I Tripled My Paper’s Readership with This Title-Writing Strategy

Lennart Nacke
4 min readJun 19, 2024

Want to get your research paper noticed? It all starts with a kick-ass title.

We’re here to write research manuscripts that get read, after all.

I used to struggle with this. My papers were getting lost in the sea of academic literature. But then I applied this strategy. And guess what? More people are reading my articles than ever.

I’m sharing this step-by-step guide with you. So, you can follow these 7 steps, and you’ll be crafting paper titles that demand attention in no time.

Identify your main contribution

Find the core concepts and variables. Or the key relationships in your study. These are the building blocks of your title. Be specific and precise about your outcomes. Don’t be vague or wishy-washy. Nail down exactly what makes your research stand out.

Arouse curiosity

Emphasize what makes your research unique. Use the right words to signal that originality. Examples: “new,” “novel,” or “innovative.” Stand out from the crowd in the first few words. Make the reader think, “Holy sh*t, I need to read this.”

Convey the significance

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Lennart Nacke
Lennart Nacke

Written by Lennart Nacke

I share effective strategies for better UX research, game design, and writing. University Research Chair & Tenured Full HCI Professor.

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