Introduction

By Xiaochi Liu in Scientific Writing

The introduction is an argument. It needs to persuade your reader that:

  • The research area is important, relevant and interesting

  • Your study is necessary and unique (and timely)

  • Your paper is worth publishing/reading in full

Problem / Solution 

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Drafting Process

  1. Write an aim statement for your intro (move 3.1)

    We hypothesized that…

    We tested the hypothesis that…

    We asked whether…

    To answer this question,….

    This prompted us to investigate whether…

    To resolve this apparent difference…

    We solved this problem by…

    The purpose of our study was…

  2. Identify the gap or need for further work (move 2)

    There has been no research to date on…

    The question still remains whether…

    However, little research has been conducted on…

    Few studies have investigated…

    Previous studies have failed to…

    But, Although, However, Despite, While

    • Counter claiming (something is wrong)

      Recent advances, however, indicate the methods used for analysing the samples are flawed.

    • Indicating a gap (something is missing)

      Recent advances, however, indicate the methods used for analysing the samples are flawed.

    • Raising a question of making an inference (something is unclear)

      These findings suggest that the spatial distribution of rocks might affect the surface heat flow.

    • Continuing a tradition (adding something)

      It would therefore be interesting to extend these studies to purified vesicular preparations.

  3. Draft the setting. Think about the intended audience and their interests and background knowledge (move 1)

    • Provide general background to your area

    • Sentence 1 is often an obvious, generally accepted statement about the area in which you are working. (A definition of a key term can work.)

    • The text then moves the reader closer to your specific topic, i.e. from General to Specific.

  4. Arrange information from the literature (move 1.3)

    • Locating your study in the field

    • To move closer to your area, you can introduce and review more specific aspects of the area that have already been studied by others.

    • You need to determine how you will organise these “more specific aspects”

      1. Studies most distantly related to yours -> Studies most closely related to yours

      2. Chronological order

      3. Different approaches to the research problem (group the papers/method, focus, etc..!)

  5. Combine stages to form complete introduction

    • Add/rearrange sentences for logical development and flow

    • It is common to establish niches as you describe previous research (move 1.3), rather than to review all the literature and then point out the gaps that need filling.

    • It is more persuasive to ‘build the gap’ by describing the contributions and limitations of previous research, than by simply stating that your research fills a gap (eg “This research is motivated by the gap in the literature”)

    • Improving flow

      • Informative topic sentences

      • Progress from old > new information: Start text with some familiar information; Following sentence, repeat some information from the previous sentence

      • Repeat key terms

      • Keep a consistent order: If you list 2 or more items in the topic sentence, describe/explain them in the same order

      • Use this + summary/category term: this reduction, this improvement, this theory, this situation

    • Verb tense

      • Present tense: When citing others’ work to establish the importance of your work; To talk about general background information

        This functional group has roles in coordination chemistry.

      • Present perfect tense: When citing others’ work that is still believed to be true

        This functional group has been shown to have roles in coordination chemistry.

    • Citation styles

      1. According to Kim (2004), bilbies do not eat apples.

      2. Several researchers have demonstrated that bilbies have a fondness for chocolate (ref).

      3. Bilbies have a fondness for chocolate (ref).

Final thoughts

They are shorter than you probably think!

  • Typically 3 paragraphs long

  • Recommended range: 2-5 paragraphs

Some information -> discussion section

  • Avoid unnecessary overlap between introduction and discussion sections