英语学术论文写作教程

Unit 7
Title
 Overview

Although the title comes first in a paper, its final version

is always the last decision to be made before the publishing
of an academic paper. While the abstract is a summary of
the whole paper, the title is regarded as a summary of the
abstract. Therefore, a well written title should be brief, clear,
and informative in describing the research. To make a title
brief, unnecessary expressions should be avoided; to make
a title clear, the proper form of language plays a crucial
role; to make a title informative, some basic elements
should be included to inform readers of some key
information of the research.
 Structure of Titles

In many research fields, the most commonly used

grammatical structure pattern of titles is nominal
phrase. However, compounding title with two or even
three parts has become increasingly popular.
Additionally, for some research fields, such as
medicine, full sentence titles are also common.
 Task 1

Questions:
(1) What is the grammatical structure of the titles in Group
1, Group 2, and Group 3 respectively?
Group 1: Nominal phrase
Group 2: Compound title
Group 3: Full sentence

(2) Which structure is most commonly used in your

research field?
Answers may vary.
 Task 1

Questions:
(3) How are the two parts of the titles in Group 2 linked?
With a colon.

(4) What is the main focus of the first and second part of
the titles in Group 2 respectively?
Generally speaking, the first part tends to be the general
research field or topic, the second part tends to be the
specific information about the research, such as location,
method, material etc.
 Task 1

Questions:
(5) Is the pattern of the titles in Group 3 common in your
research field? What might be the advantages and
disadvantages of this pattern?
Advantage: The outcomes/results/ conclusions are
indicated in the title.
Disadvantage: Full sentence titles tend to be too assertive
and verbs may make the title unnecessarily long.
 Forms of Titles

There are basically three ways to capitalize a title.

Researchers should select a proper way in capitalizing
according to the system used in their target journals. Besides,
some conventional rules for capitalizing or italicizing letters
are to be followed while writing a title. For instance, a proper
noun should have an initial capital letter. In addition, the
articles a, an, and the should be used with caution, especially
when they are in the opening position of the titles.
 Task 2

Questions:
1. Please classify the titles into three types based on the
ways of capitalizing and summarize their features.

Type 1: Only the first letter of the first word is capitalized, such as
Titles (1), (4), (6), (7) and (9).
Type 2: The first word and content words are capitalized such as
Titles (2), (5), (8) and (10).
Type 3: Every letter of every word is capitalized, such as Title (3).
 Task 2
Questions:
2. Which capitalizing pattern is the most common in your
research field?
Answers may vary.

3. Which pattern is the simplest in your opinion?

Only the first letter of the first word is capitalized.

4. Why are the words like Helicoverpa armigera Hubner

and Pedicularis torta in Titles (4) and (9) italicized?
Latin words, especially for the name of plant species should
be italicized.
 Task 2
Questions:
5. Why are the words like “Estimation” and “Applying” in
Titles (6) and (7) capitalized?
The beginning letter of the first word for the second part of
a compound title should be italicized.

6. Why are the words like “Qinghai-Tibet Plateau” and

“MarkSim” in Titles (4) and (9) capitalized?
Proper noun should be capitalized on any occasion.
 Task 2

Questions:
7. Why is the preposition “Between” capitalized in Title (8)?

Prepositions which are more than four letters should be

capitalized.
 Task 3

Articles occur in titles only when they are quite

necessary. Discuss with your partner the following
titles and fill in the blank with a, an, the or ∅ (none).

1. ________
Ø the
predictors of ________ distribution of
________
Ø street and ________
Ø backyard vegetation in
________
Ø Montreal, Canada
2.________
Ø Ø
feasibility of using ________ urban planning
models to support ________
Ø intermediate traffic
 Task 3

Articles occur in titles only when they are quite

necessary. Discuss with your partner the following
titles and fill in the blank with a, an, the or ∅ (none).

