How do I create keywords?

When writing a paper, we need to include half a dozen or so keywords that summarise the themes, methodologies and contexts which our research has encompassed. Determining keywords is one of the last jobs to be done when writing a research paper, along with finalising the conclusions chapter, writing the abstract, and confirming the final version of the paper's title.

It always pays to check articles written in our field and on the topic which have been published by the journal we are aiming at, examining the keywords those authors have used. Then we can also use those.

If we find ourselves in the lucky position of having keyword allocation to spare, we should consider adding closely related words and phrases. This will enable readers looking for similar topics will find our paper.

While keywords are usually very short phrases of 1-3 words, if we are going to be writing for an academic journal, we need to check their style guide for their rules. Some journals will allow quite specific phrases; others will only allow general keywords. Checking ahead of time will help ensure we do not waste effort.

And, like the conclusions, the abstract, and the title, the keywords too should contain no surprises. There should be a flow and a fit to all these elements. Clickbait need not apply.

A very useful tool in this area is the Palgrave-Macmillan master list of keywords, which can be found here (n.d.). The list may spark ideas if we are suffering from a lack of inspiration.

Further, a very useful video created by TCFEX LLC (n.d.) exploring this topic:

I hope you find these resources useful.

Sam

References:

Palgrave-Macmillan (n.d.). Journal of International Business Studies Keywords List. https://resource-cms.springernature.com/springer-cms/rest/v1/content/13353650/data/v1

Punch, K. F. (2016). Developing Effective Research Proposals (3rd ed.). Sage Publishing Ltd.

TCFEX LLC (n.d.). Writing a Thesis, Paper or Research Project - Lecture 2: Emerald & John Wiley. https://www.udemy.com/write-a-high-quality-thesis-or-artice-using-research-tools/learn/lecture/1911450

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How to write a title

One thing we often don't stop to think about enough is how we should write a title for a paper. Once we get onto finalising our research paper, we need to ensure that your title will provide sense-making to the reader, and will pick up on the main thrust of our research focus, findings and central conclusions.

Just as the conclusion is the summary of the entire report, so too is the abstract: the filtration of all our work into four key elements (more on that here). So too, in turn, is the title then the abstract of the abstract.

A 'good' title delivers a number of things well:

• It should concentrate the meaning of our paper into a just few words (Kulkarni, 2013). While it is important that our title should not be clickbait, it should also truly represent what our work delivers.
• It should simple, straight-forward, and punchy words. This will mean it is more attention-grabbing for the reader, standing out from other papers in the same space (Kulkarni, 2013). It should not obscure meaning, but should clarify it (Punch, 2016).
• As many of the key words appearing in our abstract should also appear in our title. Our title should be constructed of terms consistent with the remainder of our document. This is because titles are also indexed in databases, so it should assist our paper to be distributed (Punch, 2016)
• It should summarise the spirit of the project AND the outcomes.

If none of the ideas above assist us, we could go back to the key journals related to our research project, and see how those articles were titled. We could then consider using that style for our paper. If we are submitting to a journal we can also be guided by their style guide.

I hope this helps!

Sam

References:

Kulkarni, S. (17 October 2013). 3 Basic tips on writing a good research paper title. Editage. https://www.editage.com/insights/3-basic-tips-on-writing-a-good-research-paper-title

Punch, K. F. (2016). Developing Effective Research Proposals (3rd ed.). Sage Publishing Ltd.

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Honorifics: Gender & marital status neutral?

I was reading a short today on my break about honorifics.

As an early adopter of 'Ms' as I don't see why I should define myself as being married or not, I was startled to think about gender definition by Michael Quinion of World Wide Words. After all, we don't gender Doctor or Captain, so why gender anything else?

Michael sent out a short on "Mx" (pronounced 'Mix', sometimes Mixter). This really made me think: why had I never thought about this before?

Michael wrote:

Mx was created on the model of the other personal titles Mr, Mrs and Ms for a person who doesn’t identify themselves as either male or female or doesn’t want their gender to be known.

An article in the Guardian on 17 November — prompted by the news that the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was considering introducing it — noted the quiet rise in the use of Mx as a gender-neutral title, particularly in the UK. Mx is accepted as a valid title by a number of organisations, mostly in the public sector. The Post Office was first in 2009; it has since been joined by several governmental bodies, including the National Health Service, HM Revenue and Customs and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. But other than those, acceptance is patchy and uncommon; the proposal by RBS marks a potential shift into the private sector, though RBS is 80% owned by the government.

Research by Nat Titman shows that Mx was created in online discussion groups in the early 1980s as a way to avoid identifying oneself as male or female or avoid specifying one’s marital status. It’s hard to say how often it was employed in real life in the following two decades but its sporadic appearances online argue for its being very rare. Around 2000 Mx began to be discussed by transgender and androgynous people, who have since led efforts to gain recognition for it. 

This is the earliest example I can find in a British newspaper:
Official forms in Brighton and Hove will include the title “Mx” to cater for the city’s transgender community after a review of services. Brighton and Hove Council’s trans-equality scrutiny panel recommended removing the need for people to identify themselves as male or female at GP surgeries and introducing gender-neutral lavatories and changing rooms (The Times, 4 May 2013).

But to take this one step further, why do we need honorifics at all in English? Why does it matter? I would happily do without them altogether.

Sam

• Reference: Quinion, Michael (2014). World Wide Words: 25 November 2014, issue 904. UK [personal correspondence, also online at http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-mxa1.htm]

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