Writing Titles

Whether you are writing a literary analysis, a historical study,  a psychological case study, or any other kind of writing, you should always remember to give it a title.  Below are lists of some common Do's and Don'ts (though phrased more pleasantly) of title design: 
 

Strive to:

  • be creative if the occasion allows it! Play with words, find interesting quotes from the text, surprise your reader through tone, juxtaposition, analogy, etc.  In other words, get the reader's attention and make him/her want to read your paper!  Example: "The Art of the Nap," "The Loneliness of the Military Historian," or "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Elvis."
  • be informative. The title should always provide a clear idea of what the paper is about, what its main ideas are, and what it's working with.  Example: "Digital Networks and Citizenship," "The Golden Age of the Broadway Musical."
  • join attention-getting and informative parts of your title with a : if necessary. Example: "The Invisible Discourse of the Law: Reflections on Legal Literacy and General Education."
  • remember to change the title if the focus of your paper changes.
  • write your title last.

Know you've had better days if you: 

  • forget the title.
  • merely use the title of the work you are writing about, or the topic by itself. Example: 'Robert Frost's "The Silken Tent'" or "Gulliver's Character."
  • don't put your own title in quotations marks. Save quotation marks for quoting someone else's title, such as in this hand-out!
  • don't call your paper the format of the paper, such as "Final Paper" or "Literary Analysis" or "Education Grant Proposal."
  • avoid sweeping titles like "Humankind's Place in Nature" or "The History of Politics." 

 
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