This month as you write final papers, college admissions essays, or reports, we want to remind you that titles play a vital role in representing and promoting your writing. You probably put a lot of effort into what you say in your writing, but how much consideration do you really give to what you call it. In response to popular demand, this newsletter also has information to help end any confusion that you may have about citing databases, specifically regarding the difference between service names versus database names.

How to Title an Essay
"A Quiz to Test Your Essay Title's Effectiveness"
By Julia Johns, SVP of Development

Does your title pass the test? Give your title a grade, each "Yes" is worth 10 points for a possible score of 100.

1. Did you title your essay before you wrote the draft?

   Because the direction of the paper can change as you write a draft, it is best not to title your essay before you have organized your points and supporting facts. Once you have become engrossed in the process of writing a draft, it is too simple to overlook a title that is no longer an accurate reflection of the paper.

2. Is your title appropriately specific?

   Narrow down your title topic to the actual subject that your paper is about. If you are writing about a poem, for instance, then specify whether your paper is a critique versus a summary. A specific title can attract readers by indicating to the readers that they have an opportunity to specialize their knowledge.

3. Is your title accurate?

   As a writer, you probably have already been told that your in-text citations, content, and works cited page must be accurate, but you should also realize that your title page must uphold the same accuracy in portraying the paper's contents. It is also just as important to check for spelling and grammatical accuracy in your title.

4. Does the title state the paper's topic?

   Your essay title should always at least inform readers about the essay topic so that they know the subject of the paper before reading it. If your title does not already state the topic, then you probably need a new one.

5. Did you entertain the idea of having an entertaining title?

   You can use creative wording to attract prospective readers' attention if the tone of the essay is light and if the creativity does not hinder its ability to inform readers about the essay topic.

6. Did you evaluate the need for a subtitle?

   Sometimes a title is more useful to prospective readers if it includes a short description that narrows the focus of the main title to the niche' at the focus of the thesis. For a paper titled "What's Patriarchy got to do with it?", for instance, adding a subtitle, such as "An analysis of the film 'What's Love go to do with it?'", is helpful to inform the reader that the discussion of patriarchy will be conducted using examples from the film about Tina Turner's life.

7. Did you think of several possible titles?

   Brainstorm as many titles you can. You might discover better titles that are better than the first one that came to your mind.

8. Did you solicit others' opinions of the title?

   Ask people who have not read your paper if they can understand what your essay is about just by hearing the title of your essay. Ask others who have proofread your essay if they think that your selected title does, indeed, properly reflect your paper's purpose. Do not confuse this with asking them for their ideas of a good paper title. You know your paper better than they do and you should not steal their ideas for a title. Even if someone gives you permission to use one of his or her title ideas for your paper, you would have to cite your source if you were to use a title that you did not create.

9. Did you reconsider the title while revising the paper?

   If you are working on a paper over a long period of time, your opinion of the title could change over time as you develop a better understanding of the subject.

10. Is your title original?

    Your title should not be the same as the name of a product or another's piece of literature. Although copying the name of your subject may tell readers the general subject of the paper, it does not tell them why or how your discussion relates to the topic. Aside from that, if you have answered yes to the previous nine questions, your title is probably original.

How to Cite Databases Properly
By Sarah Keller, English Team Director

When citing databases, enter the regular information you would expect to include in a complete citation--article name, author, date retrieved, and appropriate URL address. In both CMS and MLA, you are required to include both service and database names to create an accurate citation. A Service Name refers to the greater company that owns or distributes the database you are referencing. A Database Name is the actual name of the database where you find the article you are citing. Please refer to the table below to see a list of common service names and their corresponding databases. Please note that some databases are self-serving and do not require a service name, as they do not have one.