What's in a name? Word inflation, punctuation, abbreviation and cloud formation

• DOI: 10.1111/medu.13099
• Publication Date: 2016-11-22T08:50:39Z
• Authors: Susie J Schofield; Pieta G Schofield
• Keywords: Punctuation

Abstract The title of a journal paper offers crucial portal into any scientific field. It determines whether interested readers locate the and others have enough interest sparked to lead them read abstract. This article looks at authored titles in Medical Education over its first 50 years ( n = 6357) publication Teacher 35 publication, revealing both trends areas how those interests are worded. Word clouds per decade showed shift from teaching learning examination assessment, new foci on learning, patients, research feedback journals. average length peeked 2000s, dropping 70 characters 2010s, with no being longer than 140 (the tweet) this last decade. Abbreviations were used sparingly. use humorous titles, although not common, has increased recent years. colon marked increase 1980s, little 2000s but resurging 2010s. Titles posed as question steadily, appearing plateau 11%. humour questions suggests that authors these articles submitting papers be selected by human rather just virtual eye. We also hypothesise may indicate maturation medical education subject.