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Stepwise Guide to Writing an Introduction to Research Paper

Are you confused about writing an introduction paragraph for a research paper? As your paper's initial section, the introduction should reel your reader in and offer an overview of your argument.

This article will tackle the elements for writing a good introduction for a research paper and highlight some tips for writing a captivating introduction to a research paper. We will also offer a research paper introduction sample to help acquaint you with the elements of a good introduction.

What Should an Introduction for a Research Paper Include?

A research paper introduction should include a hook, relevant background information, a thesis statement and explain the importance of your research to your discipline. The hook may take the form of thought-provoking data, quotes or a summary of the impact of the issue under study on society.

Here, you can take the time to define various notions and cover some information on how you think your work will turn out in conclusion. This context will help your reader determine if their paper interests them or not.

Goals of a Research Paper introduction

Although the quality of your introduction depends on your creativity in grabbing a reader's attention, an introduction to a research paper should:

How Long Should the Introduction of a Research Paper be?

A good introduction to a research paper should range between one to two paragraphs. It would thus be best to summarize ideas in this section to hook your readers and cover all essential goals of an academic paper introduction.

How to Write an Introduction for a research paper

The key steps to guide you as you write an introduction for your research paper are:

  1. Topic Selection

After receiving your assignment, gauge various specific arguments that you can approach within the general frame of the assignment. For instance, when working on the agricultural causes of climate change, you may consider approaching it from a specific field, E.g., how cattle rearing contributes to climate change.

Narrowing your topic down allows you to easily organize your argument and cover all details, presenting a foolproof paper.

  1. Gather Background information

After selecting your topic, find various materials to help your reader gauge how your work fits with exciting information on the field. However, avoid losing yourself in narrations of what once was, as this may clutter your intro, making it lesser appealing.

  1. Determine Your Rationale

This section should state the problem you discuss and why it's important to analyze. Here, highlight why you are using various resources or a particular approach. Also, be clear on your research goals, as these will offer a basis for you and your audience to determine the completeness of your paper.

  1. Create a Hook

A hook may be a fact, statistic, or claim that evokes creativity in your readers. For instance, when dealing with the topic' impact of cattle rearing on climate change', your hook could be: Are cows to blame for global warming?

This evokes your reader's curiosity, causing them to read on for an answer.

  1. Figure Your Thesis Out

When phrasing your thesis, ensure that it encapsulates your argument and allows for debate.

Tips for Writing a Research Paper Introduction

  1. Write your introduction last when you have a better idea of your paper's main argument. This will avoid an error whereby a concept covered in the introduction is poorly defined in the body.
  2. Prepare an outline for your introduction and piece up various ideas to ensure that it meets the goals of a good introduction.
  3. Be brief. Too much clutter may confuse your reader, deterring their interest to read your paper through.

Research Paper Introduction Example

Is education the key reason holding back developing countries from realizing their maximum potential? According to a recent study by the Elvish institute of education, most students in developing countries access inadequate facilities to promote their skill development compared to their peers in developed countries. Although this fact is well known, few steps have been taken to bridge this difference. 

This paper will take an approach that helps curb this issue without imposing a huge financial burden on the governments and guardians. My paper argues that agencies can push and impose laws requiring schools to have various essentials to promote skill development. Developing the education systems will, in turn, help developing countries hasten their pace of development.

Final Take

We hope you have learnt something from our guide on how to write an introduction paragraph for a research paper. If you have more queries, our experts would be glad to help you out. We wish you the best of luck in your research paper.