Article titles play a major role in the way an article is read. They can be the deciding factor for whether a reader decides to read a paper or not, so it’s important that the title you choose is concise, clear and not overly complex.
When it comes to shortening an article title, there are several ways to go about the task. One of the most effective is to use a tool such as the MLA formatter to help you create a concise, accurate title. Then, you can do the rest of the job yourself, adjusting and correcting as needed, to make sure that the finished product is on par with the work of your peers.
Running Titles
Many journals require that authors provide a running title at the top of each published page. This shortened form of the main title is designed to guide readers as they navigate the journal, shuffle loose printed pages or toggle between papers in PDF form.
The most common requirement for these titles is that they be no more than 50-60 characters long, including spaces, and must contain a number of relevant elements to achieve the most effective results. Some of these elements include a title, an author citation (if any), a publication date, a volume and an issue number.
Most importantly, a well-crafted running title is the most likely to be referred to and incorporated into other sections of a paper, such as an abstract or a table of contents. In addition, it can be used in an in-text citation when appropriate to give the reader a hint about what the source is about, without detracting from the text itself.
