Writing Strong Introductions for Scientific Journals: Easy Steps
Writing the introduction for a scientific journal is like putting the foundation stone in a construction; it gives the remainder of the research a place to stand.
As a graduate students, we often obligated to publish a journal article as part of our graduation criteria. However, publishing a journal is not an easy work. We have to convince other people that our work is worth reading.
Introduction is the initial part that provides background information to the reader to help them understand the research topic, objectives, and relevance in the scientific field. A well written introduction will broaden your readership by making your findings accessible to a larger audience.
Using knowledge gained from recent lectures on on journal introduction, I will describe the essential procedures for creating a strong introduction for a scientific journal article in this essay.
One of the most important functions of an introduction is to answer the question ‘why?’: why was the study performed, and why is it interesting and/or important? Since the introduction represents the start of the paper, it also tells the reader why they should read the rest of it and makes them ready to comprehend the importance and effect of the findings.
The context you establish in the Introduction must first identify that there is a knowledge gap and then explain how you intend to fill that gap and why.
To clearly establish the context for the study, the introduction contains four main components:
General background information
The first paragraph of the introduction provides an overview of the study’s field. How broad this paragraph is depends on your target journal and audience. In general journals with broad readership, is it good to give general information to accomodate diverse readers. Even so, in specialized journals, it presents a more specific background as readers are already familiar with the field.
Specific Background
After introducing the general information of the main topic, the next part of the introduction discusses similar studies to provide context. This helps readers understand how your study fits into existing research and why you designed it the way you did.
Knowledge Gap
The description of closely related previous studies, as discussed above, should clearly outline a specific gap in our knowledge or understanding of a specific question or phenomenon in the field. Alternatively, the Introduction should identify what logical next steps can be developed based on existing research.
“Here we show…”
The final element of the introduction is a clear statement of the primary objective of the study. This could be a question, hypothesis, or goal. It’s essential to state this aim clearly, ideally in the final paragraph, to ensure readers understand the study’s purpose. This statement should align closely with the abstract to maintain consistency.
This information should ideally be presented in a ‘funnel’ format, flowing from the most general information at the beginning of the section to more specific information as the text continues.
Here is an example of the introduction in a journal article I created.
Effect Of Acidity Level Of Growing Solutions On Morphology Of ZnO Nanorods
In recent years, the semiconductor material zinc oxide (ZnO) is widely used because it has various advantages. ZnO has unique electrical and thermal properties, high chemical stability [1], electron mobility of 100 cm2V-1s-1 [4], transparent optical properties, high photostability and non-toxicity [2]. With these superior properties, ZnO is widely used in various applications in the field of optoelectronics, such as DSSC (Dye sensitized solar cells) [3], gas sensors, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), and photocatalyst degradation [4]–[6].
ZnO is one of the materials that is often fabricated into one-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanotubes, nanoflowers and others. One of the main reasons ZnO is made in various shapes is to produce a large specific surface area thereby allowing more contacts to interact. One-dimensional nanostructures can provide a direct transport path for injected electrons from the excited dye to the conduction band of the semiconductor, thereby shortening the electron melting distance [7]. Each form of ZnO nanostructure is interesting because it has different characteristics. The nanotube structure has a tube-like structure with holes with a large area [8], while the nanorod structure has a rough structure which can capture higher radiation and increase absorbtivity [9]. The nanorod structure can also provide higher efficiency compared to other devices. The increased efficiency can be attributed to better electrical conductivity and higher resistance to charge recombination in the ZnO nanorod structure [4].
Several researchers have synthesized ZnO nanorods on glass substrates [10]–[13]. Ching et al synthesized ZnO nanorods using the hydrothermal method on a ZnO seed layer grown in a growth solution in an acidic and alkaline environment [11]. ZnO nanorods produced in an acidic environment growth process have lower stability compared to an alkaline environment growth process. Vernandou et al stated that the pH of the growth solution is one of the parameters that can influence the ZnO nanorod synthesis process [12]. The pH value of the growth solution significantly influences the morphology and crystal quality of ZnO nanostructures [13]. To determine the effect of the pH value of the solution, research is needed with pH variations in acidic environmental conditions.
In this research, the synthesis of ZnO nanorods will be carried out in an acidic environment with variations in the pH of the growth solution of 4, 5, and 6. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of acidic growth conditions, specifically variations in pH, on the morphology and crystal structure of ZnO nanorods. Understanding how pH affects the synthesis process and resulting nanostructures is crucial for optimizing growth parameters and enhancing the performance of ZnO-based devices.
References
- Baron, Dr Rachel. 2019. 3 Fundamental Principles Of Writing An Effective Introduction To Your Journal Article. Asiaedit.Accessed March 19, 2024. url https://asiaedit.com/blog/3-fundamental-principles-of-writing-an-effective-introduction-to-your-journal-article
- Charlesworth Author Services. 2020. How to write an Introduction to an academic article. Accessed March 19, 2024. url https://www.cwauthors.com/article/How-to-write-an-introduction-to-an-academic-article
- MIT Community Lab. Journal Article: Introduction. Accessed March 19, 2024. url https://mitcommlab.mit.edu/broad/commkit/journal-article-introduction/
- Viridi, S. and Mahyuddin, M. H. 2022. Jurnal: Pendahuluan. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7103265.
- Wordvice HJ. 2016. How to Write a Strong Research Paper Introduction Section. Wordvice. Accessed March 19, 2024. url https://blog.wordvice.com/how-to-draft-a-compelling-introduction-for-your-journal-article/