Let’s say you’re conducting research on the impact of artificial intelligence on customer behaviour in e-commerce websites. Here’s a step-by-step process for creating a working title:

1. Understand the purpose of the research: The purpose of your research is to investigate how artificial intelligence influences customer behaviour in the context of e-commerce websites.
2. Identify the main topic: The main topic is the impact of artificial intelligence on customer behaviour in e-commerce.
3. Highlight the key variables or concepts: The key variables or concepts in your research are artificial intelligence and customer behaviour in the e-commerce context.
4. Consider the methodology or approach: You may mention the methodology or approach you are using, such as data analysis, experiments, or surveys, in the working title.
5. Use concise and descriptive language: Craft a concise and descriptive title that captures the essence of your research. For example, “Analyzing the Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Customer Behavior in E-commerce: A Data-driven Study.”
6. Focus on the main findings or contributions: If you have an idea of the expected findings, you can incorporate them into the title. For instance, “Unveiling Patterns of Customer Behavior in AI-powered E-commerce Websites: A Data-driven Analysis.”
7. Seek feedback: Share your working title with your supervisor or peers in the computer science domain to gather feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Remember, the working title should provide a clear indication of your research focus and help you stay on track throughout your study. As you progress, you may refine or modify the working title to better reflect the direction and outcomes of your research.

Lets consider an example. Here I have given the abstract, Aim and objectives of the research paper.

Abstract: This research paper aims to explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on customer behavior within the e-commerce industry. By analyzing customer interactions and transactional data on e-commerce platforms, we aim to understand how AI-driven technologies influence consumer decision-making processes, purchasing behavior, and overall user experience. Through data analysis techniques, this study aims to uncover patterns and insights that will contribute to a deeper understanding of the implications of AI integration in shaping customer behavior and inform e-commerce strategies.

Aim: The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of artificial intelligence on customer behavior in the e-commerce industry, providing valuable insights for businesses to optimize their strategies.

Objectives:

1. Examine the impact of AI on customer decision-making processes in the e-commerce context.
2. Analyze the effects of AI on customer purchasing behavior and identify potential changes in buying patterns.
3. Assess the overall user experience and satisfaction resulting from AI integration in e-commerce websites.
4. Uncover key customer behavior patterns that emerge from the implementation of AI-driven technologies.

Step by Step Process of writing working title:

In this example, we have provided a hypothetical title and then mapped the refinements in each step:

• Step 1: We adjusted the requirement to focus on cybersecurity and reduced the word limit to 10.
• Step 2: We identified the essence of the study, which is AI-driven cybersecurity measures in e-commerce platforms.
• Step 3: The title was refined to highlight the importance of securing e-commerce platforms using AI.
• Step 4: The title was made clearer and more concise, emphasizing AI-driven cybersecurity for e-commerce protection.
• Step 5: The title was adjusted to be more memorable and citeable while focusing on AI-powered e-commerce security and customer experience.
• Step 6: The final title remained the same, as it aligned with the improvements made throughout the process.

Please note that this is a hypothetical example, and the actual refinements may vary depending on your research and the specific guidelines of the conference or journal you are submitting to.

One more example of a working research paper title  :

” Improving User Experience in Mobile Applications using Augmented Reality”

Final Research Paper Title Can be:

1. “Developing a Markerless Augmented Reality Framework for Enhancing Mobile App User Experience”
2. “A Deep Learning-based Approach to Improving User Experience in Augmented Reality-enhanced Mobile Applications”
3. “Improving Mobile App User Experience using Augmented Reality-based Interactive Virtual Objects”
4. “Augmented Reality-enabled Mobile App Design for Improved User Experience in Navigation Applications”
5. “A Comparative Study of Marker-based and Markerless Augmented Reality Techniques for Enhancing Mobile App User Experience”
6. “Using Cloud-based Augmented Reality for Improving Mobile App User Experience: A Proof-of-Concept Study”
7. “An Investigation into the Impact of Augmented Reality on Mobile App User Engagement in the Education Sector”
8. “Designing an Augmented Reality-enabled Mobile App for Enhancing User Experience in Cultural Heritage Tourism”
9. “Augmented Reality-based Personalization Techniques for Enhancing Mobile App User Experience in E-commerce Applications”
10. “Improving User Experience in Mobile Gaming Applications using Augmented Reality and Motion Tracking”

These working research paper titles are more specific to particular areas and can help the researchers and their supervisors to focus their efforts and stay on track towards a specific research goal.

How Can I Make My Research Paper Title Easily Searchable?

1. Making it Discoverable By Area of Focus

Before assigning the title to the article, the following three key areas, which the researcher usually neglect need to be focused on. They are:

1. Research Paper Title  from  Language Point of View
2. SEO-based Research Paper Title
3. Domain-specific Research Paper Title

 “Sorry to inform you, due to poor quality  in the language of the manuscript, it could not be assessed completely  hence, your paper is rejected”

This is the common one-liner, few researchers receive when they send their research articles to reputed journals. Even though a researcher has some important outcomes in the research it may be rejected either by editors or reviewers because of poor language used for writing the title and abstract.

