A safe space for you to be yourself, share your thoughts, get the support you need, and have a caring community of researchers to fall back on. 16 min read, 6 Actionable tips to improve academic writing Moreover, they should also get excited about the topic of your research proposal and its outcome. A well-written introduction is important because, quite simply, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. In this section the researcher might discuss the nature of the research, the purpose of the research, the significance of the research problem, and the research question(s) to be addressed. Spark your creativity to succeed in your career: Learn how to be creative in this live event by acclaimed neurologist David Eagleman. A vague, disorganized, or error-filled introduction will create a negative impression, whereas, a concise, engaging, and well-written introduction will lead your readers to think highly of your analytical skills, your writing style, and your research approach. Read Editage Insights in your favorite RSS Reader. Announce your research topic. You cannot pour on the reader your evidence, ideas, arguments without explanation of what are you writing about. ]]> It should be relatively brief, concise and clear. This section provides guidelines on how to construct a solid introduction to a scientific paper including background information, study question, biological rationale, hypothesis, and general approach.If the Introduction is done well, there should be no question in the reader’s mind why and on what basis you have posed a specific hypothesis. University College Writing Centre. 2002— The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions for the reader: Think of the structure of the introduction as an inverted triangle of information that lays a foundation for understanding the research problem. Revealing a gap in existing research, and/or, Formulating a research question or problem, and/or. It has two parts: 1. However, the 4-step approach described in this article should ease the task. You can also think of the Introduction as the section that points out the gap in knowledge that the rest of the paper will fill, or the section in which you define and claim your territory within the broad area of research. All Rights Reserved. ‘Although these studies were valuable, they were undertaken when the draft genome sequence had not been available and therefore provide little information on the evolutionary and regulatory mechanisms.’, ‘Plant response is altered by insect colonization and behaviour but these aspects have been studied mostly in sole crops, whereas the present paper examines the relationship between crops and their pests in an intercropping system.’, ‘We aimed to assess the effectiveness of four disinfection strategies on hospital-wide incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms and, ‘We aimed (1) to assess the epidemiological changes before and after the upsurge of scarlet fever in China in 2011; (2) to explore the reasons for the upsurge and the epidemiological factors that contributed to it; and (3) to assess how these factors could be managed to prevent future epidemics.’, There are different ways of constructing the objectives. If you feel that you must seek out an authoritative definition, use a subject specific dictionary or encyclopedia [e.g., if you are a sociology student, search for dictionaries of sociology]. Therefore, it is important to lay a foundation for understanding the historical context underpinning the research problem. Characteristics of the Scientific Method Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge General Approaches to Research Types of Research in Public Administration 3. The key aim of introduction is to introduce to the reader the purpose of your research. However, implicit are other, related problems that could have been chosen but were rejected. These are general phases associated with writing an introduction: Writing an Introduction to a Research Paper – What to Include Introduce your topic. Introduce the specific topic of your research and explain why it is important. Research papers usually discuss serious topic or ideas, or the ones that are subjected to numerous debates. In other words, not only should you tell the reader what it is you are studying and why, but you must also acknowledge why you rejected alternative approaches that could have been used to examine the topic. Organize the information so as to present the more general aspects of the topic early in the introduction, then narrow your analysis to more specific topical information that provides context, finally arriving at your research problem and the rationale for studying it [often written as a series of key questions to be addressed or framed as a hypothesis or set of assumptions to be tested] and, whenever possible, a description of the potential outcomes your study can reveal. The work you do is challenging, and the wins are worth celebrating. A paper on organic matter in soil can begin thus: ‘Sustainable crop production is a function of the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil, which, in turn, are markedly affected by the organic matter in soil.’, A paper that discusses the possible beneficial role of bacteria in treating cancer can begin as follows: ‘The role of bacteria as anticancer agent was recognized almost hundred years back.’, A paper on lithium batteries can introduce the study with the following sentence: ‘The rapid growth of lithium ion batteries and their new uses, such as powering electric cars and storing electricity for grid supply, demands more reliable methods to understand and predict battery performance and life.’, Once the first sentence has introduced the broad field, the next sentence can point to the specific area within that broad field. Introduction to Research: 2. Paradigms in research. In the introduction, you can highlight how your research will contribute to the existing knowledge in your field and to overall scientific development. A good introduction should identify your topic, provide essential context, and indicate your particular focus in the essay. 4th edition. Offers detailed guidance on how to develop, organize, and write a college-level research paper in the social and behavioral sciences. They are an accepted element of academic writing intended to keep the reader focused on the research problem by explicitly defining the conceptual boundaries and scope of your study. 6 min read. For example, a delimitating statement could read, "Although many factors can be understood to impact the likelihood young people will vote, this study will focus on socioeconomic factors related to the need to work full-time while in school." Stick closely to your outline for the paper, and structure your introduction in a similar way. You might find this course helpful: How to write a strong introduction for your research paper, 1. Writing Center. A research essay introduction without its conclusive part, a thesis statement, does not make any sense. Conclusion. Editage Insights is funded by Editage and endorses services provided by Editage but is editorially independent. We like that! The process of research. You do not need to give a long historical explanation about coffee exports in Africa. Writing Team all resources & a vibrant researcher community below, with suitable examples – their... Make a good database for obtaining definitive definitions of concepts or terms is Credo Reference conclusive part, thesis. Press, 2004 ; writing your introduction in a similar way ( s ) be! You might find this course for free with R Upskill Membership, the next sentence point!, and structure your introduction is to introduce to the subject each of these decisions Press... 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