COM Research Unit

Writing the Introduction

section for the Final Report
Dr. Aamir Omair

12/02/2023 1
 Aim

This session will prepare the

students to write the Introduction
section of the Research report for
publication in a Manuscript

Aim
12/02/2023 2
 Objectives
• By the end of the lecture you will be able to:
– Prepare the Introduction by discussing the general
concept of the research topic
– Present the available relevant evidence as
references within the text
– Identify the different paragraphs required in a
manuscript
– Conclude the introduction section with the
rationale and aim of the research

12/02/2023 3
 Difference between
Background and Introduction
• Background of the Research Proposal was written
with the intention of clarifying the importance and
the necessity of the research study
• Why is the study important and what is the basic
purpose behind the study are the major questions
that were addressed in the Background section

12/02/2023 4
 Difference between
Background and Introduction
Introduction
• Introduction of the manuscript presents the
document in an interesting manner to the reader
• Introduction should be written so that it attracts the
reader to read the entire document
• Important to give good impression to the reviewer of
the manuscript
12/02/2023 5
 Introduction

The introduction starts with a broad basis and

then narrows it down to the particular field of
study, explaining the rationale behind each step.
.

Think of it as an inverted pyramid.

12/02/2023 6
 Introduction

BLUEPRINT TO FOLLOW

12/02/2023 Sterk PJ, Rsbe KF. The joy of writing a paper. Breathe 2008; 4(3):225-32 7
The Main Elements of the Introduction Section of the Research Paper
Introduction
Word count (recommended): 600-800 words
Literature review of previous studies on the subject; and
justification of the study by stating the problem and its
importance

– What is known: General to Specific

– Include Recent and Local references
– Recommend at least Ten (10) references
12/02/2023 9
Split the thinking from the writing
• First do the thinking, and then the writing.
• Start by building a flow chart of the main paragraphs
of the introduction.
• Usually this is about 4–6 paragraphs:
• the general problem,
• the specific dilemma and its relevance,
• why it is still unresolved,
• your idea of how to solve it, and
• aim (at the end of the Introduction section).
12/02/2023 10
Split the thinking from the writing
Prepare a Flow Chart (One box for each paragraph):
• Give each paragraph a single label (to be used in your flow
chart)
• Add the major message of each paragraph to the flow chart
• Finally, add a smooth bridge to the next paragraph.
• Collect, print and read all references for each paragraph and
add them in short on the side of the flow chart
• Adjust the flow chart and references until the reasoning and
the required literature match optimally
• This finishes most of the thinking on this section of your paper
12/02/2023 11
Split the thinking from the writing
• Now you can concentrate on the language and the actual
writing, paragraph by paragraph
• Language and style should be written as if this is going to be
the final version
• All details should be dealt with now, so you don't have to go
over the little things again and again later
• The writing will progress quickly, because it is barely
interrupted by new ideas or additional references
• This part of the paper is finished! You can confidently start
with the next section

12/02/2023 12
Introduction:
Opening Paragraph
General Background of the disease (topic),
problem or issue
– One to two paragraphs explaining to the readers the
general concepts, definitions and general features of
your topic
– Examples: Bronchial asthma definition, epidemiology,
clinical features, diagnosis and management
Always assume that the readers are NOT experts in
your area BUT Do Not try to give a lecture in the
Introduction section – just give relevant reference
12/02/2023 13
Introduction:
2nd / 3rd Paragraphs

The known and unknown facts about the

disease, problem or issue
– Specific details of the problem that are related to
your research topic
– Examples like the methods of treatment of
inflammation in bronchial asthma patients

12/02/2023 14
Introduction:
Rationale (before Last paragraph)

What is the specific unresolved issue or dilemma

of the disease, problem or issue
– Specific discussion about the unanswered or
unresolved issues that you want to study
– Examples like parent education level in providing
medications to their asthma children

12/02/2023 15
Introduction:
Concluding paragraph
• Hypothesis
– Your Research Hypothesis
– What was the thinking and theory about this topic
• The Research Question
– PICO question
• Aim
– What was the Aim of the study
– What did the study want to achieve (overall)

12/02/2023 16
TIPS

• Keep it Short

• Define the Problem

• Organization

12/02/2023 17
Example of weak introduction
Traumatic Brain injury “TBI” can be describe as an interference with the normal function
of brain caused by an external impact such as sustaining an impact to the head causing
disturbance to the brain normal functioning without the penetration of the skin or
penetrating injury e.g. stabbing injury (1).

