ILLUSTRATION

If that student had FIRST selected the key elements in the research he or she wanted to
research, he or she would have written: What ricin is. How ricin works. THAT should
have become the table of contents, and using almost the exact words, would have come
up with the title; Ricin: What It Is; How It Works.

It is SO MUCH EASIER AND FASTER to think of the key elements, make them your
table of contents and THEN take those words, in the exact segments, and create the
title.

Here is the decisive factor: If you look at the RUBRIC in the Course Materials section of the classroom, for the first and second parts, you'll see the "1" grade will be given in the first part if the title is TOO BROAD (which "Weapons of Mass Destruction" is) and the second part if the text can't deliver on what the title promises. In the example, above, the title never said a thing about ricin. In fact, the title used the ^*$@#$ plural (DO NOT use plurals ANYWHERE in the paper title) is indefinite as to the number of them. NO WAY can a student do a paper on ALL of the weapons of mass destruction. Consequently, the student gets a "1" (25%) on the first two parts, and is in a DEEP HOLE right out of the chute.

By following the above recommendations, especially if you do it for EVERY PAPER, you'll EVER do, for EVERY class you'll EVER take, will amaze your fellow students, who will still be slaving over a hot keyboard while you're completely done with the paper. By following the above recommendations, you will mightily impress your profs with your level of specificity -- and therefore depth -- in the paper, and attract a better class of dinner partners.

Last, don't ever tell me "The title of my PAPER is going to be (whatever)." No it is not. The title of your PAPER is the LAST thing you put on your paper. The title of your PAPER is the LAST thing you put on your paper. The title of your PAPER is the LAST thing you put on your paper. The title of your PAPER is the LAST thing you put on your paper. The title of your PAPER is the LAST thing you put on your paper. The title of your PAPER is the LAST thing you put on your paper.

All I want to hear from you is the title of your RESEARCH TOPIC. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE RESEARCH WILL SHOW, SO YOU CAN'T KNOW THE TITLE OF YOUR PAPER UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH AND WRITTEN THE PAPER. If you have selected your research topic title correctly, as articulated above; have done the research correctly, and written what the research showed; and your table of contents is the key to doing each segment of the research, the text of your paper WILL ABSOLUTELY be correct. THEN, put the title of the PAPER on the title page of the paper, without any fear of getting whacked in the head when it is graded.