Many students find it complicated to write academic papers, especially when it comes to generating good titles for essays. And it is easy to understand: you are tired of the topic and simply want to complete the work. But you should remember one important thing: the title is the first thing a professor or your reader will see. And if it is boring or simply not interesting enough, that sets the tone for the entire writing. As for good essay titles, they usually make the professor or any other reader sit up and take notice. Besides, selecting a title, which forces people to read your paper, also gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, wisdom, and writing skills. This is especially important for freelance writers and bloggers whose success depends on the number of people who open and read their articles and essays.
Below, you will find some interesting ideas on how to come up with a title. But first, let’s find out what are the most important points which make a heading stand out. Here they are:
- It provides the summary of the main topic of an essay.
- It captures the attention of the reader.
- It makes the essay to stand out from the crowd.
Also, if you are questioning how to write titles, it is useful to know the qualities of a good title. Here they are:
- Eye-catching. Would you like to read a paper with the boring title or with the one that grabs attention immediately?
- Credible. Sometimes, students and bloggers try to make their headlines eye-catching and create deceitful titles. Please remember that your professor will probably become very angry with a title that does not deliver.
- Short. Whenever it is possible, you should make the title brief. Long headlines are typically confusing and do not show your skills for concise writing.
- Easy to read. Please think well of how to make a title easily readable. No one likes difficult-to-understand headings, not even your professor.
- Active voice. If there are verbs in your title, they should be in active voice, rather than in passive.
How to Title an Essay after It Is Written
It seems logical to write the title first and then work on your paper. However, if you do the opposite, you can benefit much more when brainstorming on how to title an essay. Actually, most authors do not start with the title. Sure, you may have a certain working heading in mind which allows you to stay concentrated, develop an argument, etc. But, when you write your paper first, you will get a clear idea what to use in the essay heading. As you write the paper and then reread it, you will know how to write a title in a way that can intrigue the readers.
How to Title a Research Paper: Use Your Thesis
If you know how to title a research paper properly, your readers get the reason for reading your paper. The good option is to look for an idea in your thesis statement, which you have already written in the introductory part of an essay.
Consider the Tone of the Paper
The tone of the paper must be considered in the process of creating the research paper title. If you are writing on some serious topic, your heading should not be facetious or foolish. If it is a personal statement, you can come up with a witty yet intelligent headline. Remember that the tone of a paper and its heading always have to match. When you think of how to title a paper, always keep in mind that in even in witty headings, jargon and abbreviations should be avoided. Both jargon and abbreviations do not work, instead, it can repel your reader and force him or her to the next essay or article.
Use Appropriate Words
When brainstorming research paper titles, some students do not know where to start, while others do not know where to stop. A good title should not contain too fancy word structures without any sense. It is important to express the essay’s content in a title clearly. Use several keywords as triggers which will grab your readers’ attention and make them want to continue reading.
Sum up Your Paper in Three Words
Another good tip on how to write a title page is to sum up either the whole paper or just thesis in three words which you can then use for generating a title.
Keep It Simple
A creative title still should be clear and brief. The main function of a headline is naming the paper. Therefore, you do not have to overreach and tell the entire story in the headline. Try to use a couple of words to create a catchy title, which will help your reader understand what an essay is about, and that is enough.
Some More Tips on Creating a Title
- Try to use a certain sentence from the draft as a heading.
- Or, conversely, come up with something entirely different.
- Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How questions are always working good in college essays titles. Or, maybe, you will brainstorm other great question trick.
- Steal or rewrite any well-known book or movie clever title, which fits your paper. You can also pretend you are Yoda and twist the words in the title. The social media titles for essays also work well.
Generating a title for an essay is the process which requires time. You have to compress the topic of the paper into a short, simple, but accurate and catchy phrase.