Writing a Research Paper Introduction a Quick Guide

How to Write an Introduction to a Research Paper A well-written research paper introduction is crucial because you will never have a second chance to make a strong initial impression on your readers. The opening paragraphs of your research paper will provide your audience with first impressions about your writing style, the logic of your argument, the general quality of your research, and the significance of your findings. If your introduction is vague, disorganized or full of grammar and spelling errors, it will create a bad impression, but if your introductory paragraphs are well-written, engaging, and concise, your readers will appreciate your writing style, analytical skills, and research approach. Wondering how to write a good introduction paragraph for a research paper? Read this quick guide to find out. Introduction for Research Paper: Strategies, Structure, and Useful Tips Approach Writing an introduction for a research paper can be a slow and frustrating process because it’s always difficult to start but if you make a good outline for your research paper as well as your research paper introduction outline, the whole process will be faster and easier. Your outline for an introduction for a research paper may look like this one: Problem statement Definitions of key terms Theoretical background Methodology Research question and the hypothesis Brief literature review Scope and limitations Significance of the research Another good strategy is to finish your introduction after you have completed the whole research project when you understand the overall structure of your research paper and will never miss the main points. Both strategies are equally good and work well if you planned the overall structure of your research paper. Structure When writing an introduction to a research paper, you should keep in mind that a good introduction usually consists of three parts that present different aspects: Give a general presentation of the research – explain the importance of your topic and give an overview of current research on your topic Identify the purpose and the direction of the research – reveal a gap in the current research, state a research question and hypothesis Give a statement of intent from the writer – explain the intent and key characteristics of your study, describe important results, and give a brief outline of your research paper’s structure. Use these 3 tips for writing a strong introduction: Keep your introduction short and stick closely to your research paper’s outline. Your introduction should be structured in a similar way as your entire research paper. Choose one of the strategies to engage your reader and make him want to read your research paper: ask a provocative question include a relevant quotation or an anecdote start your research paper with a compelling story give a convincing example that proves why your research is important Your introduction should logically come to the research question and hypothesis/thesis statement. You should define the main problem clearly to inform your reader what exactly you want to achieve. How to write an introduction of a research paper in APA style? Writing an introduction to APA research paper might be tricky. Here is a sample outline that presents some major ideas that you should include when writing an introduction to a paper in APA style. This approach can work well in many social scientific fields but it doesn’t mean that you always have to include all sections. If your research paper is short, you may only include the first section and the subheading 2. Everything will depend on the research question that you are asking. Paragraph 1 Introduce the problem and explain why you are writing this research paper. Paragraph 2 Provide a link between a problem and your solution Paragraph 3 Summarize everything that you are going to explain in the introduction. Subheading 1 The most important concept you are going to discuss Paragraph 1 Summarize all the arguments you are going to present under this subheading Paragraph 2 Support the points of the first paragraph Paragraph 3 Provide support for the first paragraph Subheading 2 Hypothesis-leading subheading Paragraph 1 and 2 Provide supporting points leading to the specific hypothesis Paragraph 3 Support what you are proposing Hypothesis 1 Hypothesis 2 As you see writing an impressive introduction to a research paper is not very easy and you need to practice a lot to do it well. If you face any problem and need more advice on how to write an introduction in a research paper, you can get a qualified help if you hire a professional writer on our custom writing service. We have a huge staff of experienced writers who can help you cope with any academic problem. They will complete a perfect model paper on your topic that can serve you as a perfect practical guide to understand academic papers’ structure, style, and formatting and help you improve your grades.