Art of drafting a title: Balancing the allure and accuracy

Dear Editor,

In the world of publications, a title serves as a crucial gateway. Much like an inviting door hints at a welcoming interior, a well-crafted title engages readers, acting as a promotional beacon for the work. In the realm of article searches, the publication title is the initial encounter.[1] Surprisingly, of those who read the title, only a small fraction go on to read the entire paper. Given this, crafting appealing titles becomes vital, acting as a catalyst to captivate and entice readers into exploring the research. A title's primary role is to succinctly convey the manuscript's core message. It involves strategically placing the manuscript's central concept, summarising findings with keywords in a concise sentence, refining by eliminating unnecessary words and continuously reviewing and seeking feedback for optimal impact.[2]

It was observed that there is variability associated with the titles of original articles in this journal. The concerns in the titles relate to study design, subjects, comparator, clarity, and coherence, with the information on the comparative arm most often missing.[3,4,5,6,7,8,9]

Drafting an intervention trial title should encompass the intervention description, outcome assessment, study population details, specific investigated condition and the employed study design. Vagueness, especially concerning the study's subjects, should be avoided to prevent reader disappointment. The use of results in the title depends upon the nature of results and the authors themselves. Some argue that highlighting prominent effects attract readers, while others believe such disclosure might discourage deeper engagement.

A well-constructed title aims to capture potential readers and provide future indexing references by embedding keywords.[10] This dual role enhances reader engagement and assists indexing agencies.[11] When drafting a title, it's important to strike a balance between engaging content and simplicity. Lengthy titles can deter readers due to their complexity, while overly short titles may be inaccurate or misleading.

Though question-titled articles attract more initial downloads due to their suggestive nature, they often receive fewer citations and have the potential for misrepresentation, leading to possible retractions.[12] Accuracy, clarity, intrigue, conciseness, precision, uniqueness and honesty are essential attributes guiding readers effectively to engage with the published work. Another important aspect is to avoid ambiguous abbreviations and refraining from using all capital letters in titles to maintain readability.

To summarise, a title will often be the first thing readers encounter, so it is essential to make a positive impression and accurately convey the significance of your research. A well-crafted title can significantly enhance the visibility and impact of the research. Considering the target journal's style and seeking feedback and refinement, one can create a captivating and informative title that sets the study apart.

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Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.