LWPC	  Recipe	  and	  Template	  Series	  –	  stage	  4	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  by	  Paul	  W.	  L.	  Lai	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Copyright	  2014	  How	  to	  write	  an	  attractive	  introduction	  	  	  Main	  objectives:	  In	   order	   to	   build	   an	   attractive	   introduction,	   you	   are	   required	   to	   provide	   a	  HISTORICAL	   BACKGROUND	   that	   leads	   to	   your	   present	   research.	   In	   doing	   so,	  the	  following	  questions	  must	  be	  answered:	  	  (i)What	  is	  the	  main	  task	  of	  your	  research?	  	  
(ii)What	   was	   the	   previous	   research	   that	   inspired	   or	   motivated	   your	  present	  research?	  
(iii) How	   does	   your	   present	   research	   significantly	   differ	   from	   the	   previous	  research?	  
(iv) What	  is	  so	  special	  about	  your	  present	  research?	  	  Note:	  (i)The	   introduction	   to	   be	   built	   is	   only	   preliminary.	   Continual	  modifications	   of	   the	   introduction	   are	   expected	   throughout	   the	   writing	  process.	  	  
(ii)In	   writing	   about	   the	   historical	   background	   that	   leads	   to	   you	   present	  research,	   you	   should	   only	   focus	   on	   the	   previous	   research(s)	   that	  is/are	  directly	  relevant	  to	  your	  present	  research.	  
(iii) While	   working	   on	   the	   following	   steps,	   you	   are	   encouraged	   (although	  not	   required)	   to	   interact	   with	   a	   peer	   writer	   in	   order	   to	   make	   your	  writing	  process	  more	  effective	  and	  fruitful.	  	  (iv) After	   completing	   all	   the	   following	   steps,	   there	   is	   a	   checklist	   to	   make	  sure	   that	   you	   have	   completed	   all	   the	   required	   tasks.	   Please	   ask	   your	  peer	  writer	  to	  go	  through	  the	  checklist	  with	  you.	  	  	  Step	  by	  step	  guidance:	  	  Please	   answer	   the	   following	   questions	   as	   clearly,	   specifically,	   and	   concisely	   as	  possible.	   Feel	   free	   to	   substitute	   any	   of	   the	   words	   or	   phrases	   in	   the	   blue	   color	  below	  (they	  were	  provided	  only	  to	  inspire	  your	  thoughts,	  not	  to	  replace	  them).	  	  Step	  1:	  	  What	   is	   the	   main	   task	   of	   your	   research?	  Please	  answer	  the	  question	  in	  ONE	  sentence.	  	  	  	  	  	  You	  may	  answer	  the	  question	  by	  beginning	  with:	  “The	   main	   focus	   of	   the	   present	  research	  lies	  in	  …”	  	  	  Step	  2:	  	  What	   was	   the	   previous	   research	   that	   inspired	   or	   motivated	   your	   present	  research?	  You	  may	  answer	  more	  than	  one	  previous	  research.	  Please	  specify	  (i)	  the	   name	   of	   the	   researcher(s),	   and	   (ii)	   research	   publication	   details.	   And	   if	  possible,	  specify	  why	  was	  the	  research	  carried	  out.	  	  	  	  	  	  You	   may	   answer	   the	   question	   by	   beginning	   with:	   “The	   origin	   of	   this	   research	  can	   be	   traced	   back	   to	   [WHEN],	   when	   [WHO]	   published	   [WHAT	   RESEARCH],	  proposing	  that	  …	  The	  purpose	  of	  [WHO]’s	  research	  was	  to	  …”	  	  	  	  1	  LWPC	  Recipe	  and	  Template	  Series	  –	  stage	  4	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  by	  Paul	  W.	  L.	  Lai	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Copyright	  2014	  How	  to	  write	  an	  attractive	  introduction	  	  	  	  Step	  3:	  	  What	   was	   so	   special	   about	   the	   previous	   research?	  For	  instance,	  was	  it	  very	  successful	  in	  solving	  some	  particular	  problem?	  Or,	  did	  it	  achieve	  something	  that	  had	  never	  been	  achieved	  before?	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  You	   may	   answer	   the	   question	   by	   beginning	   with:	   “The	   most	   remarkable	  achievement	  of	  [WHO]’s	  research	  was	  a	  new	  solution/insight	  into	  …	  ”	  	  	  Step	  4:	  	  What	   was	   the	   major	   problem	   of	   the	   previous	   research?	  For	  instance,	  what	  was	   majorly	   wrong	   in	   the	   previous	   research?	   Or,	   what	   was	   the	   major	   problem	  that	  the	  previous	  research	  failed	  to	  solve?	  And	  if	  possible,	  explain	  briefly	  why	  it	  could	   not	   solve	   the	   problem.	   