sxcdxcfxdfdfcddcvszj cbgvcgffcfsbdcg gdscbdhxcnsnhcndncnjscnjsj s dcsjkcnjksdhajdsucfhbduhvcd bbvcudbvchdbvcjsdnvkjdncvdmncsncsMatch search queries so people will find your paper (and cite it).
#4 sticks out doesn’t it? It seems obvious that #1 would be the most important objective for a title. But as search and electronic publishing becomes more and more important in research I’ve come to believe that the last point (search) may indeed be the most important. Think of it as SEO (search engine optimization) for your research vision.
The importance of research vision SEO
I’m sorry to say that I’ve attended more than one talk at an important international conference where someone else presented a paper exactly describing an idea I had published earlier. Whose fault is that? Well it was my fault. When I dug up my old paper I realized that the particular idea wasn’t reflected in the paper title at all. It was “buried” in the content.
Most people begin a research project with a comprehensive review of the literature. It is crucially important that they find your paper when they’re at the beginning of their research/writing cycle. Assuming your work is good, if they find your paper early on, you’ll help them avoid reproducing your work, and perhaps encourage them to make use of your ideas as they go forward. And of course you’d like them to cite your paper as well.
A well crafted title is the best way to accomplish this goal.
How does one accomplish this with a title? The most important thing to realize is that long titles are OK. Don’t prioritize a short, snappy title at the expense of a full description. Make sure that your important claims are reflected in the title. Also, be sure to include the keywords that define the niche your paper occupies. Otherwise folks won’t find it.
Example: Suppose you’re a robotics researcher, and you’ve discovered that