The goal of an essay's title is to tell the reader what the essay will be about, and spark some interest. You can test this out when you are conducting your own research for an essay by asking yourself: What role does the title play in the articles I am reading?
Just like how your essay will go through a few iterations, so will your title. It can help to think of creating a title as having two main steps:
Early in your research process, create a working title. This will help you refine and focus on the topic of your paper throughout the research and writing process. Having a working title to refer back to can also help you orient yourself with your main purpose as you conduct your research and start writing.
Before you hand in your assignment, review your working title and make adjustments. For research or academic papers, your ideal title will be both interesting and descriptive.
An Exhibition: Graphic Design in Claire Harris' "Backstage at the Glenbow Museum, Calgary"
Many academic titles also include subtitles that typically come after the main title and a colon (:). Subtitles are intended for additional clarification or content and are useful in qualifying your research further.
-Examples from Sacred Heart University Library libguide
Titles serve a few functions. One is to generate interest or curiosity in your reader so that they read your paper. Unlike the title of a film or novel, however, an essay title also serves to inform the reader. An effective essay title should indicate to your reader:
Tips for writing a great title from the University of Manitoba Academic Learning Centre
Tips for writing an effective title from the Center for Writing, University of Minnesota
Some of the content of this guide was modelled after guides originally created by the Center for Writing at the University of Minnesota and the Sacred Heart University Library. Content has been adapted for the NWP Learning Commons in November 2020.
All icons on these pages are from The Noun Project. See individual icons for creator attribution.