Poor title writing skills hide the clarity of a researcher’s work.  English is considered the lingua franca for publishing your work and getting publicity worldwide. Linguistic errors and plagiarized text are the major hindrances in getting the paper published on international platforms.

Poor research paper title write-up includes faulty construction of sentences,  spelling errors, grammar, missing punctuation and unidiomatic expressions, which may take away the reviewer’s attention from the core work carried out by the researcher. In the worst-case scenario, poor English may force the reviewer to reject the paper at the outset without completely reading the content.  If at all your paper somehow gets through publication, still it is less likely to be cited by the top researchers in view of its poor language.

 The following points should be considered from a language point of view while assigning the research paper title.

1. As a general guideline, try to keep your research paper title between 50-150 characters so that it can be easily remembered.
2. Avoid redundant phrasing, such as, “A Study of,”, “An Analysis of”, “A Study to Investigate the…,” or “A Review of the….” or similar constructions.
3. Capitalize all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that appear between the first and last words of the Title.[e.g.” Tips to Increase Your Research Paper Citations Through Effective Title Writing”].
4. Do not use an exclamation mark at the end of the title.
5. You can begin a title with a coordinating conjunction[i.e., and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet] if it is required. [e.g., “Yet Another Look at  Addressing Pathological Issues Through Image Processing Lens”].
6. Rarely use abbreviations or acronyms unless they are commonly known. [e.g. “Addressing HIV Issues Through Community Counselling” can be one of the Titles as HIV is an abbreviation well known. Whereas “Application of NN in  Solving Pathological Issues in Pomegranate Plant” Here NN (Neural Network) is not known to many, which may lead to ambiguity]
7. The title can take the form of a question or declarative statement.[ eg. “How Best  Neural Networks  are Suitable  for Leaf Spot Disease Identification?”].

Examples :

1. Investigating the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Mental Health in Adolescents
2. An Empirical Analysis of Factors Affecting Consumer Trust in E-commerce Transactions
3. The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Financial Markets: A Review of Recent Literature
4. Examining the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Job Satisfaction and Burnout in Healthcare Workers
5. Assessing the Efficacy of Online Learning Platforms for Improving Student Performance in Higher Education

As a researcher, it is not only important to publish your work but you should also get good visibility of your paper on the heavily crowded web. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of trying to improve a web page’s search engine rankings. Google, Bing and other search engines prioritize content that it sees as valuable, good quality, and relevant – and display such content higher up on search rankings.

Search engines use page ranking algorithms for ranking content, including research articles. Web spiders are sent by search engines to crawl all accessible content online, trying to identify what the piece is about. The reputation of the site where your article is posted and the reputation of the sites which link to your article matters a lot. How it actually matters to a researcher? Let me elaborate on that in the next paragraph.

Well, the higher the ranking of your article, the more researchers will find it easily on the web, comprehend and finally cite your research paper. Remember, your research work will be found in the title and abstract only, with the title carrying more weight. Moreover, Title and Abstract are the only visible indicators to the researchers about your work.

There are several simple ways you can optimize your article Title for search engine rankings – here are just a few…

1. Before writing your Title you should select the keywords for your article.
2. For Google and many other search engines, the Title is the most important part of your article. Therefore, it is vital to include your most important keywords in your Title.
3. Place your keywords within the first 65 characters of your Title.
4. Usually, the search engines will display only the first few words of the title during the search. Front-load your most important keywords so that the readers who are searching related articles will see those keywords even if they don’t see the full Title.
5. When creating your research title, ensure that the words frequently searched upon by the general public are in the Title.
6. Think about the search terms that the readers are likely to use when looking for articles on the same topic as yours and help them by constructing your Title to include those terms.

Here are some examples of SEO-friendly research paper titles.

1. Social Media Use and Mental Health in Adolescents: An Investigation
2. A Comprehensive Empirical Analysis of Factors Influencing Consumer Trust in E-commerce Transactions
3. Artificial Intelligence and Financial Markets: A Review of Recent Literature
4. Mindfulness Meditation and Burnout in Healthcare Workers: An Evidence-Based Approach
5. The Effectiveness of Online Learning Platforms in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

I have a blog post on Top 10 Rules to Identify Keywords for your Research Paper. Please go through the blog post to identify keywords for your research paper.

A researcher begins his research voyage by selecting the research domain –  the area in which he intends to carry out his research.  The research domain can be

i) simply  the core technology domain such as cloud computing, big data analytics or image processing where the researcher intends to  add or improve framework or  algorithms for the domain itself

or

ii) Multi-disciplinary domains such as cloud computing in agriculture; image processing in health care or data analytics for E-Commerce etc.

The researcher may work in specific subdomains such as pathology in agriculture, PAAS architecture in the cloud, liver cancer in health care etc. While selecting the title of the research paper, the domains and subdomains of the research paper should be clearly part of the title as it makes things more clear for a researcher about the topic of a research paper.  It also increases the visibility of the paper across multi-disciplinary domains. This can also increase the citations of the paper.

