Writing a Research Paper Introduction | Step-by-Step Guide

Goals of the Research Paper Introduction

Placed at the beginning of the research paper, the introduction serves as a guide to the reader, and a roadmap for the rest of the paper. The introduction must follow a precise progression, moving from a general field of research to a more specific subject and hypotheses which will be the topic of the study. It puts the research topic in context, and explains the significance of the questions posed by the paper for a specific area of research.

The introduction also gives the reader a first impression of the study and is therefore crucial to capturing their attention and ensuring that they understand it properly afterwards. Therefore, a solid introduction must be efficient enough to lay the groundwork for the rest of the research paper, while being succinct. The length of the introduction can vary, depending on the scope of the research paper and the length of the paper as a whole.

Research Paper Introduction Structure

A good research paper introduction structure should include the following elements:

●      A presentation of the research topic chosen by the student;

●      A summary of existing research and theoretical background, so that the student can position their own approach, highlighting its novelty and contributions;

●      A definition of the research problem or question, and the student’s hypothesis;

●      An overview of the paper’s structure.

Writing a Research Paper Introduction: Step-by-Step

Hook and Introduction of the Topic

The first step of a good research paper introduction is the introduction of the topic. The student should capture the reader’s interest by highlighting how this topic is relevant, interesting or important, through a strong opening hook. This hook can be an interesting fact, a statistic, a statement, a question or an anecdote. 

Research Background

This part of the research paper introduction is crucial to demonstrate the relevance of the student’s work. Any research paper needs to be situated in a broader context, to enable the reader to understand the major notions, theories and concepts that already exist.  

The student has to review previous research that has already been conducted, and explain how their own research fits in by highlighting the limitations or gaps that the research paper will respond to. This literary review needs to be brief and well-referenced, efficiently narrowing down the topic and leading to the research question chosen by the student.  

Research question

The research question naturally follows the literary reviews: it addresses a gap, limitation or contradiction in the current state of the research, and intends to make a contribution to knowledge. The research question must be really clear and concise, so that the reader can understand easily what the research paper will seek to explore.

Goals of the research paper

The student needs to explain what they intend to find out in their research paper. Through a thesis statement, they will express their position and hypothesis in one or two sentences, without providing too much detail. This part of the research paper should respond to a simple question: what is the contribution that this research paper intends to make?

Research Paper Structure

The final part of the introduction is dedicated to a brief overview of the rest of the paper. The student must briefly present the main steps of the research paper, and if necessary, the methodology applied, so that the reader knows what to expect and understands the thought process.

Best Practices for a Research Paper Introduction

Narrowing down the scope of the research

A research paper introduction should not be too broad, and try to convey all information about a topic at once. Instead, it should start broad with the big picture (an overview of the topic), and gradually get more and more specific, presenting once information at a time in a logical order. This will enable the student to present their research question naturally and logically, having correctly identified a gap in the state of the research on their chosen topic.

Concision

A research paper introduction should not be too long and detailed; otherwise it might lose the reader and flood the student's specific questions into a mass of information. The details should be saved for the rest of the research paper. The aim of the research paper introduction is to make the reader want to know more, and to ground the research in a solid foundation to demonstrate its coherence and relevance. 

Writing the introduction last 

While the student should choose the research question before starting to work on the rest of the research paper, it’s important to write the introduction last, when everything else is already written. This will allow the student to know the full scope of their research paper before writing the introduction, as this is the most crucial part of the paper.

The CARS model

The CARS model was created by English scientist John Swales for scientific papers introductions. It means “Create A Research Space” and follows a simple three-step structure to create an efficient introduction 

●      Establish a territory (background context and previous research)

●      Establish a niche (gaps within existing research)

●      Occupy the nice (why the research paper is relevant)

Sources:

https://uwc.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Writing-Research-Paper-Introductions.pdf

https://cambridge-research.org/blogs/how-to-write-a-research-paper/