The introduction serves to present the problem, outline the research content, explain the research approach, and plan the specific arrangement of the remaining parts of the paper. A well-written introduction should follow a logical structure so that after reading it, the reader can understand the issue the paper addresses, grasp the background and significance of the problem, and know how the rest of the paper is organized. Additionally, the introduction should provide the reader with some basic knowledge, including definitions of key terms, to facilitate smooth reading of the entire text.

Structure of the Introduction

A standard introduction mainly consists of four parts: the background problem, the demand problem, the remaining problem, and the research problem of this paper. There should be transitional content between these parts to help the reader understand the problem's context and prepare for the rest of the paper.

Connections and Relationships Between the Four Problems:

• Background Problem: This is the broad source or application context of the research problem. In most cases, the background is horizontal, measured by its breadth, usually defined by the application field. Some backgrounds are vertical, extending deeper or further back in time, often based on more fundamental issues.
• Demand Problem: This is a specific problem within the background that is worth researching and needs to be solved.
• Remaining Problem: These are the issues that still need to be addressed to meet the demand.
• Research Problem of This Paper: This refers to the specific issues within the remaining problems that this paper aims to solve.

There should be transitional content between each pair of adjacent problems. For the demand problem, its importance within the background problem should be highlighted. Between the remaining problem and the demand problem, a review of the current research is necessary to lead into the research content of this paper. The significance of the research content in achieving the demand should be highlighted between the remaining problem and the research content. Additionally, below the research content, the research approach (and possibly the research objectives) and the arrangement of the rest of the paper should be introduced to transition to the subsequent parts.

Logical Relationships Among the Four Problems:

• Inverted Pyramid Relationship: The background problem, demand problem, remaining problem, and research problem involve a range that narrows from broad to specific.
• Subset Relationship: The research problem is a subset of the remaining problem, which is a subset of the demand problem, and the demand problem is related to the background problem.
• Sequential Relationship: In order, the introduction addresses the background, followed by the demand, then the remaining problems, and finally the research problem of this paper.

Although the final text follows this order, the research problem is the core of the paper. Therefore, in writing, we can start with the research content and then work backwards to write the other parts. This approach helps maintain a close connection between each section.

Given this, let's first discuss how to write the research content and then how to derive the remaining, demand, and background problems upwards, and the research approach and arrangement of the remaining parts downwards.

How to Write the Research Problem (Content)

The research problem is the specific content that needs to be studied. How do you introduce this content? This can be delineated from the research results already obtained. While you may have planned or completed a lot of research content, you should only introduce those parts where you will present research results.

Your research content is the subject of your major research results. For example:

• If one of your research results is a quantitative relationship between B and A, then the related research content is the study of this relationship.
• If one of your results is a method for designing a product or simulating a process, then the related research content is the study of this design or simulation method.
• If one of your results clarifies a conflict between two viewpoints, then the related research content is the resolution of this conflict.
• If your result is proving a conjecture, then the related research content is the proof of this conjecture.

To introduce the research content, connect it to the remaining problems. For example, "Based on the analysis of the current research, we know that certain issues still need to be addressed, and this paper will consider the issue of... Specifically, our research content is...".

How to Write Remaining Problems

Remaining problems refer to issues still worth researching, also called legacy problems. The research content of this paper is derived from these remaining issues, so they must at least include the research problem of this paper. How do you identify remaining problems?

The introduction of remaining problems follows the current state of research and highlights issues needing further exploration. When pointing out remaining problems, they should connect to the demand and lead into the research problem of the paper.

Why Connect to Demand? Regardless of the amount of previous work, the number of potential remaining problems is vast and can't be exhaustively listed, especially since others might see different issues worth further research. Connecting to demand helps reasonably limit the number of remaining problems.

You can use phrases like, "Clearly, to solve the... (demand problem), the current research leaves the following issues," or "It is evident that current research results are still far from meeting... this demand, requiring further study on...". If previous literature has already pointed out issues needing research and you are addressing these, simply clarify whose issues you are researching.

Connecting to the Research Problem of this paper is straightforward. After introducing the remaining problems, briefly state, "This paper considers the issue of..., with specific research content being... (introduce the research content of this paper)."

