Developing an Introduction: The inverted pyramid Today’s agenda: 1.Learn the structure and function of the introduction of a scientific paper. 2.Examine the Introductions of the papers that students chose. How are they similar and different? What works and what doesn’t? 3.In-class writing and peer editing—applying the “inverted pyramid.”

Study goals: hypotheses Broadest scope, designed to appeal to diverse readers Progressively narrower scope: concepts, species, geographical scale, etc., with a smooth connection at each transition to avoid losing any readers that we started with.

The first and last paragraphs of the Introduction “pin down” the paper by defining the broadest scope of the paper and the specific goals. The broadest scope, in the first paragraph, depends on the audience. If you are writing for a fish or fisheries journal you may start with fish concepts or themes, whereas a paper in an ecology or behavior or evolution journal might begin with general themes and examples from other taxa before narrowing the focus to fishes. The last paragraph needs to be very specific, expressing the overall objectives and specific hypotheses of the study. The more specific the better.

Structure within paragraphs: Each paragraph should have topic sentence, a series of sentences in logical order, and a concluding sentence that provides a link to the next paragraph. Awkward transitions between paragraphs are a sure way to lose readers (or points on papers, if you care about that).

Class activity: Examination of Introductions in published papers written by scientists and chosen by students. Focus, not on the details, but on the structure. Did the author begin with a broad scope and lead us to the goals and hypotheses? Were the transitions smooth or abrupt?

Class activity: Writing and peer editing—spent 20 minutes or so drafting an Introduction to your own chosen project. Do your best to apply the “inverted pyramid” approach. Then, trade places and edit the work of your colleague using track changes.

Assignment: Prepare a draft of the Introduction to your own study, incorporating edits provided by your peers and sticking to the concept of the “inverted pyramid.” Concentrate especially on the overall goal and the specific hypothesis. Choose your words carefully; try to be precise and, if possible, quantitative and predictive. it to me by the end of the day on Tuesday, as a file in MS Word, using your name and “Introduction” (e.g., “ZacIntro.docx”).