How to write an introduction Giacomo Novara, M.D. , F.E.B.U. Associate professor of urology, university of Padua, Italy Associate editor European Urology giacomonovara@gmail.com 1
Introduction Clearly and simply explain What the knowledge in the filed is What the gap in the knowledge is (the research question) Why filling the gap is important Why it is relevant, why it is original Very briefly how it will be answered
Introduction Summarize other relevant papers in orderly (logic) fashion to set the background Very often epidemiologic studies are cited
Introduction Summarize other relevant papers in orderly (logic) fashion to set the background Very often epidemiologic studies are cited Use the best available pieces evidence (prefer a systematic review whenever available) Otherwise use the most important papers (not all the ones you coauthored) Not be an in-depth literature review Not a summery of all the papers you read
Introduction Consider the style of the journal some journals typically prefers very short introduction Consider the number of references allowed often just 30 (you cannot use 25 in the Introduction!)
Introduction Consider the profile of the journal readers For urological journals, urologists clearly know most of the background story For non-urological journals, the readership is wider and less likely to know the details
Introduction An excellent study has an obviously important and original question, and therefore needs only brief introduction. Make it short: 250-500 words, ~3-4 paragraphs, 1 page
Introduction structure 1st paragraph: brief background in present tense to establish context, relevance, or nature of the problem, question, or purpose (what we know) 2nd paragraph: importance of the problem and unclear issues (what we do not know - gap in knowledge - why it is important to fill that gap) 3rd paragraph: rationale, hypothesis, main objective, or purpose (why the study was done - hypothesis for how you will fill that gap in knowledge).
Importance of the problem The purpose of the present Introduction Background Importance of the problem and unclear issues The purpose of the present study is …
Good example
Good example (II)
Good example (non urology journal)
Good example (non urology journal)
Improvable Introduction
Final tricks Writing intro last can prevent writer’s block and is easier Do not start from Adam and Eve Do not include things which do not belong to this section (results or conclusions) Do not include tables and figures