aer-introduction

# AER Introduction ## Overview The introduction is the **only** part of the paper most editors read in full. Top-5 desk rejection decisions are typically made on pages 1-3. This skill produces an introduction that survives that filter and an abstract that fits AER's 100-word constraint. Two non-negotiable AER formatting facts: 1. **No "Introduction" heading.** The introductory section is unlabeled and begins immediately after the title and abstract. 2. **Abstract ≤ 100 words.** Roughly 4-5 sentences. The AER Style Guide states the abstract "must not exceed 100 words"; an over-length abstract is flagged in editorial screening and returned for correction. ## When to Use - Drafting an introduction from scratch - Rewriting an introduction that drew a desk rejection - Compressing a 250-word working-paper abstract to AER's 100-word limit - The introduction is over 3 typeset pages and needs surgery - The user has results but cannot explain *why they matter* in one paragraph ## The Five-Paragraph Formula (Keith Head) Every AER-style introduction has exactly five components, in this order: ### Paragraph 1 — The Hook Open with one of: - **Y matters.** Welfare consequences, magnitudes, policy stakes. - **Y is puzzling.** A stylized fact existing theory cannot explain. - **Y is controversial.** Two camps disagree; new evidence resolves the question. - **Y is big.** A first-order phenomenon (the service sector, urban inequality, the trade balance). Two to three sentences. Cite...