Escamilla-Ortiz, Abilene Cirenia¹

Language: English/Spanish [Versi?n en espa?ol]
References: 4
Page: 77-78
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When preparing a manuscript, the first impression is the essential thing. So, the introduction would need to be well-written.

Questions you should ask yourself:

• 1. What am I studying or reviewing?
• 2. What is the critical topic I am researching?
• 3. What is known about what I am researching?
• 4. What does what I am researching or proposing to contribute to?

"The white rabbit put on his spectacles. Where shall I begin, with your majesty's permission, he asked. Start at the beginning, said the king gravely, and go on until you reach the end; there you stop". These words describe with simplicity and elegance how to start telling a story; scientific authors may be considered storytellers.¹ Many dismiss this section, but for the editors, it is significant.

The introduction must be well written, as there will not be a second chance if you do not make a good impression in the first one.

Faber points out that one of the errors he has observed most often is that the introduction is too long and stresses that the rule of thumb should not exceed 10% of the article's total word count.¹ The second most frequent error is the lack of coherence; it stresses that the authors should be directing the reader towards the objectives of the article.¹

He also suggests including a considerable number of references and avoiding citing the authors' names; instead, it is better to write down the number of the citation, although it can be done if it is relevant.¹

It is not necessary to mention every article on the subject under discussion; instead, a careful selection of the most relevant articles should be made.²

It can begin as an exciting story, a lived experience description, and relevant data.³ It is like being in front of the entrance door of a glamorous city, but sometimes the door does not let us glimpse all that the city has so that the introduction can be the access to that city.⁴

Points to consider when writing the introduction:⁴

• 1. Acronyms should be accompanied by meaning and should not be included in the abstract.
• 2. Use present simple tense in writing.
• 3. References from prestigious journals and books with a good impact factor should be updated.
• 4. Avoid expressions that confuse or cause mystery and construct clear sentences.
• 5. Sentences should be attractive and understandable.
• 6. Inform first about the general topic, then include specific information, and finally, the objective should be clearly explained.

With all this, we must hook or attract readers, so they are interested in reading the whole article and say to themselves: Why didn't I think of this before?²

REFERENCES

1. Faber J. How to write the introduction of a scientific article. J World Fed Orthod. 2012; 1: e133.

2. Ecarnot F, Seronde MF, Chopard R, Schiele F, Meneveau N. Writing a scientific article: a step-by-step guide for beginners. Eur Geriatr Med. 2015; 6: 573-579.

3. Jawaid SA, Jawaid M. How to write introduction and discussion. Saudi J Anaesth. 2019; 13: S18-S19.

4. Armagan A. How to write an introduction section of a scientific article? Turk J Urol. 2013; 39: 8-9.

AFFILIATIONS

¹ Editor, Cirujano General. orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-5845