3.________effects
Ø of ________
Ø natural soil acidification on
________
Ø biodiversity in ________
Ø Boreal forest
ecosystems
4.________
Ø stability of landscaping trees in ________
Ø
engineered and ________Ø conventional urban soil mixes
 Task 3

Articles occur in titles only when they are quite

necessary. Discuss with your partner the following
titles and fill in the blank with a, an, the or ∅ (none).

5.________
Ø the
assessing ________ economic impact of ________
Ø
climate change on ________
Ø forest resource use in Nigeria:
________
A Ricardian approach
6.________
Ø modeling________
the effects of ________
Ø heat stress
on ________
Ø post-heading durations in________
Ø wheat:
________
A comparison of ____temperature
Ø response routines
 Task 3

Articles occur in titles only when they are quite

necessary. Discuss with your partner the following
titles and fill in the blank with a, an, the or ∅ (none).
7.________
Ø assessing ________
the evolution of ________
Ø soil
moisture and ________
Ø vegetation conditions during________
the
2012 United States flash drought
8.________
Ø quantifying ________
the impact of________
Ø woody
material on ________
Ø leaf area index estimation from ________
Ø
hemispherical photography using________
Ø 3D canopy
simulations
 Being Informative

Being informative is one of the essential qualities of

well-written titles. This means that some key information
should be included in the title to indicate the main contents of
the research.
 Task 4

Compare the two titles in each group. Identify which one is

more informative and explain why.

1.(a) Runoff-sediment response simulation

水沙响应模拟研究
(b) Runoff-sediment response simulation in eco-
environmental rehabilitation on Loess plateau
黄土高原生态环境修复中的水沙响应模拟研究

Key: b; location, subject

 Task 4

2. (a) Effects of patient age on the dose of drugs

病人年龄对药物给服剂量的影响
(b) Effects of patient age on the dose of anti-
melancholic drugs
病人的年龄与对抗忧郁药物给服剂量的影响

Key: b; subject
 Task 4

3. (a) Estimation of forest harvest volume on scale

extrapolating approach
基于尺度推绎法的森林采伐量估测
(b) Estimation of forest harvest volume
森林采伐量估测

Key: a; method
 Task 4

4. (a) Effect of rooting conditions on the growth and cooling

ability
根系状况对生长和降温能力的影响
(b) Effect of rooting conditions on the growth and cooling ability
of Pyrus calleryana
根系状况对 Pyrus calleryana 生长和降温能力的影响

Key: b; material
 Task 4

5. (a) Distribution of natural Korean pines in Baihe

Forestry Bureau based on spatial models
基于空间模型的白河林业局天然红松分布
(b) Distribution of natural Korean pines
天然红松分布研究

Key: a; location and method

 Being Brief

Being brief means that titles should not be unnecessarily

long. To keep a title short, one possible way is to avoid using
superfluous or redundant words, such as phrases like “study
of,” “investigation on” and “observation on,” etc. Moreover,
articles and noun modifiers should be used properly.
 Task 5
Please compare the titles in Boxes 1, 2, and 3. Which titles are
more concise? Summarize some possible tips to make them
concise based on the following examples.
Group 1
(1) The investigation of listening teaching for non-English majors at college level
(2) The study of cognitive learning in undergraduate biology students following a field
course
(3) A Study of International Forest Financing Mechanism Development

Group 2
(1) Listening teaching for non-English majors at college level
(2) Cognitive learning in undergraduate biology students following a field course
(3) International Forest Financing Mechanism Development
 Task 5

Box 1: Titles in Group 2 are more concise. Titles in

Group 1 are not concise due to the redundant
expressions such as “a study of,” “the study of ” etc.
 Task 5
Group 3
(1) Refining an inverse dispersion method to quantify gas sources on rolling terrain
(2) Modeling the environmental controls on tree water use at different temporal scales
(3) Effect of soil texture and wheat plants on N2O fluxes: A lysimeter study

