How to write a title

We have compiled a few tips from Editor-in-Chief Prof. Reekers for how to write a good manuscript title in order to help authors keep the title concise, modest, and to avoid giving away all the details of the paper to readers before they even get to the abstract.

The title is not a narrative.

The title of a paper should be short and to the point. It should attract readers and should also appear interesting in literature searches. The title is a short advertisement for the content. However, the title should not be a summary of the paper. It should also not disclose the results of what has been done, as that would discourage the readers from actually starting to read the paper. Also, a title should not be pompous by telling the readers that the treatment was successful or new or the first ever.

Would you buy a book with the title: How John B. successfully got away with the bank robbery by misleading the police with false laser cameras?

With such a title there is no need to read the book anymore!

How John B. successfully got away with the bank robbery by misleading the police with false laser cameras.

New Title: The Bank Robbery of John B.

Tips:
- Try to stay within a max of 10 words
- Avoid mentioning outcomes
- Avoid mentioning specific techniques
- Avoid trade names
- Avoid mentioning words like new, successful, first, good