How to Write an Introduction for A Research Paper

How to Write an Introduction for A Research Paper

Say you’re stepping out to go for an interview, or a meeting with an important business client. You will want to present yourself in the best way possible head to toe, why? Because you want this party to get the best impression of you, even before you get to the nitty gritty details of your meeting, right? You want them to perceive you as worthy of engagement. You want them to feel confident enough in what you have to offer even before you get to tell them about it. Well, we all understand the importance of first impression in different areas of our lives, whether personal or professional. This concept also applies to research papers.

The introduction section of your research paper acts as a gateway to your research. A strong  research paper introduction ensures that you captivate and capture the readers’ attention, encouraging them to read the rest of the paper. This article offers guidance and tools to help you write a compelling  research essay introduction that results in an overall quality research paper. This article starts by defining the introduction of a research paper. The article will further explore how to write a quality introduction. The article will also provide quick tips to help you write a quality introduction to your research paper.

Understanding how to wrote a good introduction for a research paper

As you reflect on how to start a research paper introduction, the first  thing that  you need to understand is what  makes up a good  introduction. The first section of your research paper allows you to hook the reader, introduce your topic, and establish the significance of your research. Therefore, these are the key issues you must  have in the back of your head as you look into  the essay introduction. The section also provides the scope of the topic, the context or background of the information, and the importance of your discussion. Additionally, you may need to define and explain key concepts that may be difficult for the average reader in the introduction. Overall, the section is also a critical area in completing your research paper because it launches your writing approach, research quality, and authority that will be used to judge the rest of the paper.

Purpose of a research paper introduction section

•  Establishes the topic to provide a strong opening that grabs the reader’s attention.
• Provides background information to clarify the significance of the subject to the reader.
• Provides the scope of the research paper
• Point out any limitations or gaps in existing literature you want to explore.
• It acts as a roadmap for the rest of the paper.

The research paper introduction will vary significantly depending on the length of your research paper. Some introductions may require half a page, while others can be a few pages long.
For instance, if you are writing an essay that is 300 words long, you may only need to introduce the paper in a sentence or two. For a 1000-word paper, you may need a half page introduction. When writing a 10,000 dissertation, the research paper introduction could be even up to 5 pages long. This means you must consider the introduction length based on requirements of your paper. However, the introduction section is always shorter than other sections of the paper.

 

How to write an Introduction for a research paper?

As mentioned above, the research paper  introduction should establish the subject to attract the reader’s attention. However, you should not go too deep in the introduction to avoid overwhelming the reader. You should ensure you have a clear idea of what you are introducing. Using the general to specific approach will help you craft a quality introduction. This means you start by generally introducing the subject, then providing background information, then narrowing down to the precise background research, and finally, providing the area of focus using a thesis statement.

The following are the steps for writing the introduction of your research paper or essay.

I. Broadly introduce your topic. You should start with general data and narrow it down to the specific elements you intend to discuss in your research paper.
II. Provide background information to create a context using prior research.
III. Provide a rationale for your paper. This explains why your topic needs to be addressed by identifying gaps in existing research. The rationale is also an indicator of your attitude towards the subject.
IV. Craft a thesis statement that summarizes the key argument of your research paper.
V. Provide a brief outline. This will serve as a roadmap to the rest of the paper. This will help your readers follow your argument easily throughout the paper.

 

Need a guide on how to craft a good thesis statement? Check out our guide on how to write a thesis statement.

 

A good research paper  introduction should include the following elements;
• Existing information about the research topic. This informs the audience of the current knowledge on the subject.
• Gaps in existing literature to justify your research
• Your objectives for completing the research. Tell the readers what you aim to do with your paper and possible contributions to the field of study.

 

The following is an example of a brief introduction to a research paper on the impact of social media on politics;

An estimated half of the world’s population uses social media (Lane et al., 2023). The rise of social media has fundamentally reshaped most areas of human interactions. Most social media platforms, like Facebook and TikTok, have become integrative tools for many areas of life, including politics. Politicians use these platforms for political communication and voter engagement (Lane et al., 2023). This digital revolution has resulted in a debate on the impact of social media on political discourse and participation. The current paper aims at exploring how social media has impacted politics for citizens. The essay argues that while social media has opened an avenue for citizens to debate and understand political issues, it has also resulted in unprecedented levels of political polarization. The paper starts by discussing the positive impacts of social media on politics, followed by the negative effects. The paper will also discuss how to find a balance between the positive and negative elements.

Quick tips for writing your  research paper introduction section

While writing the  research paper introduction section can be a challenging exercise, the following tips will help through the process.
• Utilize statistics, questions, or relatable anecdotes to grab your reader’s attention at the beginning of the introduction.
• Use statistics, questions, or a relatable anecdote to grab your audience’s attention while providing the general information.
• Keep the introduction section concise, depending on the length of your research paper.
• While citing sources to support background information is essential, cite selectively to avoid overwhelming the reader in the early stages.
• Write you introduction last because you will have a clearer picture of your research.

 

Also read our guide on how to write an essay hook  to identify ways to make a compelling introduction.

 

Conclusion

In summary, writing a captivating introduction for your research paper ensures quality in your writing process. This article has provided you with the necessary guidelines you can use to write an essay introduction section. These strategies will help capture your reader’s attention and discuss background information to entice them to continue reading. Remember that a strong research paper introduction will act as a roadmap that guides the reader through the rest of your research paper. Therefore, use it to set the stage for your argument and establish credibility.

 

Reference
Lane, D. S., Overbye-Thompson, H., & Emilija Gagrčin. (2023). The story of social media: Evolving news coverage of social media in American politics, 2006–2021. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmad039