How to write an Introduction (tutorial)

1. How to write an Introduction(tutorial) DrHafsaRaheelArmin Oct 2013

2. Objectives of the session • By the end of the session the students should be able to ; • Understand the structure of an introduction to a manuscript\report

3. Structure of a manuscript/report • Abstract • Introduction • Materials and methodology • Results • Discussion • Conclusion • Acknowledgement • References

4. Skeleton of an introduction • Background • Importance of the topic • Global, regional and local data (magnitude) • Build up a convincing argument • Objectives • Hypothesis • Rational

5. Frequently asked questions 1. How long should my introduction be? One common mistake is to write an introduction that is too long; the introduction is so detailed that it is indistinguishable from the body of the essay! As a rule, an introduction should not be longer than about 8% (about 1/4th) of the length of the essay.Forexample, the introduction of a ten, fifteen, and twenty- page essay should be a maximum of about a page, apage and a quarter, and one and a half pages respectively.

6. Frequently asked questions 2. How detailed should the introduction be? Another common mistake is that the introduction is so detailed that it fails to indicate the topic of the paper in a clear way! The introduction only needs to state the topic, general structure, and thesis of the paper.

7. Frequently asked questions 3. Why am I finding it hard to write the introduction? • Its absolutely normal to be worried as this may be your first time • Language barrier • write at least a draft of the body and redefine it later on

8. Frequently asked questions 4. What is an introduction for? Is it a summary? An introduction is not a summary. A summary repeats the main ideas of an essay. An introduction introduces the reader to the topic of the essay, describes the organizational structure of the essay, and explains the point of the essay

9. Frequently asked questions 6. How many paragraphs should I use for the introduction? Introductions vary in length according to your purpose, writing style, the complexity of your topic, and the length of your essay

10. Frequently asked questions 7. how do I write the references? • Vancouver reference styling is the preferred But its wise to refer to the author's guidelines of the journal you intend to submit to

11. How to evaluate your introduction draft • Ask a friend to read it and then tell you what he or she expects the paper will discuss • If your friend is able to predict the rest of your paper accurately, you probably have a good introduction

12. Examples of introduction

13. Comments and discussion?

14. References • The writing center. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/ • Visit York Centre for Academic Writing online resources at: http://www.arts.yorku.ca/caw/resources.html