The following points should be considered from the research domain point of view while assigning the research paper title

1. Titles should describe what the research is about – they should give the reader a clear idea as to what the paper is about.
2. The initial aim of a title is to capture the reader’s attention and to highlight the research problem under investigation.
3. Use your thesis or hypothesis as the basis for your Title. Turn your conclusions into a definitive statement that captures the main idea of your paper and use that as your Title.
4. Ensure that your Title includes keywords and terms which are commonly used within your research discipline.[e.g. “Neural Network-based Grape Leaf Image Analysis”]
5. Make a list of the questions that your paper answers. If your topic is well-defined, it may be a short list, but the list may help you narrow down a Title for your paper by focusing your efforts.
6. Include a quotation from the work that supports your thesis, if you are writing a literature or literary analysis paper.
7. If your paper is not on a literary topic, add research quotations that relate to the subject and create a Title using the quotation followed by a subtitle that details the subject of your paper. [e.g. “Connecting the Dots”:  Distributed Computing to Cloud Computing”]
8. Define the tone of your paper with your Title. If your paper is a serious and conventional academic study, do not write a casual or fun Title containing flowery language or a play on words.

Here are some examples of domain-specific research paper titles:

1. Exploring the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Adolescent Depression: A Clinical Psychology Perspective
2. Investigating the Role of Trust in Consumer Behavior on E-commerce Websites: An Information Systems Approach
3. A Machine Learning-based Analysis of the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Stock Market
4. Mindfulness Meditation as a Tool for Preventing Burnout in Healthcare Workers: A Nursing Perspective
5. A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of Online Learning Platforms for STEM and Non-STEM Disciplines in Higher Education

A research subtitle is an optional addition to the research paper title that provides further clarification, specificity, or context to the main title. It serves to expand upon the main title by offering additional information about the research focus, methodology, specific aspects studied, or relevant details.

When deciding whether to include a research subtitle, several factors should be considered:

1. Clarity and specificity: If the main title effectively conveys the essence of the research and captures the reader’s attention, a subtitle may not be necessary. However, if there are specific aspects or nuances of the research that could benefit from further explanation, a subtitle can provide valuable context.
2. Length limitations: It’s important to review any guidelines or requirements provided by the conference or journal to determine if there are restrictions on the total length of the title and subtitle combined. Ensure that the inclusion of a subtitle does not exceed any prescribed length limitations.
3. Relevance and impact: Evaluate whether a subtitle adds meaningful value to the overall title. It should provide relevant information that enhances the reader’s understanding of the research without being redundant or overly verbose.

When writing a research subtitle, consider the following guidelines:

1. Conciseness: Keep the subtitle brief and succinct. It should provide additional information without being too lengthy or complex.
2. Clarity: Ensure that the subtitle complements and expands upon the main title. It should offer further insight into the research focus, scope, methodology, or other relevant aspects.
3. Coherence: The subtitle should be cohesive with the main title, creating a unified and coherent message. It should not contradict or confuse the overall purpose and direction of the research.

The decision to include a research subtitle ultimately depends on the specific requirements, guidelines, and circumstances of the research paper, conference, or journal. While it can provide valuable context and specificity, it is not always necessary. Evaluate the relevance and impact of a subtitle in relation to the main title and the target audience of the research paper.

Examples:

1. “Advancements in Renewable Energy Technologies: A Comparative Study of Solar and Wind Power Generation Efficiency”
2. “Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Political Discourse: An Analysis of Twitter Conversations during Election Campaigns”
3. “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity: Detecting and Mitigating Advanced Persistent Threats using AI-Based Solutions”

Adding a subtitle to your research paper title can potentially increase its discoverability. A well-crafted subtitle can provide more specific information about your research, making it easier for readers and researchers to find your paper when searching within a particular domain or topic.

Here’s how a subtitle can contribute to the discoverability of your research:

1. Enhanced search engine optimization (SEO): Including relevant keywords or phrases in the subtitle can improve the visibility of your paper in search engine results. This helps researchers find your work when conducting keyword-based searches.
2. Targeted audience identification: A subtitle that clearly specifies the research focus, methodology, or domain can attract the attention of readers interested in that particular area. This helps your paper reach its intended audience and increases the likelihood of it being cited or referenced by researchers in the field.
3. Increased context and clarity: By providing additional context or specifying the scope of your research in the subtitle, you make it easier for readers to understand the purpose and relevance of your study. This clarity can make your paper more appealing to researchers seeking specific information or insights.
4. Improved cross-referencing: Subtitles can assist in cross-referencing within the academic community. Other researchers looking for related studies or building upon your work may use your subtitle as a reference point, connecting your research with theirs.

However, it’s important to strike a balance between a concise, focused subtitle and an excessively long one. A subtitle that is too lengthy or convoluted may hinder discoverability and reader engagement. Ensure that your subtitle adds value and clarity without overwhelming the main title.

What Next?

Usually after writing the title the next step is to write an abstract and keywords for your research paper. I have written articles on

“Top 10 Rules to Identify Keywords for Your Research Paper” and

“Research Paper Abstract: 10 Simple Steps to Make a Big Difference”

Please visit the articles to increase the chances of publishing your research paper in reputed journals.