Writing the introduction in

research synopsis

Dr. Aftab Ahmed Mirza Baig, PhD (HPESS),

MSAPT| HEC Approved PhD Supervisor (Medical Sciences) |
Secretary IRB | Senior Physiotherapist | Sindh Institute of
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
 Why introduction?
• A well-written introduction is the most
efficient way to hook your reader and set the
context of your proposed research
• opportunity to demonstrate that your
research has not been done before and that
the proposed project will really add something
new to the existing body of literature.
 In order to help you write the
Introduction to your own research, the
model you build must answer the
following three questions:
1. How do writers normally start the
Introduction?
2. What type of information should be
in my Introduction, and in what
order?
3. How do writers normally end the
Introduction?
 Introduction writing
importance of this research topic
(hook the attention / create thunder

General Back ground

information

Literature
Statement of
problem
Rationale
Objective
 Introduction writing
importance of this research topic
(hook the attention / create thunder

General Back ground

information

What is available
Literature
Statement of
What Missing & how you will find problem
out
Rationale
Objective
Generally, it argues
Illustrate the gap in the research
(rationale)
 Sometimes the literature review will
emphasize
• Failure of previous research methods to address
the problem
or
• Indicate that a specific population has not been
studied
or
• Explain that a different method of measuring
outcomes has not been tried
Establishes the theoretical constructs
Illustrates the magnitude of the
problem
Presents the hypotheses, purposes, or
objectives of the study
To start writing introduction

Research question
 Developing Answerable Research Questions

Selection

Theoretical
Topic Problem Question
framework
How to identify and select topic?
How to identify and select problem?
Articulating research problems is to develop
a series of logical statements that can be thought of as

howevers
• Contradiction to
given
• Pointing out gaps in
existing information
How to identify and select Theoretical
Framework?
After a problem is selected, it needs to be
placed into a theoretical framework that will
allow it to be viewed in relation to other
research Problem

Theoretical
Framework
How to identify and select a Question?
• Research questions or statements of purpose
is developed for which results are measurable
 Using Existing Research to Develop
New Research Problems
General Form of Problem Specific Hypothetical Question

• Studying a well- • Is clinical depression

known clinical present in
phenomenon in the individuals with
context of a new acquired spinal cord
population injury?
 Using Existing Research to Develop
New Research Problems
General Form of Problem Specific Hypothetical Question

• Studying subgroups • What is the

of clinical comparison of
populations youngers with
cervical pain who
remain active from
those who do not?
 Using Existing Research to Develop
New Research Problems
General Form of Problem Specific Hypothetical Question

• Extending previous • Would the same

work by modifying results have been
aspects of the achieved if
independent physiotherapy
variable sessions were
conducted more
frequently?
 Using Existing Research to Develop
New Research Problems
General Form of Problem Specific Hypothetical Question

• Extending previous • Does aquatic therapy for

individuals with knee
work by adding new osteoarthritis improve
participation levels and
dependent variables health-related quality of
life, in addition to its
established impact on
impairment measures such
as strength and range of
motion?
 Criteria for Evaluating Research
Problems
N
Novel
I
Interesting
E
Ethical

F
Feasible
Good
research
R
Relevant
problem
Research Research
question objective
 Research objective
• An objective is an intent of what the
researcher wants to do stated in clear
measurable terms.

