1. Writing Your Introduction

3. What Does Your Reader Expect?
Answers to the following questions:
What exactly is the work?
Why is the work important?
What is needed to understand the work?
How will the work be presented?

4. What Exactly is the Work?
What is this about?
Scope and limitations
How broad/specific is the work?
Limitations are assumptions made the limit the scope’s boundaries
e.g. “We restrict this analysis to the Atlantic basin, since a global study would be time intensive”
Be sure to justify your limitations – don’t leave your reader wondering why

5. Establish the relevance of the work

6. What is the Importance? Why should the reader care? Funding agencies
A scientific document is not like the National Enquirer
Funding agencies
Arouse the reader’s curiosity
Cool facts, anecdote

7. This paper studies the social skills of llamas. The importance of
understanding llama social skills is widely known and critical for
the human race.
Llamas have been observed to spit, bite, harass, and stomp
on unsuspecting humans in a fit of rage; even to the point of
killing 3 people last year. Thus, it is prudent to study
llama social behavior so that humans can avoid the negative
experiences in the future.

8. What is needed to understand the work?
How about a LITERATURE REVIEW!
Summarizes past work
Puts the current work in context
Justifies the reason for doing the work
Audience awareness
Be selective in choosing sources
space limitations; excitement limitations
Not all understanding has to be in the introduction

9. How will the work be presented?
Readers want to know what to expect
Once you tell them, don’t deviate!