Introduction Establishing a Context

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Introduction- Establishing a Context
PROVIDENCE UNIVERSITY
College of Management

• Wu-Lin Chen (wlchen_at_pu.edu.tw)
• Department of Computer Science and Information
  Management

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Typical Sections of a Research Paper
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What is an Introduction?

• An introduction
• serves as an orientation for readers of the
  report
• gives readers the perspective they need to
  understand the detailed information coming in
  later sections

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Five Stages in the Introduction Section

• The introduction can be divided into five stages
• Stage I the setting
• Stage II already studied
• Stage III investigation needed
• Stage IV purpose
• Stage V value

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Five Stages

• Stage I (the setting) General statement(s) about
  a field of research to provide the reader with a
  setting for the problem to be reported
• establish a context, or frame of reference
• help readers understand how the research fits
  into a wider field of study
• Stage II (already studied) More specific
  statements about the aspect of the problem
  already studied by other researchers
• Stage III (investigation needed) Statement(s)
  that indicate the need for more investigation
• Stage IV (purpose) Very specific statement(s)
  giving the purpose/objectives of the writers
  study
• Stage V (value) Optional statement(s) that give
  a value or justification for carrying out the
  study

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Writing Up the Setting

• Start with obvious, generally accepted statements
  about the area in which you are working
• Then, step by step, move the reader closer to
  your specific topic
• For example
• establishing a universe for your reader
• isolating one galaxy within this universe
• leading your readers to one star in the galaxy

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Organization for the Setting

• Begin with accepted statements of fact related to
  your general area (your universe) use generic
  noun phrase
• Within the general area, identify one subarea
  (your galaxy which includes your topic) use
  specific noun phrase
• Indicate your topic (your star)

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Writing Skills

• Link sentences by making use of old and new
  information to lead readers smoothly through the
  ideas in Stage I
• Place old information (some facts have been known
  to the reader) at the beginning of sentences
• Place new information at the end

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Writing Skills (Cont.)

• Old/New information order

Plants obtain atmospheric CO2 required for
photosynthesis by diffusion through open leaf
stomata.
Old
New
can create large water potential differences
between the leaves and the soil surrounding the
roots.
This process
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Language Conventions

• The setting starts with factual statements
• It is conventional to use nouns that refer to
  objects or concepts at the highest possible level
  of generality
• English offers several ways to construct these
  general nouns
• Generic Noun Phrase
• Specific Noun Phrase

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Generic Noun Phrase

• In stead of referring to specific things, we
  often refer to entire classes of things in the
  setting
• When you are write sentence that contain nouns
  referring to an entire classes of things, you
  should use generic noun phrase to carry this
  meaning
• There are different ways to write generic noun
  phrase
• Countable nouns
• Uncountable nouns
• Countable nouns with the

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Generic Noun Phrase (Cont.)

• Countable nouns
• Alluvial diamonds are of consistently higher than
  diamonds recovered from source kimberlites.
  (Plural)
• A new diamond mine may take several years before
  coming into full production. (singular, meaning
  any new diamond mine)

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Generic Noun Phrase (Cont.)

• Uncountable nouns
• Thirty years later, alluvial diamond production
  had more than double. (meaning all alluvial
  diamond production)

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Specific Noun Phrase

• Used to refer to specific items and concepts in
  order to move readers from general area toward
  your specific topic
• i.e. nouns that refer to particular, individual
  members of a class rather to the class as a whole
• Nouns that refer to particular, individual
  members of a class can be written in several ways
• Referring to assumed or shared information
• Pointing back to old information
• Pointing forward to specifying information

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Specific Noun Phrase (Cont.)

• Referring to assumed or shared information
• Use the definite article the if you assume your
  readers share knowledge of the specific thing you
  are referring to
• EX In recent years the growth of desert areas
  has been accelerating in the world.

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Specific Noun Phrase (Cont.)

• Pointing back to old information
• Use the definite article the when referring to a
  specific thing which you have already mentioned
  (the first mention usually uses the indefinite
  article a/an)
• EX New Mexico Solar Energy Institute is
  developing a computerized diagnostic assistant
  for solar domestic hot water systems. The
  computer-implemented assistant will be used at
  naval shore facilities throughout the world.

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Specific Noun Phrase (Cont.)

• Pointing forward to specifying information
• Use the definite article the when the specific
  meaning is made clear in a following phrase or
  clause
• EX The gas which is produced in the western
  states is used primarily for home heating.

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Guidelines for Making Generic and Specific Noun
Phrase

• Is the noun meant in a general or a specific
  sense?
• If it is specific, use the before the noun. If
  it is general, ask yourself a following question
• Is the noun countable or uncountable?
• If it is countable, use a or an (singular) or s
  on the end (plural). If it is uncountable, use
  no article or s ending.