How to Write a Research Paper Introduction: A Comprehensive Guide for American Academics

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It is not a secret that most people judge a book by its cover, so if you want your research paper to be read from A to Z, it is important to write a powerful introduction in your research paper. The first paragraph of your work must be catchy, inspiring, and interesting, motivating the audience to continue reading. In this article, you will learn everything about writing a research paper introduction and achieving outstanding writing results! The following tips from AssignmentPay's expert team will help you understand how a research paper introduction should look and how to help readers enjoy your paper. If you don’t have enough time or energy to write a research paper introduction, you can always pay for a research paper - just contact us and get outstanding assistance within a chosen period of time!

What is the introduction in a research paper?

A good introduction should lead the reader from a generalized topic to a particular aspect. It helps to establish the main idea, context, research importance and summarizes background data on the topic, providing the main goal of the work. In addition, it contains a hypothesis, a set of discussed questions, and a used methodology.

Your introduction should also highlight potential results or explain the research structure and organization.

If you want to learn how to write a research paper introduction, you should answer three general questions:

  • What is it?
  • Why should you read it?
  • What do you want your reader to think about it/ react to?

What should be in the introduction of a research paper?

The research paper introduction can be one of the most difficult parts to complete. The size of this section depends on the work type you are asked to complete.

Your introduction should define the topic and consist of a context and rationale, as well as a hypothesis and research questions. A thoughtful introduction sets a tone for the whole paper, grabs the attention of the reader and provides a thesis statement and hypothesis.

3 Overarching Goals of a Good Introduction

  1. To make sure you provide a clear and understandable summary of previous works on the subject to give a better understanding of the problem;
  2. To explain why your own research fills in the gaps in the literature and adds insufficient details to the topic;
  3. To note all sorts of contributions (including policy, theoretical, and empirical ones) of the research.

If you want to get a piece of advice on how to write a research introduction, you can read a comment from Professor of Modern English Literature at UChicago Robert S Hicks:

A research introduction is the most significant part of the whole paper. Students sometimes neglect its importance and don’t pay enough attention to the details, which causes a loss of readers. That’s why it’s an essential part of the research paper. Learners should prepare their introduction thoroughly as its purpose is to catch the attention of their audience and convince readers it’s worth reading the whole research. Hence, it has to be captivating, interesting, informative, as well as concise and comprehensive. Writing an introduction, bear in mind the main purposes of the chapter - to introduce your research paper and describe its relevance, purposes, topic, etc. Statistics show students sometimes try to write the whole research in the intro. However, it’s a huge mistake that leads to bad results. There are some points that have to be mentioned in the intro. Just keep in mind the following points: relevance of the paper, its main idea, purposes, hypothesis, questions of the work, problems, methodology, and structure of the research. Speaking of the length, It depends on the complexity of the topic, your ideas, and your purposes, but make sure to make it concise. Lastly, I’d like to explain that your introduction should reflect the background information of the topic and provide readers with questions that are not researched enough so you will answer them in your paper.

How to write an Introduction?

The best way to get started if you lack information or ideas on writing an introduction is to learn about it online. Following tips from professional writers and tutors, you will be able to create outstanding work that won’t leave anyone indifferent.

Below, you will find the most relevant tips for writing a great research paper introduction.

Select the Topic

This step may be obvious, but it plays a crucial part in writing a great research paper. If you select an irrelevant, boring, or too general topic, you risk losing motivation and dropping the assignment somewhere in the middle.

Make a list of the matters you are interested in, conduct research to see whether chosen variants have much credible data online. Cross out options that can’t be backed with reliable sources or don’t stir up your interest.

Background Information

As with any book or movie, the introduction aims to set the background and give your assignment a certain context, allowing the reader to see how your work complements previous research on a similar topic.

That is why the first paragraphs of the introduction should explain the historical background, describing the first work in the field and other research that influenced the modern situation.

However, huge amounts of information can make it difficult to fit into several paragraphs, so be careful and provide only the most important information.

Rationale for your work

Rationale is an explanation of why you are using a certain film, book, or method in your work. The basic elements of a rationale are:

  • Target audience and citation of literature
  • Summary of the paper and its educational importance
  • Goals of using the research and how it can be applied in practice
  • Potential problems and how they can be solved
  • Alternative sources, which the student can explore

Hook Sentence

A hook sentence is your chance to catch interest of the reader and make him want to learn more after reading the introduction in a research paper. Your hook may include:

  • A literary quote
  • Statistics or facts
  • A rhetorical question
  • Simile or metaphor
  • Allegory
  • Anecdote or joke
  • Quote of a famous person
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Writing a Thesis Statement

If you want to understand how to write an introduction, you should remember to include a thesis statement in your work. Actually, without it your introduction will be meaningless, and your teacher will surely ask you to rewrite the whole section.

You need to write a thesis statement when you are working on the outline. In such a way, you will be able to understand what arguments and sources to use. These few sentences may predetermine the whole course of your future work.

A good thesis statement includes such qualities as:

  • Background information on the topic
  • Precision and engagement
  • Importance of the discussed issue

Downloading books online without any fee is bad, and you need to avoid it. It is a very weak example of a thesis statement, which is not able to stir the interest of the audience and prevents them from continuing reading.

Every time you download a book online without paying for it, huge work and efforts of authors remain unrecognized and make them lose thousands of dollars. It may eventually harm the economy and overall wellbeing of society.

This example is much better because it dives deeper into the problem and explains why the issue is relevant not only to a regular person but to the nation as a whole.

Tips for writing a Good introduction

The importance of a good introduction is impossible to overestimate because you will never have another chance to make a positive first impression.

The first paragraphs of your research paper give the audience information on the quality of chosen arguments, your personal style, as well as on the validity of conclusions. If your introduction is weak and lacks structure, it may make the reader want to put your research paper aside.

On the contrary, a concise and properly structured introduction will surely make the readers notice your writing and analytical skills and make them want to go on reading.

Below, you will find a few of the most important tips on writing a powerful introduction, engaging the reader and arising interest of the audience.

  • Remain brief. Too long an introduction will bore the reader, and you will most likely lose the audience. Always stick to the outline and make your introduction short and straight to the point
  • Always define your problem. Your introduction should end up with a hypothesis, question or a thesis statement. By the end of your introduction, the reader must know what you are trying to achieve by writing the paper. Remember, your discussion and conclusion sections will refer to the introduction, supporting your thesis statement
  • Organization. When working on body paragraphs, you may notice that they go in different directions. There is nothing wrong until you adjust your introduction to the new course. A good piece of advice is to work on your introduction only when all other sections are ready. It doesn’t work for all the students, so choose the rhythm and sequence depending on your own preferences

Once your introduction is ready, you can proceed with conclusions and bibliography.

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Research Paper Introduction Examples

Some students don’t know how to get started or are scared to fail, so they don’t want to try. One of the most simple and free solutions is getting familiar with examples online.

You can download samples of research paper introductions, choose the one you like, and write your own paragraphs with ease!

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Conclusion

Not every student can boast writing skills, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with searching for tips online. If you lack time or don’t want to risk your grades, Assignmentpay.com experts are always there to help. Place an order, provide us with specific guidelines, and receive a flawless research paper introduction before the indicated deadline.

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