Writing an introduction to a research paper

Writing an introduction to a research paper

 · Writing an Introduction to a Research Paper – What to Include. Introduce your topic. Create some context and background. Tell your reader about the research you plan to carry out. State your rationale. Explain why your research is important. State your hypothesis Research paper introduction writing tips. Research paper introduction is essential part of your writing and it must be created according to certain rules. It is true that when you write any kind of text you can push yourself too hard and cross borders of norms. Because academic styles of writing are referred to creative writing as well  · The first few lines of your research paper introduction decide the fate of your document. If readers cannot connect to the paper in the first segment, they will never spare hours on reading the full paper. It is implicitly a writers’ responsibility to match up

How to Write a Research Introduction: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Last Updated: April 17, References Approved. This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

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The introduction to a research paper can be the most challenging part of the paper to write. The length of the introduction will vary depending on the type of research paper you are writing. An introduction should announce your topic, provide context and a rationale for your work, before stating your research questions and hypothesis.

Well-written introductions set the tone for the paper, catch the reader's interest, and communicate the hypothesis or thesis statement. For more information from our English Ph. co-author about how to craft a strong hypothesis and thesis, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.

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Cookie Settings. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Categories Education and Communications College University and Postgraduate Academic Writing Essays Research Papers How to Write a Research Introduction. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Research Introduction Help. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles, writing an introduction to a research paper. Article Summary. Co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD Last Updated: April 17, References Approved.

Part 1 of Announce your research topic. You can start your introduction with a few sentences which announce the topic of your paper and give an indication of the kind of research questions you will be asking. This is a good way to introduce your readers to your topic and pique their interest. The first few sentences should act as an indication of a broader problem which you will then focus in on more closely in the rest of your introduction, leading to your specific research questions.

In scientific papers this is sometimes known as an "inverted triangle", where you start with the broadest material at the start, before zooming in on the specifics.

It provides the reader writing an introduction to a research paper an indication of the content of the essay and encourages them to read on. Consider referring to key words, writing an introduction to a research paper. When you write a research paper for publication you will be required to submit it along with a series of key words which give a quick indication of the areas of research you are addressing.

Writing an introduction to a research paper may also have certain key words in your title which you want to establish and emphasise in your introduction. Define any key terms or concepts, writing an introduction to a research paper. It may be necessary for you to clarify any key terms or concepts early on in your introduction.

You need to express yourself clearly throughout your paper so if you leave an unfamiliar term or concept unexplained you risk your readers not having a clear understanding of your argument.

Introduce the topic through an anecdote or quotation. If you are writing a humanities or social science essay you can find more literary ways to begin your introduction and announce the topic of your paper.

It is common for humanities essays in particular to begin with an illustrative anecdote or quotation that points to the topic of the research. This is a variation of the "inverted triangle" technique and can generate interest in your paper in a more imaginative way and demonstrate an engaging writing style.

If you use an anecdote ensure that is short and highly relevant for your research. It has to function in the same way as an alternative opening, namely to announce the topic of your research paper to your reader. For example, if you were writing a sociology writing an introduction to a research paper about re-offending rates among young offenders, you could include a brief story of one person whose story reflects and introduces your topic. This kind of approach is generally not appropriate for the introduction to a natural or physical sciences research paper where the writing conventions are different.

Part 2 of Include a brief literature review. Depending on the overall length of your paper, it will be necessary to include a review of the existing literature already published in the field.

This is an important element of your paper which demonstrates that you have a strong knowledge and understanding of the debates and scholarship in your area. You should aim to indicate that you have a broad knowledge, but that you are engaging in the specific debates most relevant to your own research.

It is important to be concise in the introduction, so provide an overview on recent developments in the primary research rather than a lengthy discussion. A strong literature review presents important background information to your own research and indicates the importance of the field.

Use the literature to focus in on your contribution. A concise but comprehensive literature review can be a very effective way to frame your own research paper. As you develop your introduction, you can move from the literature to focus in on your own work and its position relevant to the broader scholarship.

By making clear reference to existing work you can demonstrate explicitly the specific contribution you are making to move the field forward. You can identify a gap in the existing scholarship and explain how you are addressing it and moving understanding forward.

Elaborate on the rationale of your paper. Once you have framed your work within a broader context you can elaborate writing an introduction to a research paper fully on the rationale of your research and its particular strengths and importance. The rationale should clearly and concisely indicate the value of your paper and its contribution to the field.

For example, writing an introduction to a research paper, if you are writing a scientific paper you could stress the merits of the experimental approach or models you have used. Stress what is novel in your research and the significance of your new approach, but don't give too much detail in the introduction. Part 3 of State your research questions. Once you have indicated where your research sits in the field and the general rationale for your paper, you can specify the research questions the paper addresses.

The literature review and rationale frames your research and introduces your research question. This question should be developed fluently from the earlier parts of the introduction and shouldn't come as a surprise to the reader.

An example of a research question could be "what were the consequences of the North American Free Trade Agreement on the Mexican export economy? A good research question should shape a problem into a testable hypothesis, writing an introduction to a research paper. Indicate your hypothesis. After you have specified your research questions you need to give a clear and concise articulation of your hypothesis, or your thesis statement. This is a statement which indicates your essay will make a specific contribution and have a clear result rather than just covering a broader topic.

You should make it clear briefly how you came to this hypothesis in a way which references your discussion of the existing literature. If possible try to avoid using the word "hypothesis" and rather make this implicit in your writing.

In a scientific paper, giving a clear one-sentence overview of your results and their relation to your hypothesis makes the information clear and accessible, writing an introduction to a research paper. National Institutes of Health Go to source An example of a hypothesis could be "mice deprived of food for the duration of the study were expected to become more lethargic than those fed normally". Outline the structure of your paper. In some cases the final part of an introduction to a research paper will be a few lines that provide an overview of the structure of the body of the paper.

This is not always necessary and you should pay attention to the writing conventions in your discipline. In a natural sciences paper, for example, there is a fairly rigid structure which you will be following. Research Introduction Help Sample Scientific Research Introduction. Support wikiHow and unlock all samples. Sample Research Introduction for Humanities.

Sample Research Introduction Starters. There's no official word count for an introduction but brevity is the soul of clarity. Do a sentence to get the reader interested in your topic and a sentence to state your thesis. You also want to include a few sentences briefly outlining the important points in the paper and some background information, if necessary. Write at least five to eight clear, concise sentences.

How to Write a Compelling Introduction to Your Scientific Paper

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How to write an introduction for a research paper

 · Writing an Introduction to a Research Paper – What to Include. Introduce your topic. Create some context and background. Tell your reader about the research you plan to carry out. State your rationale. Explain why your research is important. State your hypothesis  · The first few lines of your research paper introduction decide the fate of your document. If readers cannot connect to the paper in the first segment, they will never spare hours on reading the full paper. It is implicitly a writers’ responsibility to match up  · How to write a research paper introduction Step 1: Introduce your topic. The first job of the introduction is to tell the reader what your topic is and why it’s Step 2: Describe the background. This part of the introduction differs depending on what approach your paper is