TBI can be classify further as a mild, and moderate and severe based on the neurological
and clinical presentation such as Glasgow Coma Scale score, radiological normality (2).

TBI is considered one the most causes of the disability and mortality worldwide as it affect
the normal physical, cognitive (3).

• Avoid short para of one sentence

for each reference separately
• Merge into larger paras

• Grammar needs to be improved

12/02/2023 18
our center caters primarily to the National Guard soldiers and
their families, hence, the majority of patients in our center were
Saudi nationals.

• Avoid 1st person “ I, we, us our, etc”

12/02/2023 19
• Considering the large number of patients affected by COVID-19, the variability in
DNR practices internationally, the need for identifying circumstances under which
a DNR order is implemented to a COVID-19 patient and the limited research
surrounding DNR orders in Saudi Arabia,(14) this study aims to understand the
practices of DNR orders in patients with severe COVID-19, identify the factors
influencing DNR orders in COVID-19 patients and evaluate the outcomes of these
patients.

The verb understand is not a

measurable verb, so please
replace it with another verb
that can be measured.

12/02/2023 20
 EXAMPLE OF GOOD INTRODUCTION

Research Topic:

Guillain-Barré Syndrome in Adults in a Decade: The Largest, Single-Center,

Cross-Sectional Study From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
AlKahtani, N. A., Alkhudair, J. A., Bensaeed, N. Z., Alshammari, Y. S., Alanazi, R. F., Khatri, I. A., & Masud, N. (2023). Guillain-Barré Syndrome
in Adults in a Decade: The Largest, Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Cureus, 15(6), e40995.
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.40995
Background: (Instructions: Literature review of previous studies on the subject; and justification
of the study by stating the problem and its importance)

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune post-infectious disease of the peripheral nervous
system that can affect either the myelin sheath that encapsulates the nerve, the nerve fiber itself, or
both simultaneously. It typically presents as an acute or subacute form of ascending weakness and
numbness, usually following a microbial infection [1]. Being a rare disorder, the estimated incidence of
GBS reaches up to two per 100,000 persons per year, and it is found to have slightly higher male
predominance [1,2].
The Background section should be
based on a recent and relevant
literature review related to your
proposed research topic “ 3-4 paras.”

Globally, the incidence of GBS is reported to be higher at 50 years of age and older, and its risk
increases by 20% for every 10-year increase in age [20,21,24]. The majority of our patients were Saudi
nationals. One regional study included only the citizens, whereas another study reported citizens to be
the vast majority of patients with GBS [19,22].
What’s known Locally
& Globally
Although GBS patients can share similar demographic, clinical, and treatment
patterns, regional variations of the disease's natural history are worth
determining, as Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East [1,2]. The
aim of this study was to explore regional demographic trends, clinical patterns,
prevalent neurophysiological subtypes, preferred treatment modalities used, and
outcomes of GBS among adult patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City
(KAMC), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA), in Riyadh,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This study is promising enough to provide a
valuable contribution to the national GBS database to better comprehend vital
demographic, clinical, and neurophysiological patterns of the disease.

The rationale for the study was

explained appropriately
Final Report Evaluation
Important
• Make sure you put a reference or references to any
information or quotation you provide in the
introduction
• Helpful hint:
– You can read from a textbook and/or recent review
articles to get the knowledge about your topic (but cite
the original references not the review articles)
• Update with recent references + add some more
details to references cited earlier in the proposal
• Avoid plagiarism
12/02/2023 25
Important to know
• Author has used his own wordings (paraphrasing)
• Language appears to be above the students level
of competency.
• Paragraphs structured appropriately (4 to 6
paragraphs). “1.5-2 pages, double space”
• Sentences are structured appropriately -
generally linked to each other as opposed to
abrupt sentences cited from different sources
• Spelling errors and Grammatical content
12/02/2023 26