A Brief Introduction to a
Journal Introduction
1Department
Bill Knowlton1,2
of Materials Science & Engineering
of Electrical Engineering
Boise State University
2Department
MSE 478/578 Scientific Communication in Materials Science &
Engineering
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Anatomy Overview – Tying it all together
Results
Discussion
Hypothesis or Knowledge Gap
Supporting
Idea or
Finding
g1
CT or
Sim
1
Supporting
Idea or
Finding
g2
CT or
Sim
2
CT or
Sim
3
Introduction
Supporting
Idea or
Finding 3
CT or
Sim
4
CT or
Sim
5
CT = Characterization Technique
Sim = Simulation/calculations/modeling
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Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
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I. Introduction: Overview
Introduction sets the stage for your
Conclusion
If the Conclusion of your study is “There is
109 nm in a meter”
Then the Knowledge Gap would be the
answer to the question: “How many nm in a
meter?”
The Introduction should;
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Beg this question
Then demonstrate that the question cannot be
answered by the current literature
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I. Introduction: Overview
Overall – you are establishing an argument
that there is a gap in the scientific
knowledge
Start with a scientific statement that is
widely accepted
Choose your audience relative to your journal
Choose a beginning point that most of its
readers should already know or accept
Then lead your reader, step-by-step:
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From the known (shown in the literature)
To the unknown (Knowledge Gap)
Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
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I. Introduction: Overview
Lead the reader into the specific area of your
research problem
Use the Chain Approach (see Paragraph Lecture)
of published literature (observations)
Lead the reader straight to the place where your
Conclusion should be
Then pose the question that your Conclusion
answers
Explain that the answer is currently unknown
Show your reader the “known border” around the
gap
Support with most relevant available published
literature
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Intro: The Funnel Approach
Use the funnel approach
“Big Picture” & “Your Area”
Big picture: 1 to 2 sentences
Your area: 2-3 sentences
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Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
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Intro: The Funnel Approach
Write towards “Your topic” specific to your research
Literature review
Your topic: 1-3 paragraphs
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Intro: The Funnel Approach
State the “Knowledge Gap”
Knowledge gap: 1-2 paragraphs
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Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
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Intro: The Funnel Approach
State how “Your Study” fills the “Knowledge Gap”
& what the implications are of “Your Study”
Your Study: 1 brief paragraph
Implications: 1-2 sentences 9
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Intro: The Funnel Approach
Summarizing:
Big picture: 1 to 2 sentences
Your area: 2-3 sentences
Your topic: 1-3 paragraphs
Knowledge gap: 1-2 paragraphs
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Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
Your Study: 1 brief paragraph
Implications: 1-2 sentences 10
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I. Introduction: Approximate Length
of Each Section
I. Introduction: (present tense) Funnel approach starting
broad and funneling down
Big picture: 1 to 2 sentences
Motivate the field of your research.
What is the overall interest in your research field?
Use review articles to help you.
Your area: 2-3 sentences
Motivate the area of your research
What is specific interest in your research area or field?
Use review articles and the publications most relevant to your
research to help you.
Your topic: 1-3 paragraphs
Cover published work by others in the field
Cover your previous work in the field
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I. Introduction: Approximate Length
of Each Section
I. Introduction: (present tense) Funnel approach starting
broad and funneling down
Knowledge gap: 1-2 paragraphs
State 2-3 aspects of what is missing in the literature.
State the questions that are unresolved by this knowledge gap.
State how Your Study addresses these questions &
perhaps the implications: 1 paragraph
Implications: (sometimes) state the implications of your
work. 1-2 sentences
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Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
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In-Class Exercise – Part 1 (15 minutes)
In the INTRODUCTION of 2-4 of the
journal articles (regular & letter) that most
closely relates to your work, do the
following:
Look for similarities and differences in:
Regular Journal article -VS- Letter Journal article
How they (Regular Journal article & Letter Journal article) outlined
their INTRODUCTION versus how we outlined the
INTRODUCTION in class = FUNNEL
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In-Class Exercise – Part 2 (20 minutes)
In the INTRODUTION of 2-4 of the journal
articles (regular & letter) that most closely
relates to your work, do the following:
Find and write down the sentence that reveals the
Knowledge Gap & Implications:
For these sentences, determine the knowledge gap aspect &
the marketing (implications) aspect
Describe the similarities and dissimilarities
Describe what you like and what you do not like and how you
might make them better
Count the number of References in each section within
each of the INTRODUCTION SECTIONS.
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Determine which section has the most and the least number of
references.
Discuss why this might be the case
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Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
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In-Class Exercise – Part 2 (20 minutes)
In the INTRODUCTION of 2-4 of the journal
articles (regular & letter) that most closely
relates to your work, do the following:
In the INTRODUCTION, identify how they linked
sentences within each paragraph
List Structure
Chain Structure
Combo List-Chain Structure
Identify how they linked paragraphs within the
INTRODUCTION:
List Structure
Chain Structure
Combo List-Chain Structure
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In-Class Exercise – Part 2 (20 minutes)
1-3 Teams will discuss their findings to the class
Class will provide:
Provide encouragement
Feedback
All Teams – Take Notes!
Come up with Do’s & Don’ts of writing Introductions (take
notes!) relative to question below
Email them to me
Question: should we augment/change the
Introduction outline we have presented in class?
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Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
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I. Introduction: Other Advice?
Augment???
Change???
Add: Do’s and Don’ts???
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References for this overview:
[1] Day, R. “How to write and publish a scientific
paper”, 5th ed. (Orynx Press, 1998)
[2] Michael Jay Katz, "From Research to
Manuscript: A Guide to Scientific Writing"
Springer; 2nd ed. edition (January 29, 2009) pp.
210.
[3] Eschew Obfuscation: Advice on Writing
Clearly, Larry J. Forney, Dept. of Biological
Sciences, Professor Trish Hartzell, PhD.
Department of Microbiology, Molecular Biology,
and Biochemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow,
ID; presented at the 2008 INBRE Conference,
Boise, ID
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Bill Knowlton - Boise State University
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