DOI: 10.1111/hir.12049

Editorial What makes a good title? Abstract The chances are the first thing you when you set out to write an article is the title. But what factors transform a mediocre title into a good title? Firstly, it should be both informative and specific, using words or phrases likely to be used when searching for information, for example ‘nurse education’ rather than simply ‘nurse’. Secondly, it should be concise yet convey the main ideas clearly; articles with short titles reporting study findings have been found to attract higher numbers of viewing and citations. Thirdly, provide details of the study design to assist the reader in making an informed choice about the type of project your article is reporting. In taking these small steps when developing your title, your title can present a more concise, retrievable and clear articulation of your article. Keywords: Publishers and publishing, Writing What’s the first thing you write when you set out to write an article? The chances are that it is a title, to get you over the hurdle of the blank page and having a strong ‘working title’ can help you stay focused during the writing process. But titles are not only about getting started and it is important to consider the wider purpose of a title, because choosing the right title can be crucial on a number of levels. A well-written title can help someone searching for an article on your topic area to find your paper and provides a clear statement to the reader of what to expect. So what makes a good title? First and foremost, the title should be informative. In her analysis of article titles, Cynthia Whissel1 notes that while the use of emotive or abstract language varies over time, there has been a consistent trend towards more concrete and definitive titles since the mid1980s. This trend could partly be explained by the rise of Internet searches to locate the literature, with authors considering the likely words or phrases used to identify papers on their subject. Being specific in your title can aid its retrieval so,

for example, instead of searching simply for papers on ‘education’ or ‘libraries’, someone is more likely to search for a particular type of education or library, for example ‘nurse education’ or ‘health libraries’, something which can easily be reflected in your article’s title. Secondly, be concise. Most journals will have a word or character limit for titles and may well use a shortened version of the title as a heading across all pages of the article, so conveying a shortened yet comprehensive version of the main ideas discussed clearly and briefly is imperative. Interestingly, a recent study of publication metrics also found that articles with short titles, particularly those describing results, are associated with higher numbers of views and citations.2 Thirdly, where appropriate, give details of the research design. As noted above, a key role for a title is to be informative while being concise, and colons can assist in this process. For example, the title ‘ Cost-effective ways of delivering enquiry services: a rapid review’3 immediately informs the reader that rather than being merely a discursive piece, this article is a synthesis of published evidence thereby adding potential value and significance for someone seeking evidence on how to develop their own enquiry service. Depending on the discipline, Hartley has also reported that some groups of readers actually prefer titles with colons to titles without them.4 While we may consider some or even all of these features when we first put pen to paper, ideas tend to evolve during the writing process, so the title you started with may not be the one you end up submitting with your article. When you have finished writing, just like the abstract, ensure that the title you are using still reflects the core message of your writing and, if it does not, change it! And bear in mind that titles are usually read in conjunction with an abstract so it is important that they are complementary and convey the same point. This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people forget this simple fact.

© 2013 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2013 Health Libraries Group Health Information & Libraries Journal, 30, pp. 259–260

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In taking these small steps when developing your title, your title can present a more concise, retrievable and clear articulation of your article. Maria J. Grant Editor, Health Information and Libraries Journal Email: [email protected] Twitter: @MariaJGrant @HILJnl #hilj Facebook: http://on.fb.me/ovBuiM http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hilj

References 1 Whissell, C. The trend towards more attractive and informative titles: American Psychologist 1946–2010. Psychological Reports 2012, 110, 427–44. 2 Paiva, C. E., Lima, J. P. & Paiva, B. S. Articles with short titles describing the results are cited more often. Clinics 2012, 67, 509–13. 3 Sutton, A. & Grant, M. J. Cost-effective ways of delivering enquiry services: a rapid review. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2011, 28, 249–63. 4 Hartley, J. Planning that title: practices and preferences for titles with colons in academic articles. Library & Information Science Research 2007, 29, 553–568.

In this issue… In this issue of the Health Information and Libraries Journal, author(s) investigate the information seeking behaviour1–2 and satisfaction3 of public1 and healthcare workers,2 consider enhanced methods of data collection4 and tools to accelerate the adoption of research into practice.5 The delays in getting research into practice are well known, and Mairs et al. seek to expedite the transition by conducting a review of online technologies available to facilitate health-related communication and knowledge translation, identifying great potential in the diversity of tools (wikis, forums, blogs, virtual communities of practice and conferencing technology) available.5 Acknowledging that speed is important in dissemination, the quality of that evidence is essential and Urquhart et al., using the National Minimum Dataset for Social Care (NMDS-SC) as an example, discuss a novel wideranging bibliometric approach in which interviews are conducted with key informants to provide a more rounded picture of the impact of a data set.4

With access to information in mind, AustvollDahlgren et al. describes the development of a structured set of tools seeking to improve health literacy skills of the general public1, while the existing information seeking behaviour of students and physicians in low and middle income countries are explored by Gavino et al.2 They present the findings of their survey in relation to three broad areas: therapy and management questions (PubMed), diagnostic dilemmas (a colleague) and medication queries (a formulary). With the need to positively demonstrate the impact of our services, Mairaj et al.3 round up this years final manuscript by considering the eternal issue of user satisfaction with a teaching hospital library service. Remember that you can receive updates on all forthcoming papers published in the Health Information and Libraries Journal, together with news items and a weekly writing tip, via the @HILJnl twitter account and my Facebook account at http:// on.fb.me/ovBuiM Maria J. Grant Editor, Health Information and Libraries Journal Email: [email protected] Twitter: @MariaJGrant @HILJnl #hilj Facebook: http://on.fb.me/ovBuiM http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hilj

References 1 Austvoll-Dahlgren, A., Danielsen, S., Opheim, E., Bjorndal, A., Reinar, L. M., Flottorp, S. A., Oxman, A. D. & Helseth, S. Development of a complex intervention to improve health literacy skills. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2013, 30, 278–293. 2 Gavino, A., Ho, B. L., Wee, P. A., Marcelo, A. & Fontelo, P. Information-seeking trends of medical professionals and students from middle- income countries: a focus on the Philippines. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2013, 30, 303–317. 3 Mairaj, M. I. & Mirza, M. N. Library services and user satisfaction in developing countries: a case study. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2013, 30, 318–326. 4 Urquhart, C. & Dunn, S. A bibliometric approach demonstrates the impact of a social care data set on research and policy. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2013, 30, 294–302. 5 Mairs, K., McNeil, H., McLeod, J., Prorok, J. & Stolee, P. Online strategies for facilitate health-related knowledge transfer: a systematic search and research. Health Information and Libraries Journal 2013, 30, 261–277.

© 2013 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2013 Health Libraries Group Health Information & Libraries Journal, 30, pp. 259–260

What makes a good title?

The chances are the first thing you when you set out to write an article is the title. But what factors transform a mediocre title into a good title? ...
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