Group 4
(1) The Refining of an inverse dispersion method to quantify the gas sources on a
rolling terrain
(2) The modeling of the environmental controls on the tree water use at the different
temporal scales
(3) The effect of the soil texture and the wheat plants on N2O fluxes: A lysimeter study
 Task 5

Box 2: Titles in Group 3 are more concise for titles in

Group 4 use too many unnecessary articles, especially in
the opening position.
 Task 5
Group 5
(1) Agricultural gas emissions during the spring thaw: Applying a new measurement
technique
(2) Modeling the environmental controls on tree water use at different temporal scales
(3) Long-term measurements of NOx and O3 soil fluxes in a temperate deciduous forest

Group 6
(1) Emissions of agricultural gas during the spring thaw: Applying a new technique for
measurement
(2) Modeling the environmental controls on the use of tree water at different temporal
scales
(3) Long-term measurements of NOx and O3 soil fluxes in a forest of temperate deciduous
 Task 5

Box 3: Titles in Group 5 are more concise. Noun

modifiers before the head nouns can avoid using the
preposition “of.”
 Being Clear

Being clear is one of the important qualities for a well-

written title. Proper use of verbs and prepositions help the
readers to understand how various elements in the title are
related.
 Task 6

Complete the following titles by filling the blanks with correct

forms of the verbs.
Perceiving
1. __________(perceive) personal safety in relation to urban
woodland vegetation

2. Modeling water stress to urban amenity grass in Manchester UK

reducing
under climate change and its potential impacts in___________
(reduce) urban cooling

Estimating
3. ___________(estimate) the storm water attention benefits
___________(derive)
driven from planting four monoculture species of
underutilized (underutilize) urban
deciduous trees on vacant and_____________
land parcels
 Task 6

Complete the following titles by filling the blanks with correct

forms of the verbs.
4. Social disparities in tree canopy and park accessibility: A case study of
using
six cities in Illinois_________(use) GIS and remote sensing

predicting (predict)
5. Evaluation of a random displacement model for__________
particle escape from canopies using a simple eddy diffusivity model

Explaining
6. ___________(Explain) inter-annual variability of gross primary
productivity from plant phenology and physiology
 Task 6

Complete the following titles by filling the blanks with correct

forms of the verbs.

7. Differential response of alpine steppe and alpine meadow

climate ___________(warm)
warming in the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Improving
8. _____________(improve) Noah land surface model performance
____________(use)
using near real time surface albedo and green
vegetation fraction
 Across Languages: Title Translation

Translating Chinese titles into English is one of the basic skills

for Chinese researchers since an English title is required by
many Chinese journals. Here are some steps for title
translation:

 Identify the head noun of the whole title;

 Divide the title into proper meaning groups;
 Arrange these meaning groups according to their logic
relationships;
 Link these chunks with proper prepositions based on their
logic connection.
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

1. 黄河中游大尺度植被冠层截留降水模拟与分析
Simulation and analysis ______vegetation
of interception _____a
at
large scale______the
in middle reaches ______Yellow
of River
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

2. 工业废弃物在城市公园景观设计建设中的应用——基于艺
术、人文、生态视角下的景观重置
Application______Industrial
of Wastes_____the
in Construction of
Urban Park—Landscape rearrangement based______art,
on culture,
and ecology
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

3. 公共空间的舒适性设计规范的必要性：以地中海城市公园为例
The Need for Advocating Regional Human Comfort Design
Codes______ Public Spaces: A Case Study______ a Mediterranean
Urban Park.
for of
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

4. 黄河河口镇—潼关区间 1998— 2010 年土地利用变化特征

in
Land use change_______ from Hekouzhen
the reach_______
________Tongguan
to _______the
of Yellow River_______
during 1998–
2010
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according to

the Chinese titles.

