The introduction is the very first piece a reader sees when he holds a research paper, hence, a researcher should ensure to write a convincing and captivating introduction.
The research paper introduction draws the reader’s focus from a broad perspective on a particular topic area. It also provides an overview of the study being done by condensing existing knowledge and background knowledge on the subject, highlighting the significance of the investigation through a hypothesis, research questions, or research challenge.
Along with explaining the other components of the research paper’s structure, it also provides a summary of the methodology used to determine the potential outcomes that your investigation will reveal.
Most researchers do not know how to structure and write a compelling and captivating introduction that does justice to whatever research has been carried out.
Parts of a Research Paper Introduction
A research paper’s introduction only introduces the subject of the study. The introduction includes a topic sentence, a thesis statement, three to five arguments, supporting information, and/or a conclusion. It should be rather succinct, straightforward, and concise.
Besides, The reader gets the background knowledge they require about the subject from the thesis statement and the supporting sentences. Thus, the findings are not thoroughly explained in the introduction. It serves as the foundation for the paper.
- Topic Sentence
- Thesis Statement
- Supporting Sentences
- The Conclusion Sentence
#1. The Topic Sentence
The introduction’s topic sentence merely summarizes your paper’s core thesis. Hence, A reader should be able to understand what will be presented if it is clear, succinct, and thorough enough. “Step Up to Writing,” a booklet with fundamental composition advice, lists thirteen different types of topic sentences. One of these is the “occasion/position statement,” along with “however statements,” “list statements,” and “compare/contrast statements.”
#2. The Thesis Statement
The essential topic of your paper is made plain to the reader by the thesis statement in the introduction. Hence, Look to your outline for guidance, then draft a few thesis statements and select the one that best suits your topic phrase.
Besides, The thesis is made more compelling by the use of emotive language and strong action verbs. Therefore, To make sure it is clear and cohesive, revise your thesis by reading it aloud several times.
#3. Supporting Sentences
It is recommended to offer three to five solid arguments, supported by reasons, examples, and/or facts. Your study must be supported by these arguments. Before you convey it in the body, this is where you might briefly summarize the importance of the research material.
Also, All justifications, all information, all facts, or any combination of the three may be included in the introduction. The reader is further led to understand the significance of this research by receiving this vital information.
#4. The Conclusion Sentence
The concluding sentence of the introduction simply restates the key argument and gives the paragraph a solid finish. Rewrite the theme sentence in the final sentence using new terms while maintaining the core notion. Also, Include a fresh fact or understanding regarding the main idea as well. In addition, Use attention-grabbing language at the conclusion.
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How to Write a Strong Introduction For a Research Paper
You can create a strong introduction for a research paper by following these five steps.
- Step 1: Introduce your topic
- Step 2: Describe the background
- Step 3: Establish your research problem
- Step 4: Specify your objective(s)
- Step 5: Map out your paper
Step 1: Introduce your topic
The reader should be informed about your topic and the reasons it is fascinating or significant in the introduction. Usually, a powerful opening hook is used to achieve this.
The hook is a powerful first line that makes it clear how relevant your issue is. Consider a compelling fact or statistic, a firm assertion, a query, or a quick anecdote that will pique the reader’s interest in your subject.
Do not feel as though your hook must be exceptionally strong or original. Catchiness still comes in second to clarity and relevance. The aim is to introduce your subject and place your views before the reader.
Step 2: Describe the background
Depending on the strategy your article will be using, this section of the introduction will change.
You’ll go through some background information in a more argumentative paper. In a more empirical paper, here is the section where you should analyze earlier research and determine how yours fits in.
- Argumentative paper: Background information
- Empirical paper: Describing previous research
#1. Argumentative paper: Background information
When you’ve got the reader’s attention, get a little more specific by giving background information and focusing on your topic.
Only include background data that is truly necessary. Avoid going into great detail in the introduction; if it’s necessary for your work, extra background information can be included in the body.
#2. Empirical paper: Describing previous research
Instead of describing existing research in a paper that describes novel research, give a summary of the best existing research. This is a brief summary of the existing research on your issue, similar to a micro literature review.
Genuine reading of the literature should inform this. A good understanding of the pertinent research is essential to guide your own work, even if your search is less thorough than in a full literature review.
Study types are established at the outset, and constraints or holes in the research that you aim to address are discussed at the conclusion.
Step 3: Establish your research problem
The last stage is to make it clear where your own research fits in and what issue it addresses.
#1. Argumentative paper: Emphasize the importance
You only need to state the issue you want to examine and what is unique or significant about your case in an argumentative research paper.
#2. Empirical paper: Relate to the literature
Try to introduce the problem in an empirical research report using the literature review as a foundation. Think about the following issues:
- What research void is your work aiming to close?
- What shortcomings of earlier work is it intended to address?
- What does it add to our understanding of the world?
Step 4: Specify your objective(s)
You will now go into more detail about what you want to learn or say in your research paper.
Your research goals might be formulated in a variety of ways. While an empirical paper typically poses a research question, an argumentative paper typically presents a thesis statement (sometimes with a hypothesis as to the answer).
#1. Argumentative paper: Thesis statement
The position that the paper’s facts and justifications will support is stated in the thesis statement. It should clearly and concisely state your position without addressing any supporting details at this time. It can be presented in one or two sentences.