For	   instance,	   was	   it	   due	   to	   the	   limitation	   of	   the	  technology	  at	  that	  time?	  	  	  	  	  	  	  You	  may	  answer	  the	  question	  by	  beginning	  with:	  “Although	  [WHO]’s	  theory	  was	  very	  powerful	  in	  explaining…	  it	  could	  not	  deal	  with…”	  	  	  Step	  5:	  	  Taking	   the	   defect	   of	   the	   previous	   research	   into	   account,	   what	   is	   special	  about	  your	  research?	  This	  is	  a	  very	  important	  step.	  It	  helps	  you	  to	  highlight	  the	  specialty	   and	   originality	   of	   your	   research.	   For	   instance,	   what	   have	   your	   research	  achieved	  whereas	  others	  have	  not?	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  You	   may	   answer	   the	   question	   by	   beginning	   with:	   “To	   tackle	   the	   problem	  confronted	  by	  the	  previous	  research,	  we	  are	  proposing	  a	  solution	  that	  ...	  ”	  	  	  Step	  6:	  	  How	   are	   you	   planning	   to	   carry	   out	   your	   research?	   Please	   list	   your	   overall	  plan	  to	  implement	  your	  research.	  	  	  	  	  	  	  You	   may	   answer	   the	   question	   by	   beginning	   with:	   “In	   particular,	   our	   research	  will	  be	  implemented	  in	  the	  following	  way:	  In	  section	  2	  we	  shall	  do	  [WHAT	  1].	  In	  section	  3	  we	  shall	  do	  [WHAT	  2].	  In	  section	  4	  …	  Finally	  we	  shall	  …	  ”	  	  	  	  	  	  2	  LWPC	  Recipe	  and	  Template	  Series	  –	  stage	  4	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  by	  Paul	  W.	  L.	  Lai	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Copyright	  2014	  How	  to	  write	  an	  attractive	  introduction	  	  	  Introduction	  (overall	  format):	  	  Paragraph	  1	  [Attractive	  beginning]	  {Think	   of	   an	   attractive	   beginning	   using	   ONE	   of	   the	   following:	   (i)	   Startling	  information,	  (ii)	  Anecdote,	  (iii)	  Dialogue,	  (iv)	  Definition}	  	  	  Paragraph	  2	  [Main	  research	  focus]	  The	  main	  focus	  of	  the	  present	  research	  lies	  in	  …	  	  	  Paragraph	  3	  [Origin	  of	  your	  research]	  The	   origin	   of	   this	   research	   can	   be	   traced	   back	   to	   [WHEN],	   when	   [WHO]	  published	   [WHAT	   RESEARCH],	   proposing	   that	   …	   The	   purpose	   of	   [WHO]’s	  research	   was	   to	   …	   The	   most	   remarkable	   achievement	   of	   [WHO]’s	   research	   was	   a	  new	  solution/insight	  into	  …	  	  	  Paragraph	  4	  [Problem	  of	  the	  previous	  research]	  However,	   although	   [WHO]’s	   theory	   was	   very	   powerful	   in	   explaining…	   it	   could	  not	  deal	  with…	  	  	  Paragraph	  5	  [Specialty	  and	  originality	  of	  your	  research]	  To	  tackle	  the	  problem	  confronted	  by	  the	  previous	  research,	  we	  are	  proposing	  a	  solution	  that	  ...	  	  	  Paragraph	  6	  [Overall	  implementation	  plan	  of	  your	  research]	  In	  particular,	  our	  research	  will	  be	  implemented	  in	  the	  following	  way:	  In	  section	  2	  we	  shall	  do	  [WHAT	  1].	  In	  section	  3	  we	  shall	  do	  [WHAT	  2].	  In	  section	  4	  …	  Finally	  we	  shall	  …	  	  	  	  	  3	  LWPC	  Recipe	  and	  Template	  Series	  –	  stage	  4	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  by	  Paul	  W.	  L.	  Lai	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Copyright	  2014	  How	  to	  write	  an	  attractive	  introduction	  	  	  Introduction	  Check	  List	  	  (1) Is	  the	  length	  of	  your	  introduction	  about	  10%	  of	  your	  entire	  paper?	  If	  not,	  why	  can’t	  it?	  	  (2) Has	   your	   introduction	   provided	   the	   previous	   research	   that	   inspired	   or	  motivated	  your	  present	  research?	  If	  not,	  why	  not?	  	  (3) Has	   your	   introduction	   explained,	   by	   taking	   the	   previous	   research	   into	  account,	  why	  you	  carried	  out	  your	  present	  research?	  If	  not,	  why	  not?	  	  (4) Has	   your	   introduction	   demonstrated	   the	   originality	   of	   your	   present	  research	   by	   providing	   a	   significant	   contrast	   between	   the	   previous	  research	  and	  your	  research?	  If	  not,	  why	  not?	  	  	  (5) Has	   your	   introduction	   explained	   what	   is	   so	   special	   about	   your	   present	  research?	  If	  not,	  why	  not?	  	  	  	  	  4