Your thesis title is the first part of your thesis anybody will read. It may also be the only part of your thesis they read—that’s a feature, not a bug. An effective thesis title previews your paper and helps prospective readers decide whether it’s relevant to their research.
What is a thesis title?
A thesis title is the title of a thesis paper. Typically about as long as a sentence, a thesis title summarizes the paper and generates reader interest, making them want to continue reading.
Students typically write thesis papers in the final semester of their master’s program (and in some cases, their bachelor’s program). The thesis paper is a culmination of the student’s work during their program. It is a research paper that discusses the individual’s research, usually in greater depth and detail than a standard research paper.
A thesis title is not the same as a thesis statement. While they share similarities—both are a synopsis of your research paper—they are two distinct parts of your work.
In any research paper or academic essay, the thesis statement is the sentence or two that clearly express your writing’s main idea. It is just one of the components that come together to form a full research paper, like the abstract, thesis acknowledgement, and bibliography.
The purpose of a thesis title
A thesis title is more than just the title of a thesis paper. It’s a concise summary of the paper that acts as its preview. To entice people to continue reading the paper, it should answer the following questions:
- What is the paper about?
- How did its author conduct the research?
- Who was the subject of the research?
- What did the researcher find through their work?
Regarding the last point, a thesis title doesn’t have to explicitly state the researcher’s findings, but mentions these findings broadly. For example, a thesis paper about self-reported snacking and social media use could be titled Snacking Drives Scrolling: The Correlation Between Snacking and Social Media Use in Young Adults.
It’s important that a thesis title answers these questions because, in the future, it may become a source that other students and researchers can consult when writing their own papers. They may come across it in a database or academic journal, where they might pass it over if the title is vague or inaccurate.
Components of an effective thesis title
A strong thesis title is:
- Clear
- Accurate
- Brief
That’s because it needs to:
- Accurately describe the paper
- Communicate the paper’s tone
- Engage potential readers
And it needs to do all this in about 10 to 15 words.
How to write a thesis title
Start with a working title
You don’t need to choose a title before you start writing, but it can be helpful to have a working title. This is the “first draft” title of your work, which you’ll likely determine as you conduct your research.
When you’re writing, a working title can help you keep your writing focused and determine appropriate sections to include. Don’t overthink your working title; you will most likely change it after completing your paper.
Reflect your research in the title
Many thesis titles state the kind of research their author conducted. If it helps to accurately summarize your paper, include this information. You can do this by using keywords related to your topic and research methods.
Achieve clarity and specificity
Your thesis paper is unique. A title that accurately depicts its unique content makes it stand out among similar works. However, this comes with a caveat. Be as specific as possible without relying on complex jargon. Using non-specialized language in the title will help your work reach wider audiences, such as academics outside your field.
Consider searchability and SEO
Potential readers will likely find your work through a library database or an advanced search engine like Google Scholar. To ensure that people looking for papers on your topic find and read your paper, include keywords in your thesis title. Keywords are clear, explicit words that describe your subject. For example, if your paper is about academic achievement in middle-school-aged girls, use this exact phrasing in your title.
Seek feedback and revise the title
Great writing is often the result of collaboration. Ask colleagues and classmates for feedback on different titles you’re considering to help you determine the best title for your paper.
Common thesis title mistakes to avoid
Capitalize your thesis title according to the style guide you followed in your paper. Capitalization that’s inconsistent with your style guide can undermine your work by looking like an oversight. Similarly, follow your style guide’s rules for quotation marks and other punctuation. APA format has different rules from MLA and Chicago style.
However, don’t include a period at the end of your title. Even if the title could be a declarative sentence, it is not a declarative sentence. Only end your thesis title with a punctuation mark if it is a question, in which case you would end it with a question mark.
Avoid unnecessary jargon in your thesis title. Although the individuals reading it are likely to be your instructor and peers, jargon can make your paper’s title unnecessarily long and awkward. Stick with straightforward language that accurately summarizes your paper.
Don’t be ambiguous. Use the most specific words available for the concepts you need to express in your thesis title, as these will help prospective readers decide whether to continue reading.
Real-life examples of effective thesis titles
It can be helpful to familiarize yourself with other thesis titles to find inspiration for yours. Take a look at these 10 thesis title examples from Columbia University:
- How Sovereign Credit Rating Changes Impact Private Investment (2022)
- Exploring Key Predictors of Subsequent IPO Performance in the United States Between 2016–2021 (2022)
- Overeducation: The Effects of the Great Recession on the Labor Market (2021)
- Exploring the Experiences of People Living With HIV in the United States: Modelling Muscle Ache/Pain and Medicaid Expansion (2017)
- An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure: An Algorithm Using Non-Health Indicators to Predict Health Risks of an Individual (2017)
- How the Presidential Election in 2016 Affects the Stock Market – a Twitter Sentiment Analysis Perspective (2016)
- Evaluating the Impact of Self-Perceptions of Creativity and Demographic Factors on Arts Participation: Evidence From the United States (2021)
- An Empirical Research for Studying the Influence of Star Popularity on the Box Office of Movies (2022)
- Couple Dissolution Between Couples Who Meet Offline Versus Couples Who Meet Online (2021)
- Which Yelp Reviews Will Be Voted Useful? Predicting the Number of Useful Votes Yelp Reviews Will Get Using Machine Learning Algorithms (2014)
Key takeaways
When writing your thesis title, consider the characteristics that attract you to books, movies, podcasts, and other media you choose. The things that make a book or podcast title intriguing—like specificity and the promise that if you keep engaging, you’ll be rewarded with satisfying content—are the same things that make a thesis title effective.
So prioritize conciseness and accuracy in your thesis title. Do this by including effective keywords, stating your subject and the type of research you conducted, and avoiding filler words.
Thesis title FAQs
How long should a thesis title be?
A thesis title should be approximately 10 to 15 words long.
Is it necessary to include a subtitle in a thesis title?
No, it is not necessary to include a subtitle in a thesis title. A subtitle can specify your title or add key details, but it is not required or necessary.
How can I ensure my thesis title stands out in academic databases?
Include relevant keywords in your thesis title to ensure it stands out in academic databases.
Can the thesis title be a question?
Yes, a thesis title or subtitle can be a question.
How do I balance creativity with academic rigor in my thesis title?
Prioritize accuracy and conciseness when writing a thesis title. Following these guidelines, choose words that are likely to pique the interests of potential readers, like action words and descriptive nouns. Prioritize relevant keywords to ensure the title is academically appealing.
