How to Write the Introduction of an Economics Paper

You win or lose your readers with the introduction. Research shows that economics papers with more readable introductions get cited more. The introduction is where you lay out your research question, your empirical strategy, your findings, and why it all matters - succinctly.

This skill is based primarily on David Evans' analysis of introductions in top economics journals (AER, QJE, AEJ: Applied, etc.), supplemented by Keith Head's "Introduction Formula," Claudia Sahm's advice for job market papers, and Marc Bellemare's "Middle Bits Formula."

The Core Structure

Papers in top journals largely follow this pattern. There is variation, but the skeleton is remarkably consistent:

1. Motivate with a puzzle or a problem (1-2 paragraphs)
2. Clearly state the research question (1 paragraph)
3. Describe the empirical approach (1 paragraph)
4. Present detailed results (3-4 paragraphs)
5. Establish value-added relative to related literature (1-3 paragraphs)
6. Optional extras: robustness checks, policy relevance, limitations
7. Roadmap of the paper (1 paragraph)

A typical introduction in a top journal runs about 10-15 paragraphs. It front-loads the paper's own contribution and pushes detailed literature discussion toward the end.