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10 Ways to Boost the Impact of Your Research

#2

Be strategic about choosing keywords and titles

Think carefully when choosing keywords and titles. Remember that your research will generally appear higher in search results where a keyword is used multiple times, especially in the title and abstract.

Title

  • A good title:
  • Typically 10-12 words long
  • Concise
  • Differentiates from other, similar papers
  • Contains keywords
  • Avoids lesser-known acronyms or jargon
  • Predicts the content of the research
  • Reflects the tone of the research
  • Conforms to publication/discipline norms or guidelines

Keywords

  • Consider controlled/common vocabulary if relevant
  • Conform to publication guidelines
  • Repeat keywords used in title if guidelines allow this
  • Choose keywords commonly used in your field
  • Analyse search results for ideas

Abstract

  • Repeat keywords
  • Keep to the word limit
  • Sufficiently representative of the whole document to be read standalone
  • Don't include ambiguous references or insignificant detail