Storytelling tips, Part 2 – Introduction

(A general note first: these tips are tailored to writing a primary research manuscript describing the results of a clinical study; however, you may find that a lot of advice can be translated to other publication types)

💡 Introduction or background section lays foundation for the whole study. It should inspire the reader’s curiosity about the study outcomes and make them read further.

How to achieve it? Try building a logical chain of information, starting with the problem you are trying to tackle.

Try asking yourself this question:

❓Is there a health problem?

👉 Is the condition you are writing about highly prevalent, fatal or debilitating?

👉 What is the standard of care, and does it address all patient needs?

Once you have described the medical problem, link it to potential treatment: explain the reasoning behind the study.

❓Why does it make sense to investigate this treatment in this condition or in this patient population?

👉 Does the investigational treatment target a gene or protein that is responsible for the pathophysiology of the condition?

👉 Is this patient population known to express the target or selected for target expression?

👉 Has the therapy proven to be efficacious in related or otherwise relevant conditions?

And, finally, place it into context: show the reader how the study is going to enrich current knowledge.

❓Did other studies investigate similar treatments in the same patient population?

👉 Focus on the most recent studies.

👉 If several treatments in the same class have proven effective, what are the unique features of the treatment you are writing about?

👉 If several treatments in the same class have failed, what were the reasons for thinking this one will be successful?

Et voilà! You are almost there. Use the last one or two sentences in the introduction to describe the study. 

Is this how you structure introduction? Everyone does things slightly differently – we’d love to hear from you and discuss the best practice!