Dissertation Titles

If you want people to find your dissertation online you need to think carefully about the terms they will be searching on. Dissertation titles can have a big influence on whether people can find you in databases, Google Scholar, and through search engines.

A few things to consider about the title of your dissertation:

— Put the most important words up front. These are often given more weight in the search.

— Try not to make it too long since readers may miss your main point and move on.

— Think about what someone searching on your topic might type in a search box. Would they find you? Use word order that people will use when searching.

— Leave out terms that aren't specific to your work. For example "a study of" or "an investigation of". That won't help your reader or get you found online.

—  Use specific terms in your title. The more general the terms the less likely you'll be found by people interested in your work.

The folks at CIIS have put together excellent suggestions about dissertation titles. Remember, this will likely be the first thing about your dissertation that most people see. Be sure you spend the time to make your dissertation title something that will make people want to continue reading.

A few other thoughts about Dissertation Titles...

— If your work relies heavily on a particular theory it makes sense to include it in the title.

— BioMed Central recommends using terms you used in your title, as well as their synonyms, in your abstract.

— When you want to publish your dissertation and reviewers are invited to review your manuscript, they will be sent only the title and abstract. Your title, followed by your abstract, is the first thing a reviewer will see.

In Conclusion ...

Spend some time on writing your dissertation title. It'll make it more likely to be found and read.


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