Writing A Research Paper – The
Introduction
The introduction to a
research paper typically has three parts. The
first part introduces the subject of the paper by showing its relevance in its
field. The second highlights a gap
in current knowledge in the field, and the third establishes the importance of
the paper by showing how it fills that gap.
Read the introduction
below (to a medical technology paper), and draw lines indicating the breaks
between the three parts. After
completing this step, answer the questions below.
Achieving functional ambulation is a goal unmet by many people who have sustained a spinal cord injury or other upper motor neuron dysfunction. By exploring new therapies, researchers have begun to challenge some of the conventional wisdom about the recovery potential of the spinal cord. One such therapy, the supported treadmill ambulation training (STAT) program, involves unloading a portion of the patient's weight while gait training the subject on a treadmill. By participating in this therapy many people have experienced substantial gains in ambulatory abilities.1-3
Earlier research has shown that mammals such as cats have been trained to improve their gait on a treadmill even after a complete spinal cord transection.4,5 Cats who received treadmill training improved their maximum gait speed by a factor of eight, while those who did not participate in the training only improved their gait speed by a factor of three.4 These results suggest that the spinal cord is capable of learning and have motivated researchers to try treadmill training with humans who have sustained a spinal cord injury or other upper motor neuron dysfunction.
The success of the STAT program depends on many factors: a commitment by the patient to the protocol, trained therapists, and appropriate equipment. One of the reasons STAT has not been implemented in clinical practice is that there is a great deal of confusion among clinical practitioners regarding the equipment required to successfully train patients. This technical note is presented in an attempt to identify key hardware and the features needed for a successful application.
Questions:
1)
What is the purpose of the two sentences about cats?
2)
What is the gap in knowledge that this paper addresses?
How do the authors signal this?
3)
What do you expect to come next in the paper?