5. 黄土高原典型流域 LCM 模型集总、半分布和分布式构建对比分析

Comparison_______ LCM hydrological models______ lumped,
semi-distributed of
and distributed building structureswith
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

6. 小麦悬浮细胞应答激发子刺激的过敏性反应中 Ca2+ 和 NO 的动态变化及其相互作用

Dynamics and Interaction_____ Ca2+ and Nitric Oxide
of
_______Wheat Suspension Cells _______the
in
Hypersensitive Response in
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

7. 氮磷肥配施对冬小麦灌浆期光合参数及产量的影响
Effect _______Combined
of Application______
of Nitrogen and
Phosphorus________ on Photosynthesis Parameters______
at
Grain-filling Stage and Grain Yield______
in Winter Wheat
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

8. 向光素调节植物向光性及其与光敏色素 / 隐花色素的相互关系
Specificity and Crosstalk of Phototropin _____Cryptochrome
and Phytochrome ______Regulating Hypocotyl with Phototropism
in
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

9. 高等植物局部生长素合成的生物学功能及其调控机制
Biological Functions and Regulatory Mechanisms_____
of
Local Auxin Biosynthesis _____Higher
in Plants
 Task 7

Complete the following titles in English with proper according

to the Chinese titles.

10. LED 照明对植物体内功能性化学物质积累的影响

Effect______
of LED Illumination_____
on the Accumulation
_______Functional
of Chemicals _____Plants
in
 Task 8

Please translate the following titles into English.

1. 基于温室气体 (greenhouse gas) 清单编制 (inventory) 的林业碳计量

(estimation) 研究进展 (advances)

Advances in forestry carbon estimation based on

greenhouse gas inventory
 Task 8

2. 尖山河小流域 (Jianshan River watershed) 不同群落物种 (different

plant communities) 多样性 (plant species richness) 与冠层吸附水量
(forest canopy hygroscopic volume ) 的关系

Relationship between plant species richness in different

plant community and forest canopy hygroscopic volume in
Jianshan River watershed
 Task 8

3. 城市化和气候改变对小果蔷薇 (Pyrus calleryana) 生长和生理机能

(physiology) 的影响

Effect of urbanization and climate change on the growth and

physiology of Pyrus Calleryana
 Task 8

4. 影响美国威斯康星州 (WI) 密尔沃基 (Milwaukee) 行道树 (street tree) 存活

的因素

Factors influencing street tree survival in Milwaukee, WI,

USA
 Task 8

5. 中国城市体系等级结构 (hierarchical structure) 及其空间格局 (spatial

pattern)—— 基于 DMSP/OLS 夜间灯光数据的实证

Hierarchical structure and spatial pattern of China’s urban

system: Evidence from DMSP/OLS nightlight data
 Task 8

6. 滨岸 (riparian) 植被带对漂浮物拦截 (interception) 效果及其影响因素

Interception effect of riparian vegetation zone on floats and

factors affecting it
 Task 8

7. 辽东山地森林景观界面土壤水分变异 (moisture variation) 特征研究

Soil moisture variation characteristics at forest landscape

boundary of mountainous region in eastern Liaoning
 Task 8

8. 1982— 2010 年中国草地覆盖度的时空动态及其对气候变化的响应

Spatial-temporal dynamics of grassland coverage and its

response to climate change in China during 1982–2010
 Task 8

9. 城市居民非工作活动的家内外时间分配及影响因素——以北京上地—清河地区为例

Time allocation to in-home and out-of-home non-work

activities of urban residents: A case study of Shangdi-Qinghe
area in Beijing
 Task 8

10. 出口对中国区域碳排放影响的空间效应测度——基于 1997— 2007 年区域间

(multiregional) 投入产出表 (input-output table) 的实证分析

Measuring of Chinese regional carbon emission spatial

effects induced by exports based on Chinese multi-regional
input-output table during 1997–2007
 Checklist for Unit 7 Title

Information Convention
• Structure of Titles
• Form of Titles

Language Focus
• Being Informative
• Being Brief
• Being Clear
• Across Languages: Title Translation
Thank you!