Writing an introduction paragraph becomes a daunting process? Follow this to get an idea about how to write an introduction paragraph for a research paper.
It’s quite obvious that a strong introduction paragraph is the first thing readers notice when they embark on a reading journey. No doubt it is the most important thing in a research paper after the title and abstract section.
Writing an engaging introduction is one of the hardest tasks. How will you start this? Here we are going to discuss everything you need to master the art of writing an introduction paragraph for a research paper.
To answer all your questions and concerns, this article will cover all the aspects of writing an introduction paragraph for the research paper. So read this detailed guide on how to write an introduction paragraph for the research paper.
What is a research paper introduction?
Introduction to a research paper is where you actually laid the foundation of your topic and set up the approach for your reader. It several goals such as :
- Establish your own approach
- Provide reader with detailed overview of the research paper structure
- Develop the interest of your reader by presenting topic
- Briefly add up the existing research details
- Identify the research problem by listing the problem statement
Make sure that your introduction of the research paper looks different from typical ones. It does not matter whether your carried out research discusses the overall empirical research or constructs an argument provided by a variety of sources.
Why is an introduction important for a research paper?
The introduction paragraph is not just vital for a research paper. In other words, you can say it’s necessary.
Your target audience doesn’t get an idea what the research paper is all about just looking at the title. That’s definitely where you realise the need of a strong introduction. A compelling introduction will
- Stimulate the interest of the reader
- Help to explain why your research paper is worth reading
- Gives some background information about the title
Your audience will get tired without having a proper introduction. They might feel exhausted when they start reading your paper. Even they end up entirely but your introduction can serve as a ground for them and prepare for navigating the rest of the research paper.
Steps about How to write an intro paragraph for a research paper?
Here are the five comprehensive steps that you must follow about how to start writing an intro paragraph for the research paper.
Crucial steps while writing an introduction paragraph for a research paper is to establish your own unique approach.
Introduce your topic to the reader (Compelling hook):
One of the most important steps while writing an introduction paragraph for a research paper is to introduce your topic to the reader. Clearly state why your topic is fascinating or why we should read. Keep in mind that you embark your journey by a strong opening hook.
Hook is generally defined as the striking opening line that helps writers to deliver the relevance of your topic. You can easily do it by thinking of different types of hooks such as questions, quotes, any statistic or anecdote.
For example, if you are writing an intro paragraph for an argumentative paper, then think of birds’ role as an environmental impact on the changing climate.
Are birds responsible for change in climate?
It is not important to make your hook in the introduction creative. Try to be clear and relevant rather than just paying heed to grab the attention of the reader. The main idea behind an introduction paragraph is to guide the reader with the topic.
i) Fact/ Statistic:
This type of hook is quite famous as people nowadays prefer to read about facts and statistics. When people closely observe statistics, they actually are inclined about how it will relate to the things that you actually write.
Make sure that the facts you select always come from an authentic source.
ii) Prominent question:
Always start any piece of content with an answer people are enticed to learn about. They are always curious to know so always start with a noticeable question. Keep in mind to link this question to what you are going to write about . A question which is not relevant to your topic leaves the reader in a confused state.
iii) Attractive quotation:
Quotations are very renowned as they can be striking and thought provoking for the reader. You can add quotations from famous people , characters, events, experts or even the people mentioned in your research paper.
Just for the sake of example if you are writing a case study you can add names from any of the people who were involved in the research. Quotations work properly when you build a strong relationship between quotation and your writing.
iv) Metaphor / Simile:
Using this type of hook , you actually put two different things in comparison to how they are related or similar to one another. For example Facebook is a digital type of addiction people want to be in. This sentence actually takes two different things such as facebook and addiction and calls them to be alike.
Both similes and metaphors serve the same purpose. The only difference is that in the case of similes, we actually use the words “as” and “like” to build the comparison. While on the other hand metaphor states one thing is another. For example, writing a book is running a marathon.
Clearly state the background
You need to provide only the necessary and relevant background information. While writing an introduction for a research paper, there is no need to go deeper into the topic and mention the irrelevant information. Don’t forget to keep the background short, concise and to the point.
For example if you are writing about privacy and facebook, people would be interested to know about the situation and why security matters. So you can start this journey by stating a good question such as what is the context?
In case more information is required, you can definitely mention it in the body section. Always start your introduction paragraph with general information first. Maintain a specific tone in the following sentences afterwards and it will lead you towards your research problem which is also called thesis statement .
Set out the research problem
Next important step to learn about how to start a research paper introduction is to find out how your carried out research fits in and what sort of problem it is going to address.
In case of writing an empirical research paper, try to figure out your problem on the basis of your literature discussion.
Ask yourself the following questions?
- What gap is your work going to fill with research?
- What kind of addition will it be regarding knowledge?
- What sort of limitations do they have related to previous research?
While on the other hand you can use different phrases to build a strong link between your problem and existing research.
Specify your intent
Now you need to jump into the details of what you are going to express in the introduction of your research paper. In case of argumentative paper, it’s the thesis statement that presents your evidence and arguments you want to discuss.
You can also think of a thesis statement as the point of view you hold about a certain topic. It is also helpful in organising your essay or paper. So a strong thesis statement is concise, specific and clear.
Usually the thesis statement is kept in only one or two sentences. So the basic idea is to provide a clear position.
How to create a thesis statement?
- First step is to briefly research your topic and analyse it. Read about various sources which state what people have to say about your topic.
- Question yourself what you think about this topic.
- Brainstorm different ideas and later review them.
