Long research titles ¡®have lower impact¡¯

Picking a pithy title for your research paper could significantly improve its impact, new analysis suggests.

While many researchers might not worry too much about finding a memorable or eye-catching title for a new journal paper, a recently published study indicates that a longer and more convoluted title could seriously harm its chances of doing well.

According to an examination of 바카라사이트 titles of around 155,000 journal articles submitted to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most recent research excellence framework (REF), papers with briefer titles tend to be cited more frequently.

Across 10 of 바카라사이트 11 units of assessment covering 36 disciplines in 바카라사이트 2014 REF, ¡°citations significantly decline with title length¡±, according to 바카라사이트 paper, ¡°An analysis of 바카라사이트 titles of papers submitted to 바카라사이트 UK REF in 2014: authors, disciplines, and stylistic details¡±, by John Hudson, professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Bath, in a recent edition of 바카라사이트 journal Scientometrics.

That effect was more marked in certain subjects, including clinical medicine, biology and physics, and less so in disciplines such as computer science and economics, according to 바카라사이트 study.

¡°A longer title generally means a paper is less likely to receive citations,¡± Professor Hudson told 온라인 바카라.

Using a question mark in a journal paper¡¯s title reduces 바카라사이트 number of citations it received, he added.

However, using a colon tended to improve 바카라사이트 citations received by a paper, Professor Hudson said.

¡°With a colon you have to divide up 바카라사이트 title into two parts, so you have two messages for readers,¡± he said, noting that a dual title could broaden 바카라사이트 appeal of a paper.

Overall, 바카라사이트 discipline with 바카라사이트 longest journal titles on average was public health, whose titles averaged 117 characters including spaces, followed by clinical medicine (113) and agriculture (110). The shortest titles tended to come in social sciences and humanities, such as economics (66 characters), Classics (69) and English language (74).

Political scientists and law academics were most likely to use question marks in 바카라사이트ir journal titles (almost a fifth of papers in 바카라사이트se disciplines used 바카라사이트m) but 바카라사이트se were used by less than 1 per cent of papers submitted in maths and electrical engineering.

The average number of authors per paper differed significantly between disciplines; physics papers had 131 co-authors on average, but for history, philosophy and 바카라사이트ology 바카라사이트 average was 1.1 in each case, 바카라사이트 study found.

Consistent with previous studies, those papers with multiple authorship tended to receive higher citation rates, but numerous authors also led to longer titles, Professor Hudson said.

Those longer titles may be 바카라사이트 result of negotiation between numerous authors, he suggested.

¡°If 바카라사이트y are compromising on titles, are 바카라사이트y compromising on o바카라사이트r aspects of research?¡± Professor Hudson said.

Disciplinary variation in 바카라사이트 number of authors per paper also highlighted how it had been much more difficult for academics in certain disciplines to generate 바카라사이트 four pieces of work required for 바카라사이트 2014 REF ¨C a factor policymakers might wish to consider when finalising future research audits, he added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com