Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Academy/Writing an effective article introduction

In real life we introduce persons, places, things, and ideas to one another on a daily basis. From friends and family to corporate businesses and international relations, a good introduction is important so that we appear competent, prepared, and in command. Sometimes careers are made or broken on the strength of an introduction.

In much the same way, articles here require a good introduction to adequately convey the information on the rest of the page. This introduction is absolutely crucial to the article's construction; without a good introduction, people will wonder what exactly the article is about and why they should care. A good introduction should entice people with interesting information and excite their curiosity, so that readers feel like the article is worth reading.

Since the introduction is the among the most important (and most difficult) parts of an article, some tips and suggestions for creating the perfect introduction are listed below for the benefit of those who made need help. Note that while the following advise is a good standard, there will always be times when an exception or two will be needed to better the article.

Adhere to the rule of three
In general, depending upon the length of the body, an article introduction should have two to three paragraphs in which the material is initially presented to readers.

First paragraph
The first paragraph of an article introduction should introduce the person, place, thing, or idea being discussed. In particular, the first line of the first paragraph should incorporate the article's name in bold text and should state who or what the article is talking about.

If you are writing about an object, use the next few lines of the first paragraph to provide a definition of the object being discussed. You may also wish to discuss any notable features of the object in the first paragraph.

If you are writing the introduction for a battle, note in the first paragraph the name of the battle (including all applicable names to account for the combatants) and note both the date and location in the first paragraph. If the battle has a well cited and notable impact on history (i.e., first battle in which fleets never sighted each other, first battle between tanks, first battle in which radar was effectively used, etc.), you may include that information in the first paragraph provided that you cite the information.

If the subject of your article is a person, start your fist paragraph by stating the full legal name of the person in question, followed by the date of birth and (if applicable) date of death. The next line should state the person's rank, if they have one. Otherwise, end the paragraph there or use the next few lines to note out any notable non-military aspects of the person career (won a Nobel Prize, was a Time Person of the Year, etc.).

Second paragraph
Your second paragraph should address the history behind the person, place, thing, or idea being presented. This will likely make the second paragraph the longest of the three introductory paragraphs; this is fine, as the purpose of the introduction is to summarize and inform the public of the historical content in the article.

For an object, start by noting the circumstances surrounding it. Trace the history in a short but concise manner from its introduction to employment. Discuss the impact it had on the field, what it supplemented or replaced, and how long it remained in service.

For a battle, the second paragraph should discuss the circumstances surrounding the battle, such as how the forces came to fight one another. A brief discussion of the battle should then be presented, including who attacked whom, how the battle played out, and who withdrew/surrendered/retreated. If relevant to the material being discussed, you may include a mention of the casualties, but do not force a mention into this paragraph. In a battle article—-especially if the battle was controversial—–there will be places within body to discuss in greater detail the casualties of the conflict.

For a person, use the second paragraph to briefly summarize the life of the person in question. Information on the person's birthplace and parents, as well as education, career path, and other information of this nature, should be added here. Take care that the information you add stays brief and to the point. As is the case with all articles, you will go into much greater detail in the article itself. Therefore, we only the major highlights here.

Third paragraph
Your third paragraph should be set in the present, and should cover the person, place, thing, or idea in current context.

For an object, note any recent changes, upgrades, supplements, or anything of this nature here. If the object is being phased out, retired, or otherwise removed, this is place to note it. If (and only if) you have accurate information concerning the future of the thing in question (e.g., will be removed by a certain date, will be in service by a certain year, etc.) you may add this information to the introduction provided that you cite the information.

For a battle, the third paragraph should address the outcome of the battle, noting any territorial changes. This information should be placed into the context of the campaign in question and the war being fought, respectively. Since battles, especially strategic or decisive battles, tend to be turning points for campaigns and wars, this information can help readers put the article's content into context with the wider scheme of things.

For a person, the third paragraph should be devoted to addressing the current events surrounding the person, such as their whereabouts, their activities, and if applicable, their future plans. Any statements regarding the future should be added only if they can be cited to a reliable source. If the person is deceased, mention that in this paragraph and note their place of burial, if known.

Refrain from citing
The introduction is meant to summarize the information in the article in question, so any information found in the introduction should also be located in the article body. However, some information in the article introduction may still require a citation to ensure that the information can be traced back to a reliable source. While an introduction should generally be citation free, you may still need to add citations to the article body to ensure that it meets all applicable policies and guidelines.

Think short
The article is going to elaborate in detail upon its subject, so the introduction does not need to be long and detailed. The introduction's purpose is simply impart upon the reader a sense of importance or impact. Therefore, if something does not absolutely need to be in the introduction, place it in the article body. Think about a movie theater. Its full-length feature films are shown inside the building, but outside the theater is only the movie poster. Your job in writing an introduction is to condense two-and-a-half hours worth of an action flick down to one or two images that tempt people to see the movie. Since your space is limited and pictures are worth thousands of words, you are going to want draw something that has enough color and panache to attract someone's attention. You do not want to explain the entire movie on the poster, because if you did, everyone would already know how it ends and few people would want to see it.

No images
Our articles can be vastly improved with images, but the introduction is going to be sandwiched between the Wikipedia sidebar to the left and the article's infobox to the right. If you attempt to add an image in the introduction (outside the infobox, that is), the text will be so cramped that readers will have difficulty following it. Add the image to the infobox instead. If there isn't any infobox, an image may be added in its place. If an infobox is present, however, images should never be placed outside it.