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Abstract

This chapter introduces a heuristic for grabbing the reader’s attention from the first lines of your paper: the Problem/Gap/Hook. Say goodbye to ‘inverted triangle’ introductions that start with broad statements about your topic and take a page to get to the point of your research. The Problem/Gap/Hook heuristic will help you write a powerful opening paragraph that names the problem your work tackles, nods briefly to what we know and identifies the gap in that knowledge, and hooks the reader by telling them why filling that gap matters. Using examples such as comparisons of published and unpublished drafts, this chapter will help you to write as though you are joining an impassioned scholarly conversation.

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Lingard, L., Watling, C. (2021). Problem/Gap/Hook Introductions. In: Story, Not Study: 30 Brief Lessons to Inspire Health Researchers as Writers. Innovation and Change in Professional Education, vol 19. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71363-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71363-8_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-71362-1

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