The Title: Your Last Chance to Make a First Impression

The title occupies an important place in the scientifi c research article as it provides the primary means for readers to locate an article and evaluate its relevance to their needs. Therefore, according to the Uniform Requirements, the title should accurately and concisely refl ect the contents of the article. Titles of biomedical articles commonly take one of four forms (2). These four forms have been characterized as:

• i. Nominal

• ii. Compound

• iii. Full sentence

• iv. Question

A nominal title is a short phrase which encapsulates the theme of the article. This is the most common form of title used in biomedical papers. Examples are:

• The effect of ambulatory oxygen therapy in COPD patients with transient exertional hypoxemia

• Relationship of interns' working hours to medical errors

• The effect of an intensive smoking cessation approach on adult asthmatic patients after an acute exacerbation of asthma