论文的Introduction部分到底该如何构思行文？

吴冕

吴冕

博士圈的颜值担当😁

根据USC Libraries给出的定义：“The introduction leads to the reader from a general subject area to a particular field of research. It establishes the context and significance of the research being conducted by summarizing current understanding and backbround information about the topic, stating the purpose of the work in the form of the research problem supported by a hypothesis or a set of questions, briefly explaining the methodological approach used to examine the research problem, highlighting the potential outcomes your study can reveal, and outlining the remaining structure of the paper.”

个人觉得这个定义已经非常好了。句句是干货。只要把定义中的每一句搞懂，Research Introduction就非常非常的好写。

首先来看第一句：“The introduction leads to the reader from a general subject area to a particular field of research.” 这句话体现了Introduction的一个重要作用：帮助读者将视角从一个范范的研究方向（general subject area(s)）带入到一个具体的研究领域（a particular field of research）或者到了个研究问题里。注意，这里的具体的研究领域（a particular field of research）可以理解为knowledge gap。也就是说，Introduction部分需要体现从general research area(s)到knowledge gap的narrow down过程。具体knowledge gap的narrow down过程见：如何快速找到Research Knowledge Gap?

接下来再来看一下定义中的第二句话：“It establishes the context and significance of the research being conducted by summarizing current understanding and background information about the topic, ...” 这句话体现了Introduction的第二个重要作用：在Introduction中，通过对research topic的背景介绍体现你的research的重要性。到底什么是论文的重要性见：如何体现Research的重要性？在写background的时候一定要注意：不要把相关的东西都往里写；要检查是不是里面的每一句话都是在体现你的research的重要性。

第三句是说：“... stating the purpose of the work in the form of the research problem supported by a hypothesis or a set of questions...” 这句话说明了Introduction的第三个作用：在介绍了knowledge gap、background和research importance后，introduction就要陈述清楚你的research purpose。Research purpose就是你这篇论文到底要干什么。具体怎么写research purpose见：如何快速的写出论文的Purpose Statement？

另外，research purpose写完了以后，introduction部分接下来就要开始写research question. Research question是什么呢？一般来说，main research question可以理解为是research purpose的问题形式存在。Research question对research methodology起着决定性作用。可以这么说，research question就是你整个research project的起点。在我个人的论文中，我的research questions是research purpose的进一步narrow down。我的research purpose的模板是：The purpose of this qualitative case study is to discover the (what) of (who) at (where) in (when). 在我的research question中，我将research purpose中的what部分用literature review中得到的key concepts和theoretical framework替换了。然后又针对了key concepts和theoretical framwork部分进行了提问。一般情况下，一个research会有1-2个main research question(s)和3-5个sub questions。

下一句：”briefly explaining the methodological approach used to examine the research problem,” 这句话意思是要简要的解释研究方法，即你要简单解释一下你要用何种研究方法来解决你的research problem。这里注意，论文选择什么methodology主要是由research question(s)决定的。什么是Research Methodology/研究方法呢？老样子，还是先从定义开始。谷歌出来的第一个定义是这样说的：”Research methodology is a collective term for the structured process of conducting research. There are many different methodologies used in various types of research of research and the term is usually considered to include research design, data gathering and data analysis.” 字面上看，research methodology叫”研究方法“。而由这个定义可以看出，research methodology是一个其实是一个关于你将如何做research的过程的描述。所以在一这部分，你写的是一个过程，一个关于你自己将如何独立完成这个research的过程。而在introduction部分，methodology主要就是介绍一下自己论文的research design, data gathering/collection, and data analysis. 在Research Proposal中，会专门有一个部分叫做Research Methodology。Introduction中的methodology部分可以等这个专门的Research Methodology写完以后再来从中summarize。

最后一句”highlighting the potential outcomes your study can reveal, and outlining the remaining structure of the paper”。这句话基本也就是Introduction的最后部分，意思是写一下你的outcomes和文章的outline。在我自己的写作习惯中，我经常把outcomes写成potential contribution。然后是outline。所以一篇Introduction的template就出来了：

Introduction

From a general subject area to a particular field of research.

Knowledge gap.

Practical and theoretical importance of (bridging) this knowledge gap.

Research purpose: explore/describe/explain/discover how and why … + 其他限定.

Research questions.

Summary of research methodology.

Contribution of your research.

Outline.