keywords - The "where/when" of the paper.

A good title has several characteristics:

•    Creates a positive impression and stimulates reader interest.
•    Retrievable via appropriate key words.
•    Uses current nomenclature of the field.
•    Indicates subject and scope with some accuracy.
•    Identifies key variables, both dependent and independent.
•    Suggests a relationship between variables which supports the major hypothesis
•    Is limited to 15 to 20 substantive words
•    Does not include "study of," "analysis of" or similar constructions.
•    Has a subtitle to explain or provide context. This is especially important if the main title is literary, provocative, or imaginative. Often, the subtitle will include scope qualifiers.
Sources:

• How to write academic style titles
• Writing in Science - RISE