A magnetic introduction

For others to follow your exploration report, you need to captivate your audience’s attention as early and irreversibly as possible. There is a useful side effect to be found: the more you shape your text to illustrate what really matters and how your research can help understand answer any particular question better, the more you will expand your understanding of where it is you want to go and why.

Consequently, the introduction to your text will likely be the passage that you will revise most frequently. Don’t think of this as redundant multiplication of work, but rather as a way for you to reflect on and refine your thinking about your project.

Research into a field means you would like to further your (and everyone else’s) understanding about the subject. This is how you do it. Stating and then revising and refining your thoughts is a key tenet of scientific work.

(This is a preview section. The full chapter on this topic continues with the sections “Rough coordinates”, “Train of thought”, “In essence”, “To reflect”, “Two travellers’ tales”, “Devil’s advocate”, and “How to tackle”.)