How to Write the Current State of Research

There can be hundreds or thousands of related papers in any research direction. When introducing the current state, focus on work related to the demand. Use the following strategies:

• Limit the Number of References: For most early studies and less directly related research, reduce citations by summarizing conclusions from review papers or other comprehensive literature (e.g., "Literature [n] discusses recent work on... and points out...").
• Highlight Work Closely Related to your research, regardless of the publication date. Focus on studies that lead to remaining problems or form the basis of your research (such as methods or conclusions used for comparison).
• Include Recent Publications to inform readers about current interests.

In all cases, the cited literature and summarized state should relate to the identified demand problem. While summarizing, highlight what problems have been solved, important results obtained, valuable perspectives offered, and existing limitations, rather than merely stating who researched what. For example, instead of "Smith et al. (2010) studied meteorological forecasting models," write "Smith et al. (2010) proposed a meteorological forecasting model that addresses... and features...".

How to Write Demand Problems

Demand problems reflect the expectations of broader groups, industries, or society for breakthroughs. These expectations are significant for background issues.

Highlighting Significance:

Attention: Demonstrate significance by citing recent literature showing increased focus.

Example: "The relationship between global warming and atmospheric emissions has been a point of interest [1-10], as noted by Smith et al. [3], indicating much work remains."

Meaningful Reasons: Provide compelling reasons for the demand.

Example: "The origin of the universe remains a hot topic because the two main theories—general relativity and quantum mechanics—fail to reconcile on key issues. This necessitates exploring a potential third theory beyond these frameworks."

Example: "As the impact of academic exchange on societal development grows, traditional methods face challenges from anti-globalization trends, prompting the need for new forms of exchange in this era."

How to Write Background Issues

Background issues are broader contexts where demand is significant. They can range from specialized topics to global concerns, depending on the scope of the demand.

Writing Background Issues:

Ensure the background is relevant and not overly broad.

Connect the background to the demand, considering remaining problems and your research content.

Example:

"Current meteorological forecasts cannot accurately predict trends a year in advance, highlighting the importance of developing long-term forecasting models."

Here, meteorological forecasting is the background issue, and the demand is for long-term models. The research status can then discuss efforts and remaining issues, such as the need for a measurement database, leading to research on key data testing for relevant mathematical theories.

How to Write Research Approach

The introduction should cover the background, demand, its significance, the current research status, remaining problems, and your research content. The research approach follows these sections.

Introducing Research Approach:

Briefly describe the research methods used to achieve results.

Mention expected outcomes without revealing actual findings.

Highlight any special requirements needed to achieve the research goals.

Example:

"This study employs a combination of quantitative analysis and simulation models to explore the impact of new academic exchange methods. We aim to identify effective strategies for enhancing global collaboration, requiring an interdisciplinary approach to accommodate diverse perspectives."

How to Write the Structure of the Paper

The structure outlines the remaining sections of the paper, explaining what each section (or chapter) covers. If there are logical connections between different sections, these should be explained as well. Here's a standard example:

Example:

"The remainder of this paper consists of three sections. In Section 2, we present our research methods, which are improvements based on the ... method. Section 3 addresses the issue of ..., using ... methods to explore the patterns that ... satisfies under the influence of .... Section 4 ..."

Other Requirements for the Introduction

Overview: Start with a brief overview, summarizing the problem addressed in one sentence, which can be an expanded version of the title. This direct overview quickly informs the reader about the problem being addressed and is very important.

Progression: The introduction should follow a progression from general to specific. The background and demand should be easy for the target audience to understand. Use simple language, avoid jargon, and define complex terms to aid understanding. Include clear diagrams or illustrations if necessary.

Research Status: Avoid details unless they are used in the paper. Introduce necessary details in the relevant sections of the paper.

Connections: Ensure connections between the background issue, demand problem, remaining issues, and the research problem to avoid disjointedness. Highlight the importance of meeting the demand for the background issue. Use phrases like "Now we introduce the research conducted around this demand" to connect to the demand. Remaining issues can be introduced with "From the current analysis, it's clear that to meet this demand, further work is needed on ...".

Weight of Sections: The importance of each part (background, demand, current status, remaining issues, research content, research approach, and structure) varies. Some can be shorter or longer as needed. If the target audience is familiar with the background, you can directly state the demand. If both are clear, combine them in one sentence.

Length: Consider the length of the introduction. It should be more than a page but not exceed 1/5 of the entire paper. The research status often takes up a significant portion to demonstrate the author's understanding of the current research.

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