Writing the Introduction Section

In writing an article about my chemical research, I like to use as a model a travel or travel-adventure article that might appear in a magazine or in the travel section of a newspaper. Because, after all, what is research but a voyage to a completely unknown place where everything is new. So the first few paragraphs of the article [the Introduction] should tell the potential reader where we are going and why. 

This chapter focuses on the Introduction, the first formal section of the journal article. The Introduction is often the first section to be read (by readers) but the last section to be written (by writers). This is because the Introduction must tell readers where the article is going and why , a mission that is most easily accomplished after the rest of the sections have been completed. By the end of this chapter, you should be able to do following  

As you work through the chapter, you will write an Introduction section for your own paper. The Writing on Your Own tasks throughout the chapter guide you step-by step as you do the following  

6A Read and paraphrase the literature 6B Prepare to write 6C Draft your opening paragraph 6D Identify a gap 

See chapter 17 for information on how and what to cite from the primary literature. 

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Using parts 2 and 3 of the Peer Review Memo on the Write Like a Chemist Web site, review the Discussion section below. We have included the last paragraph from the Introduction section to help you better understand the Discussion. You do not need to review the Introduction. Provide specihc suggestions that your classmate can use to improve the Discussion section. (The Discussion section below is adapted from an original source, noted in the Instructor s Answer Key.) [Excerpt from the Introduction]... 

In chapters 3-5, we suggested that you begin Writing on Your Own by reviewing the targeted section (i.e., Methods, Results, and Discussion) in each of the articles that you collected during your literature search. To prepare to write the Introduction, however, we recommend that you review each article in its entirety, in order to summarize the major findings of each work. 

Experienced writers know how to make their words flow, logically linking thoughts and ideas. One way to achieve fluidity in your writing, particularly in the Introduction section, is to use words or short phrases that create obvious linkages between sentences and/or add emphases to your writing. Consider the italicized examples below. Note how many of these words and phrases are followed by a comma. 

Also explain the following to a friend who hasn t yet given much thought to writing an Introduction section for a journal article ... 

Quantum mechanics shows that the fusion reaction probability is also proportional to a geometrical factor nX oc HE, where X in this context is the de Broglie wavelength. The strong energy dependence of this factor and the barrier penetrability have prompted the introduction of the astrophysical S-function (Burbidge et al. 1957), defined by writing the cross section as a product of three factors ... 

Hook the reader. The introduction should not only get the reader s attention, but compel him or her to keep reading. The next section examines some of the many ways to write a successful hook. 

At long last, we ask you to read the Introduction to the aldehydes-in-beer article (excerpt 6A). If you have progressed through these textbook chapters sequentially, you have already read the Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. Admittedly, this order may seem a bit unusual. Remember, however, we want you to read the Introduction through the eyes of the writer, not the reader. As authors write their Introduction, they already know what unfolds in the rest of their paper now you, too, have this perspective. (If necessary, refer back to chapters 3—5, and excerpts 3A and 4A, to refresh your memory.) As you read the Introduction, consider how the authors introduce their story of scientific discovery. 

Select three different chemistry-specific journals. In each journal, find two articles that include gap statements in their Introduction sections. Write down the name of the journal, the gap statement (either restated or verbatim), and the location of the gap statement (near the beginning, middle, or end of the Introduction). Comment on whether the gap statement serves as a transition between describing previous work and the current work. 

Following the move structure of an Introduction section, as shown in figure 6.1, write a draft of your full Introduction. 

The first suggestion to make your writing more concise is to eliminate the names of scientists and the titles of their works from your sentences. (If relevant, this information is included in the references, so it is redundant to repeat it in the text.) The authors of the six key articles in this textbook followed this advice more than 125 articles were cited in their Introduction sections, but authors names appeared only once What this means, then, is to make the science the subject of your sentences. Consider the following examples ... 

Imagine that you are writing a paper on lead concentrations in particulate matter in Houston, Texas. You want to summarize the results of Smith and Caine (2007) in your Introduction section. Your notes are given below. Convert your notes into one or two concise sentences for your Introduction, grouping related items with one of the patterns described above. Check your sentence(s) for proper punctuation and parallelism. 

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