HOW TO WRITE

INTRODUCTION OF A IFRAH JAMIL

RESEARCH ARTICLE
The introduction serves the purpose of leading the reader from a general subject area
to a particular field of research. It establishes the context of the research being
conducted by summarizing current understanding and background information about
the topic, stating the purpose of the work in the form of the hypothesis, question, or
research problem, briefly explaining your rationale, methodological approach,
highlighting the potential outcomes your study can reveal, and describing the
remaining structure of the paper.
IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD
INTRODUCTION
Think of the introduction as a mental road map that must answer for the reader these four
questions:
What was I studying?
Why was this topic important to investigate?
What did we know about this topic before I did this study?
How will this study advance our knowledge?
A well-written introduction is important because, quite simply, you never get a second
chance to make a good first impression. The opening paragraph of your paper will
provide your readers with their initial impressions about the logic of your argument, your
writing style, the overall quality of your research, and, ultimately, the validity of your
findings and conclusions. A vague, disorganized, or error-filled introduction will create a
negative impression, whereas, a concise, engaging, and well-written introduction will start
your readers off thinking highly of your analytical skills, your writing style, and your
research approach.
I. STRUCTURE AND
APPROACH
he introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three
important questions for the reader:
What is this?
Why am I reading it?
What do you want me to think about / consider doing / react to?
Think of the structure of the introduction as an inverted triangle of information.
Organize the information so as to present the more general aspects of the topic early
in the introduction, then narrow toward the more specific topical information that
provides context, finally arriving at your statement of purpose and rationale and,
whenever possible, the potential outcomes your study can reveal.
THESE ARE GENERAL PHASES
ASSOCIATED WITH WRITING AN
INTRODUCTION:
Establish an area to research by:
Highlighting the importance of the topic, and/or
Making general statements about the topic, and/or
Presenting an overview on current research on the subject.
Identify a research niche by:
Opposing an existing assumption, and/or
Revealing a gap in existing research, and/or
Formulating a research question or problem, and/or
Continuing a disciplinary tradition.
Place your research within the research niche by:
Stating the intent of your study,
Outlining the key characteristics of your study,
Describing important results, and
Giving a brief overview of the structure of the paper.
NOTE: Even though the introduction is the first main section of a research paper, it
is often useful to finish the introduction very late in the writing process because the
structure of the paper, the reporting and analysis of results, and the conclusion will
have been completed and it ensures that your introduction matches the overall
structure of your paper.
 THE NARRATIVE FLOW
Issues to keep in mind that will help the narrative flow in your introduction:
Your introduction should clearly identify the subject area of interest. A simple strategy to follow is to use
key words from your title in the first few sentences of the introduction. This will help focus the introduction
on the topic at the appropriate level and ensures that you get to the primary subject matter quickly without
losing focus, or discussing information that is too general.
Establish context by providing a brief and balanced review of the pertinent published literature that is
available on the subject. The key is to summarize for the reader what is known about the specific research
problem before you did your analysis. This part of your introduction should not represent a comprehensive
literature review but consists of a general review of the important, foundational research literature (with
citations) that lays a foundation for understanding key elements of the research problem. See the drop-down
tab for "Background Information" for types of contexts.
Clearly state the hypothesis that you investigated. When you are first learning to write in this format it is
okay, and actually preferable, to use a past statement like, "The purpose of this study was to...." or "We
investigated three possible mechanisms to explain the...."
Why did you choose this kind of research study or design? Provide a clear statement of the rationale for
your approach to the problem studied. This will usually follow your statement of purpose in the last paragraph
of the introduction.
 ENGAGING THE READER
The overarching goal of your introduction is to make your readers want to read your
paper. The introduction should grab your reader's attention. Strategies for doing this can be
to:
Open with a compelling story,
Include a strong quotation or a vivid, perhaps unexpected anecdote,
Pose a provocative or thought-provoking question,
Describe a puzzling scenario or incongruity, or
Cite a stirring example or case study that illustrates why the research problem is important.
NOTE: Only choose one strategy for engaging your readers; avoid giving an impression
that your paper is more flash than substance.
WRITING TIPS
Avoid the "Dictionary" Introduction

Giving the dictionary definition of words related to the research problem may appear
appropriate because it is important to define specific words or phrases with
which readers may be unfamiliar. However, anyone can look a word up in the
dictionary and a general dictionary is not a particularly authoritative source. It
doesn't take into account the context of your topic and doesn't offer particularly
detailed information. Also, placed in the context of a particular discipline, a term
may have a different meaning than what is found in a general dictionary. If you feel
that you must seek out an authoritative definition, try to find one that is from subject
specific dictionaries or encyclopedias [e.g., if you are a sociology student, search for
dictionaries of sociology].
Another Writing Tip
When Do I Begin?
A common question asked at the start of any paper is, "where should I begin?" An equally
important question to ask yourself is, "When do I begin?" Research problems in the social
sciences rarely rest in isolation from the history of the issue being investigated. It is,
therefore, important to lay a foundation for understanding the historical context
underpinning the research problem. However, this information should be brief and succinct
and begin at a point in time that best informs the reader of study's overall importance. For
example, a study about coffee cultivation and export in West Africa as a key stimulus for
local economic growth needs to describe the beginning of exporting coffee in the region and
establishing why economic growth is important. You do not need to give a long historical
explanation about coffee exportation in Africa. If a research problem demands a substantial
exploration of historical context, do this in the literature review section; note in the
introduction as part of your "roadmap" [see below] that you covering this in the literature
review.
ALWAYS END WITH A
ROADMAP
The final paragraph or sentences of your introduction should forecast your main
arguments and conclusions and provide a description of the rest of the paper [a
"roadmap"] that let's the reader know where you are going and what to expect.