The Introduction template presents a common structure used as a way to engage readers of peer-reviewed articles. Of importance, the structure to be presented here is one among many structure that might work, but this is certainly not the only one.
The length of each section in this template is not stipulated, primarily because length will depend on the target journal and what might have been established as socially acceptable within that local scientific community. This means that all four text blocks presented below could be written in a single paragraph or in two pages.
- Significance means the importance of the field as a whole rather than of your research question
- Focus on facts rather than opinions
- When citing facts, necessarily provide references pointing to results within the cited article. Do not cite an article because of an opinion its author might have stated unless you specify in your manuscript that this was an opinion. Above all, do not cite articles for statements they have cited from others
- Adapt facts to a level that is humanly meaningful. For example, if a rare condition affects about 400 people in the US every year, you can bring that information to a human level by stating that approximately one case of that condition occurs every day in the US.
- According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, global forest cover was reduced by more than 70 Mha since 1990, an area larger than France and roughly 0.5% of the global land area. The main driver of deforestation is agricultural expansion [1], [2]. (Pagnutti, 2013)
- Depression in adolescence is a serious public health issue, with concerning developmental and psychosocial consequences including increased risk of suicide [1,2]. Adolescent depression tends to run a relapsing course persisting well into adulthood [3], and is associated with long-term impairments in occupational performance, interpersonal functioning, physical health and quality of life [4]. (Stapinski, 2013)
- Something that is missing in the literature. This is arguably the single most important point of your paper, since if there is no gap, there is no original article
- Since the gap is so important, you have to thoroughly review the literature before you establish that something is indeed a gap
- Only point to a gap that you plan on addressing. If you do point to other gaps that will not be addressed in your paper, your readers will feel misled.
- Although some authors tend to state their gap later in the Introduction, stating it earlier on will send a clear message to your reader in relation to where you are going. If you wait, their ability to understand your manuscript will be diminished since they will be wondering where exactly your argument might be taking them.
- Try to avoid weak gaps where you state that others have done what you are proposing, but that more would be better. In other words, try to claim something that is absolutely unique about your study. If you can't find it, then it might be a good strategy to refine your research question.
- Although China is an important region in Asia, there is a lack of data concerning the prevalence of NSP and LBP in Chinese adolescents and their influencing factors. (Shan, 2013)
- Whether modified and unmodified g14-3-3 have distinct functions and whether they can functionally complement one or more isoforms of a higher eukaryote is currently unknown. (Lalle, 2013)
- The main role of the literature review in the Introduction is not to educate readers. Instead, its main role is to reinforce the existence of the gap that was previously stated
- Since the gap is an information that does not exist yet, the literature review should focus on the borders of that gap.
- After the borders are stated, then reinforce the existence of the gap
- Although they tested the model performance in a study population consisting of both women with palpable and women with nonpalpable disease and reported a reasonable model performance, presence of suspicious microinvasion is the only predictor in their model that discriminates within the group of patients with a nonpalpable lesion who are diagnosed by stereotactic LCNB. (Diepstraten, 2013)
- While interactions between ICP4 and components of TFIID and Mediator have been demonstrated [17,18,20], the forms of TFIID and Mediator that associate with ICP4 are currently not known. (Wagner, 2013)
- The objective of the study should be a mirror of the gap. In other words, if you have signaled with the presence of a given gap, then your objective should be aligned with that gap.
- Briefly describe your research design, and you might also want to state hypothesis if applicable
- In the present series of experiments, the effects of galanin activation on morphine-induced CPP memories were evaluated by administing galnon at different time points and phases of the CPP paradigm. (Zhao, 2013)
- We examined spatial genetic patterns in European wolves to determine whether results based on SNP analyses 1) appear consistent with previous findings from mtDNA and microsatellites, and 2) improve resolution of population genetic structure across the continent. (Stronen, 2013)
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