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Although it is a very small part of the research paper, the title plays an important role as the first point of contact between writer and potential reader and may decide whether or not the paper is read. Research paper titles in the widely differing fields of science, literature and linguistics are studied in detail with a view to showing what researchers from each discipline implicitly feel are important features in the succinct knowledge transmission required in title design. Three basic types of titles in the three disciplines are analyzed: full sentence, compound and a remaining group made up largely of noun phrases with or without postmodification. Very clear-cut differences in frequency and form were found across the three disciplines reflecting fundamental differences in pragmatic intention inherent in the disciplines concerned. Analysis focusses on the role of titles in informing the reader as to what the paper is about and also in attracting him/her to read the paper. Discussion of how these functions are met rests on techniques involved in both information packaging and advertising. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]