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How to write
an
Introduction
?
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Objectives of the session

-To know the basic structure for writing an

introduction and the importance of each item

-To understand the importance of attracting
the attention of readers/ audience/journal
editors
-What to do and what not to do ?

Why bother writing a good

introduction?
The

opening paragraph of your paper will

provide your readers with their initial
impressions of your argument, your
writing style, and the overall quality of
your work
Your introduction is an important road
map for the rest of your paper
Ideally, your introduction should make
your readers want to read your paper

What should an
introduction do?
3

main things:

Get your readers attention and interest

Identify the specific topic of the report/
manuscript
Conceptualize your argument or
discussion

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Introduction
Before

beginning, consider:

What do I have to say?

Why is it worth saying ?
What is the right format for the message?
What is the audience for the message ?
Which journal are you aiming for?

Skeleton of an
introduction
Background

Importance of the topic

Global, regional and local data
(magnitude)
Build up a convincing argument

Objectives
Hypothesis
Rational

Strategies for writing an

effective introduction
Start

by thinking about the question

(or questions) you are trying to answer

start off with a big picture sentence or two about the

power of education as a force for change as a way of
getting your reader interested and then focus in on
the details of your argument

Dont

be afraid to write a tentative

introduction first and then change it
later

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Introduction

Why you have undertaken the study ?

Main job of the introduction

Set out to answer a question that really interests you

The best question may arise directly from clinical practice
Need for enhancing preventive aspect
To build upon the current knowledge beliefs and practices
To improve quality of life with rehabilitative concern
Build on scientific work already published
Make clear how your work adds importantly to what has
gone before

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Introduction
Keep it short
Do not try to impress readers by summarizing
every-thing that has gone before
Choose references, which are relevant, recent
(preferably last 5 8 yrs)
Convince readers and editors that your study
is better than previous studies
A more detailed critique of the other studies
can be left for the discussion

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Introduction
Make

sure that you are aware of earlier

studies :

Published
Unpublished
Currently underway (thesis, synopsis)
Help from librarians
Personal contacts with people who are experts
in the subject

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Introduction
Convince your readers of the importance of the
question you are answering
Do not repeat material, which is in all the
textbooks
Giving prevalence figures, data on hospital
admissions and the cost to the nation related to
the problem may be appropriate
State the gaps in the literature on the topic you
are covering and how you have tried to fill this gap
by performing the present study?

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Introduction
Dont

baffle your audience

Avoid introducing, without explanation,
material that is completely unfamiliar to
the reader or audience
Avoid abbreviations as far as possible

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Introduction
Give

the studys design but not the

conclusion

A one sentence description of the study at the

end of the introduction is appropriate. e.g

We therefore conducted a double blind

randomized study with 5- year follow up
to determine whether--------

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Introduction
Get

the structure right:

- General nature of the problem

- Background and work to-date
- The research question related to the
objective (at the end)

Stay

away from opinionated statements

and quotations in scientific paper

How to evaluate your

introduction draft
Ask

a friend to read it and then tell you

what he or she expects the paper will
discuss
If your friend is able to predict the rest
of your paper accurately, you probably
have a good introduction

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Conclusion
While writing introduction

Keep in mind your readers/audience

Keep it short
Tell readers why you have done the study
Explain why it is important
Convince them, using data from previous
studies; the advantage or an upper edge of
your study to what has been done before
In the last paragraph of introduction
provide the objectives of the research

References
The

writing center. University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introd
uctions/
Visit York Centre for Academic Writing online
resources at:
http://www.arts.yorku.ca/caw/resources.html
Acknowledgements;
Dr

Riaz Qureshi, Proff of Family medicine, KSU

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THANK YOU

QUESTIONS???

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