Title page

The title page of a book, thesis or other written work is the page at or near the front which displays its title and author, usually together with information relating to the publication of the book. This is no longer synonymous with frontispiece in modern usage.

Title pages in books

Ideally the title page shows the title of the work, the person or body responsible for its intellectual content, the place of publication, the name of the publisher and the year of publication. Particularly in paperback editions it may contain a shorter title than the cover or lack a descriptive subtitle. Further information about the publication of the book, including its copyright, is frequently printed on the verso of the title page. Also often included there are the ISBN and a printers key, also known as the number line, which indicates the printing status.

The first printed books or incunabula did not have title pages. The text would begin on the first page, and the book would have to be identified by the initial words or incipit.

Title pages in papers and theses

In the case of an academic paper, the title page also lists class information (such as the course name and number), identification information (such as the student number), the date, name of the professor, and name of the institution. The title page is not numbered.

Title pages are not required in all citation styles; instead, some styles require that the same information is placed at the top of the essay's first page.

The title page for a thesis contains the full title, the author's name and academic credentials, the degree-granting faculty and department name, the name of the university and date of graduation, and the universal copyright symbol. The thesis title page is usually page i, but is not numbered; the abstract (page ii) is the first numbered page.

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