A good title should be brief but informative. Ideally it should summarize the question being addressed, the hypothesis being tested and the key results. A title that is too vague will lose readers, but so will one that is too long-winded. In the modern age of computer database searches, getting the correct key words into your title can make a huge difference in how many people find and read it (Pechenik 1996). Some authors use a short catchy title, followed by a slightly longer and more informative subtitle.
Here are a few examples of titles from recent papers in science journals. Notice that some journals capitalize all words in the title while others capitalize only the first word.
Assessment of Oceanic Productivity with the Triple-Isotope Composition of Dissolved Oxygen.
Impacts of a Global Climate Cycle on Population Dynamics of a Migratory Songbird.
Reduced growth of Alaskan white spruce in the twentieth century from temperature-induced drought stress.
Filamentous microfossils in a 2,325-million-year-old volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit.
Chemical cues from multiple predator-prey interactions induce changes in behavior and growth of anuran larvae.
Health food versus fast food: the effects of prey quality and mobility on prey selection by a generalist predator and indirect interactions among prey species.
Female-biased sex ratio due to male-killing in the Japanese ladybird Cocinula sinensis.