- Write a sentence by connecting your topic to what you will discuss , prove or reveal information about. Don’t use the first person in your thesis statement .
- Examine your thesis statement so that you can prove it with evidence.
Outline your paper
The last part of the research paper is also called a brief overview of the paper and if you follow standard scientific format it includes introduction, methods, results and discussion. However make sure that you write the overview concise, direct and yes in the present tense.
How do you write an introduction paragraph for a research paper?
Writing a good introduction needs the relevant information that suits well to the rest of the paper. It should introduce the reader directly into the topic without excessive citations so that experience is seamless.
In other words, if you find it hard to know how to start a research paper introduction examples, the ideal choice is to write it atlast apart from the thesis statement, objectives and motives.
What is a secret password for compelling introduction?
Really, is there any hidden password to write a compelling introduction? From the start of your introduction writing, you must show these abilities when carrying out research.
- Analysis
- Communication
- Research
- Writing
- A quick understanding of the topic
- Accurate formatting
- Proficiency in english language
- Strong evaluation of the scientific methods
Features of the excellent first paragraph
Introduction of the research paper serves as the map for the rest. The main purpose of the first paragraph is to not only grab the attention of the customers but also to highlight certain issues by providing the background information.
Here is a list of features for the excellent first paragraph.
1- Well written
2- Engaging
3- Concise
4- Properly structured
Make it worth reading:
Also remember to discuss why you have selected a certain problem for the discussion by providing some necessary details. To make it worth reading, how to write an introduction must motivate readers to read the whole research paper carefully.
Maintain a unique style:
Make it so engaging that readers forget to jump from sentence to sentence. Keep the unique style throughout the paragraph. While writing intro para, you can also relate a story from your own personal experiences.
Do’s of writing an introduction paragraph
Here are a few of the facts that you must take care of when writing an intro paragraph.
It is actually helpful if you select write length for your introduction paragraph. Introduction paragraph should be short enough that the reader can easily read it and entice the attention. Long enough to cover all the main points of the topic. And ofcourse the size of the introduction is dependent on the size of the study you performed .
Briefly explain the main sections that your title needs to include for guiding your potential reader.
- Mention the keywords in the introduction:
To provide readers with a general overview of the research questions try to embed the keywords in the introduction. Keywords can be a combination of words or separate words which discusses your topic. This trick also initiates the direction of your research paper by showing the problem and subject of investigation.
- Don’t ever forget to proofread your work.
- Avoid telling stories at the start of introductory paragraphs.
- Briefly describe the key terms:
Find it important to add relevant key terms and may it be scientific, mathematical or even theological. To avoid the confusion of the reader, you must offer a list of notions and definitions you used in the introduction paragraph. In science, terms belonging to different backgrounds can contain more than one interpretation.
Moreover, you can also include a glossary of the terms used in the introduction and it will serve as your knowledge level with respect to scientific context.
- Carefully select the ideas you want to talk about and the methodologies that are derived from your research work. Also take care of the troubles you face while writing your introduction.
- Keep your introduction paragraph short, precise and to the point.
- Make sure you keep yourself updated about recent works related to your thesis.
Mistakes to refrain in your introduction
As you are familiar with the structure of a research paper, be careful about what not to do and avoid while writing the introduction paragraph.
- Writing lengthy paragraphs
- Using too many quotations
- Incomplete background, literature and theory
- A feeling of directionless introduction
- Adding content that should be placed in conclusion and body
An introduction to any type of research paper is always taken as wrong at the start. Meanwhile an introduction is actually planned to present your selected topic in such a way that it looks more appealing.
You can say that it should leave the reader thirsty to get more information. This article is all about how to write an introduction paragraph for a research paper.
So now by sticking to the format and tips listed above you can easily produce a strong intro paragrah.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most commonly asked questions about how to write an introduction paragraph for research paper apa are as follows:
When should I start writing my research paper introduction?
You always don’t need to begin writing your introduction first. The introduction is one of the most important things in a research paper and you can write it along with the conclusion.
Once you have already completed the body of your research paper, it becomes easier to write a compelling introduction.
The main reason is that you might not have the clear understanding of your arguments that you want to touch as things change during the writing process.
How long should a research paper introduction be?
The overall length of the introduction is dependent on the introduction. If your research paper consists of 8 to 10 pages, then the ideal approach is to keep the introduction from 1 to 3 pages.
How to start a research paper introduction?
You can definitely start the introduction paragraph with a striking hook, an important fact or latest statistic, a historical anecdote or you can include any sort of historical information.
What are the important elements of writing an introduction for a research paper?
A powerful introduction should include strong background information on your research paper. Set up a good thesis statement and include the intent for what you will discuss in the rest of the paper.
Don’t s while writing an introduction paragraph
You don’t need to apologise for not being an expert. Also there is no need to include dictionary definitions in your introduction paragraph and yes also the generalisations.
What are the important factors to include in your introduction paragraph of the research paper?
Introduction of your research paper must include following factors:
- A hook to grab the reader’s attention
- Complete details of your problem statement
- A research question
- Relevant background information on the topic
- Sometimes a quick overview of the research paper
Conclusion
There exist different ways you approach while writing an introduction paragraph. You can write the body of your research paper first and the starting paragraph at the last. It is all up to you. Similarly, you should write a problem statement first, then hook and in the end the background details.
Keep the introduction of the research paper short, concise and accurate and free from plagiarism. Meanwhile the introduction of your research paper should also underline the rationale of your research which also assists the laudability of the study and carried out experiments.
Want help about how to start a research paper introduction? Read this article to know more.
