tomevault-io Q-Intro
Draft and refine introduction sections for academic manuscripts. Supports interview-based drafting from scratch and diagnostic refinement of existing drafts.
References
- references/introduction_template.md — structural guidance (draft dynamically, not verbatim)
- references/interview_questions.md — interview protocol and refinement diagnostic
- ../references/apa_style_guide.md — APA formatting, numbers, notation, formulas
Core Principles
- Narrative prose; no bullet points, em-dashes, or standalone introductory paragraphs
- Prefer 3-12 sentence paragraphs; each paragraph has one clear through-line
- Trace a single narrative arc through the literature, grounded in the target discipline first
- Introduce theoretical frameworks as the resolution to a need established in the preceding paragraph
- Bridge every paragraph transition explicitly: each opening resolves or extends the prior paragraph's conclusion
- Design research questions with clear scope progression (e.g., descriptive, relational, conditional)
- Enumerate contributions with parallel structure; include a brief roadmap at conclusion
Argumentative Architecture
The templates describe what goes where; this section describes why and how paragraphs connect.
Paragraph Roles
P1 (Phenomenon and Stakes): Establish the broader trend, signal the specific context, end with what is at risk or unknown. The final sentence should implicitly raise a question P2 will address.
P2 (Literature and Gaps): Begin from the target discipline's core traditions. Progress outward as the discipline's tools prove insufficient. Reframe the central question. Let gaps emerge as consequences of the trajectory, not disconnected items.
P3 (Theory, Study, and RQs): Open with a bridge resolving P2's gaps. Introduce the primary framework as the answer to P2's question. If using a complementary framework, explain what dimension it captures that the primary framework alone cannot. Describe the empirical context and justify its selection. State research questions in progressive scope with a brief methods preview.
P4 (Contributions): Enumerate theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions. Signal applicability beyond the immediate context.
P5 (Roadmap): Brief orientation to remaining sections.
Bridge Patterns
- P1 to P2: stakes or implicit question; P2 opens by grounding in the discipline's response
- P2 to P3: gaps that constrain understanding; P3 states what is needed to address them
- P3 to P4: methods preview; P4 opens with contributions
- P4 to P5: final contribution; P5 opens with roadmap
Within-Paragraph Logic
Literature streams enter because the previous stream raised a question it cannot answer. Gaps feel like inevitable consequences of the trajectory. The theoretical framework is introduced as the resolution to a problem, not as background information. Key variable terms should capture the full dimensionality of what is being studied.
Workflow
| Step | Action | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interview: begin with target venue to anchor disciplinary grounding | references/interview_questions.md |
| 2 | Draft the five-component introduction | references/introduction_template.md |
| 3 | Tighten: vary sentence length, cut filler, favor direct subject-verb openings | Core Principles above |
| 4 | Refinement (existing drafts): run diagnostic, then revise per Architecture | references/interview_questions.md (final section) |
Scope
Include: Phenomenon contextualization, prior literature and gaps (narrative arc), theoretical framework (motivated), research questions (progressive scope) with brief method preview, contributions, roadmap.
When a standalone lit review exists: Compress the intro's literature to 1-2 sentences per stream with parenthetical citations. Introduce theory by stating what it does, not its full definition. Place concrete examples in the lit review. Integrate gaps as narrative consequences, not enumerated lists.
Checklist
- Opening establishes phenomenon before specific context
- Literature traces a single arc from the target discipline outward
- Theory introduction motivated by preceding need, not introduced abruptly
- Cross-paragraph bridges are explicit
- Gaps emerge from the trajectory (typically 2-4)
- RQs address identified gaps with scope progression
- Contributions enumerated with parallel structure
- Appropriate length for venue (typically 3-5 paragraphs)
- If standalone lit review: intro compresses, lit review elaborates
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