Anglès:

Research article introduction

Structure of a research article introduction

The introduction is not just a mere summary of the points of your research article; you need to arrange a scheme, i.e. lay out the ideas that will be discussed next. A common organization principle uses the analogy of an inverted pyramid which goes from the general to the specific:

This pyramidal layout focuses the reader's attention and provides a certain background context which will help fully understand the thesis or purpose statements.

Look again at the argumentative introduction you read before and see if you can identify any of the elements in the pyramid.

In this example the opening sentence is an attention-grabbing device ("Do you know what The Wizard of Oz is really about?"); the general statement revises usual interpretations of the novel ("a young girl leaving home facing the harshness of life", "there is no place like home"); the thesis statement is a controversial one: it claims that usual interpretations of the novel are wrong ("the characters in the story indicate something much deeper.") Finally, the subdivision of statement suggests the possibility that the right explanation is that Dorothy feels dissatisfied and lonely.

Exercise:

The following are sentences taken from the introduction of a research article titled "The Three Africas". Tick off the element of the pyramid they represent:

Sentences	Opening sentence	General statement	Thesis or purpose	Subdivisions
Hollywood films have shrunk the public image of this immense, varied continent into a small segment of its actual diversity.
When many people hear the word Africa, they picture steaming jungles and gorillas.
To have a more accurate picture of the whole continent, however, one should remember that there are, roughly, three Africas, each with its distinct climate and terrain.
The continent can be divided into the northern desert areas, the south-eastern grasslands, and the tropical jungles to the southwest.

- Click here to see the whole introductory paragraph.

- Click here if you want to see the whole article.

Not all of the elements of the pyramid are present in all introductions. The general statement and the subdivisions of statement, for instance, can be missing depending on the topic and the audience you're addressing your piece to. In this respect, the preliminary steps you take to prepare a research article are not that different from the ones you take for an oral presentation. But there can be no introduction (as there can be no research article) without an opening sentence and a thesis statement. They are the core of your writing.