#2. Empirical paper: Research question and hypothesis
In an empirical research article, the research question is the one you want to address.
With as little discussion as possible at this point, clearly state your research question. You only need to state this question now; the rest of the paper will be devoted to discussing and investigating it.
It is possible to explicitly or indirectly frame a research question.
- What effects does regular Instagram use have on the prevalence of body image issues among adolescent girls? That was the question this study set out to investigate.
- We looked into how frequently adolescent girls use Instagram in relation to the frequency of body image problems.
These should be mentioned along with your research question if your study involved testing any hypotheses. They are typically presented in the past tense since, by the time you are writing up your article, the hypothesis will have already been tested.
Step 5: Map out your paper
A quick summary of the remaining portions of the work is frequently included in the introduction’s concluding section.
This isn’t necessarily required in a work written in the traditional scientific format of “introduction, methods, results, discussion.” However, it’s crucial to describe the shape of your article for the reader if its structure is less conventional.
The overview, if it is provided, should be succinct, direct, and presented in the present tense.
How to introduce a study in a research paper
By segmenting the section into the following subsections, an excellent research paper beginning is presented in great detail:
- Research background
- Research problem
- Research rationale
- Research aim
- Research objectives
- Research hypothesis
- Research questions
Research Paper Introduction Example
Topic: Compare and Contrast the Policies for the Aged People in Various Countries
Currently, this blue planet is home to almost 7 billion people. Life expectancy rates have increased as a result of advances in technology and medicine. As a result, many strategies and policies for the elderly have been developed by various nations.
These policies are developed using a number of criteria. The reason for this is that many nations have varying life expectancy rates and issues involving the elderly. The three other nations that will be highlighted in this report, in addition to New Zealand, are Australia, Canada, and India.
Canada makes an effort to ensure that the elderly are well-cared for with a number of pension systems, health regulations, and government initiatives. Australian and New Zealand policies that support healthcare and pension schemes for the elderly are remarkably similar.
Additionally, these regulations encourage more equitable access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas. India, on the other hand, is a country with a population of over a billion people yet is not in the first world. To evaluate the goals and shortcomings and comprehend the areas that might need development, it may be useful to compare these policies and their effects on the economy and society.
While New Zealand, Australia, and Canada are developed nations, India differs from the other three in that it has a far larger population but is less developed overall. Therefore, a comparison of the policies of different nations may inspire fresh thinking.
You may also check out 120 Best Research Topics On Political Science
How to Write an Introduction to a Scientific Research Paper
- Background information
- Testable question
- Biological rationale
- Hypothesis and predictions
- Experimental approach
#1. Background information
This is probably the first thing to note in order to write an introduction to a research paper. Important topics, ideas, terms, and definitions are required in order to comprehend the experiment’s biological justification. It frequently contains a synopsis of conclusions from earlier, pertinent studies.
Keep in mind to mention your sources, be succinct, and only provide material that is pertinent to your audience and experimental design. Background material that has been succinctly presented allows for the identification of certain scientific knowledge gaps that still exist. (For instance, “Guppies do actually spend more time in shallow water, but no research has yet looked into this.”)
#2. Testable question
These queries are far more specialized, relevant to the identified knowledge gap, and data-driven than the initial broad query. (For instance, “Do guppies spend more time in water that is >1 meter deep than in water that is 1 meter deep?”)
#3. Biological rationale
Outlines the aim of your study, condensing what is known and what is unknown to establish the knowledge gap you are attempting to fill. Your hypothesis and experimental strategy are logically supported by the “BR,” which describes the biological mechanism and presumptions that support why your hypothesis should be correct.
Therefore, Based on your reading of the scientific literature, your own observations, and the underlying presumptions you are making about how the system functions, you have developed the biological justification. Your reader should read your hypothesis in the introductory section and think to themself, “Of course, this hypothesis appears quite logical based on the rationale offered,” if you have written your biological rationale.
#4. Hypothesis and predictions
Specific hypothesis(es) you plan to test in this experiment. Therefore, The hypothesis for manipulative experiments should specify the organism or system, the independent variable (what you alter), the dependent variable(s) (what you measure), and the comparison that will be made.
#5. Experimental approach
Give the reader a quick overview of the experiment, the kinds of data it will provide, and the conclusions you plan to draw from the data. Contrast the experimental protocol with the experimental strategy. The steps and methods used during the experiment that is to be described in the Methods and Materials section are outlined in the experimental protocol.
Conclusion
One of the first things you should plan while writing a paper is the beginning. The introduction acts as a road map for the rest of the article since it concisely states the context, objectives, and hypothesis or research question of the study. The methods, findings, and discussion sections are frequently fully written before the introduction since it sets the stage for everything that comes after.
FAQs
The Topic Sentence
The Thesis Statement
Supporting Sentences
The Conclusion Sentence
A basic statement that introduces your topic and its history should come first. The next two phrases of your research paper thesis should discuss the relevant topic and narrow in on the precise query and research point. Your research paper writing thesis should be stated in the final phases of the introduction.
A research paper’s introduction contains:
What the topic mostly addresses
How the study was carried out (method)
What was discovered (generally)
How the paper advances the subject as a whole.
References
- https://www.thoughtco.com
- https://penandthepad.com
- https://www.scribbr.com
- https://managementpaper.com
- https://www.pdfprof.com
- https://dept.writing.wisc.edu
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