Objective
Subjective
 Can you give some example?
• To determine the frequency of LBP in pregnancy
amongst women visiting the obstetrical outdoor of
Civil hospital
• To compare the treatment A with treatment B for the
patients with cervical rediculopathy.
• To compare the results of quadriceps isometric
exercise and hamstring stretching to increase knee
ROM after arthroscopy for knee effusion.
Aim: To determine the impact of a Mediterranean diet on
cardiac health among adults over 50.
• Objective 1: To assess changes in cardiovascular health
metrics after following a Mediterranean diet for six
months.
• Objective 2: To compare these health metrics with a
similar group who follow their regular diet.
• Objective 3: To document participants’ experiences and
adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
Research Research Operational
question objective definitions
 Make
Research Research Operational
master file
question objective definitions
of literature
Boolean Operations help for literature
search
 Significance of study
• It consists benefits or advantages of the study
based on the statement of the problem.
• Narrow the significance from general (society)
to a specific group or person
 Activity
• Now make your Research question, problem,
objective or hypothesis with separate
headings
• You may use pen and paper
• Doesn’t matter whatever you write it will give
a structure and can be corrected.
 Grammar and Writing Skills in
Introduction
• TENSE PAIRS
• SIGNALLING LANGUAGE
• PASSIVE/ACTIVE USE
• PARAGRAPHING
 TENSE PAIRS
(a) I live in Karachi. (Present Simple)
– permanent situation
(b) I’m living in Karachi. (Present Continuous)
– temporary situation
• Present Simple tense
For accepted facts and truths
(a) Past Simple:
• I lived in Lahore for 5 years…
• but I don’t live there anymore.
(b) Present Perfect:
• I have lived in Lahore for 5 years
• and I still live there NOW.
c) Past Simple:
• I broke my glasses…
• but it doesn’t matter/ I repaired them.
d) Present Perfect:
• I have broken my glasses…
• and so I can’t see properly NOW
 Example

* Note: a little means ‘a small amount’, but little means

‘virtually none’

Past Simple tense and the Present Perfect tense

are used for previous research.
 SIGNALLING LANGUAGE
• Sentence connection
– To overlap, meaning to repeat something from
the previous sentence:
– to use a pronoun (it, they) or pro-form (this
method, these systems) to glue the sentences
together:
• To join the sentence to the next with a
semicolon or a relative clause (a ‘which’
clause).
• When two sentences are very closely related
and one of them is quite short:
• To use a signaling sentence connector to
indicate the relationship between one
sentence and the next, or one part of a
sentence and the next.
CAUSE
• The experiment was unsuccessful ________
the measuring instruments were inaccurate.
• The experiment was unsuccessful ________
the inaccuracy of the measuring instruments.
due to (the fact that) as

on account of (the fact that) because

in view of (the fact that) since

RESULT
• The measuring instruments were calibrated
accurately, ________ the experiment was
successful.
therefore as a result (of which)
consequently which is why
hence so
CONTRAST/DIFFERENCE
• British students are all vegetarians,
__________ Norwegian students eat meat
every day.
however on the other hand

whereas while

but by contrast

Some experiments used uncalibrated instruments and

succeeded; conversely, other experiments used carefully
calibrated instruments and failed.
ADDITION
• We used a batch processing system because it
was more effective; ___________ it was
faster.
in addition also

moreover secondly (etc)

furthermore in the second place (etc.)

apart from that/which what is more,

Passive/Active
• If you are referring to people in general, it’s better
to use a construction with It (It is known/ thought
that…) rather than We know/think that…
• You can also use a ‘dummy’ subject to take the
place of I or we:
– This research aims to compare two treatment
interventions
– The present study included patients with L4-L5 disc
herniation
 PARAGRAPHING
• Write down each idea/concept that you want to
talk about
• Check that they are in a logical order
• List what you want to say about each, using
bullet points.
• This will help you create paragraphs that have a
logical and coherent structure.
 Key elements
ESTABLISHING SIGNIFICANCE AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• This includes phrases such as Much research in recent years. The good
commonly used words and expressions could be used in your first sentences.
PREVIOUS AND/OR CURRENT RESEARCH AND CONTRIBUTIONS
• This includes all past tense verbs describing what researchers did, i.e. calculated,
monitored, etc. Instead of just using did, showed and found, you often need to
be more specific about what a researcher actually ‘did’!
GAP/PROBLEM/QUESTION/PREDICTION
• This includes ways to say exactly how previous and/or current research is not yet
complete or has not addressed the problem your paper deals with, i.e. However,
few studies have focused on…
PURPOSE
• This may include your purpose, your strategy and the design of your paper, using
language such as the aims of the present work are as follows:
 We have, therefore, answered the three
questions we set at the beginning
1. How do I start the Introduction? What type
of sentence should I begin with?
2. What type of information should be in my
Introduction, and in what order?
3. How do I end the Introduction?

Now write your introduction

Even a little research with practice is worth more than a bunch of
theories.
(Anonymous)