The introduction is a very important section of a research paper that your audience will read after the title and abstract, so it is critical to get off to a solid start. This is the section where you have the chance to persuade readers and reviewers that your study topic is interesting and that they should give your paper their time in the introduction. It is important to note that the introduction accomplishes several things. It includes a summary of the article, introduces the topic and goals of your study, and provides background information. A strong opening will lay the groundwork for your paper’s key sections which are the methods, findings, and discussion. It is also capable of enticing readers to read on. Do you often ask yourself this question; I need an experienced professional to write a research paper for me? Do not fret, we have got you covered. In this article, we offer some tips on how to write a strong introduction. These guidelines largely apply to complete publications and letters that present original research findings.
Be Broad at First Before Being Specific
Briefly outline the overall research area in the first paragraph before focusing on one aspect of it. This will make it easier to situate your research issue within the larger field and make the work accessible to non-specialists in your field as well.
Identify Aims and Objectives
This element is typically missed in papers that are disqualified for not upholding clear motivation or demonstrating the significance of the issue. Describe your goals and the reasons your reader should be interested in learning if you succeed. The fundamental framework can be very straightforward.
Use Citations Moderately
Show why the subject is significant rather than merely asserting its importance. The most recent and pertinent literature connected to your study should be covered in detail once you have restricted your emphasis to the particular issue of your investigation. Remember that you’re not writing a review article, so your literature evaluation should be thorough yet concise. Cite review articles rather than all the individual articles that have already been condensed in the review if you discover that your introduction is excessively lengthy or overflowing with citations.
State the Hypotheses Clearly
Providing a great hypothesis can be a useful method to frame research in the empirical sciences. For instance, you could say, “In this study, we hypothesize that X is connected to Y, and we utilize technique A to test this hypothesis,” as opposed to, “In this study, we show that X is related to Y through method A.” You might think about formulating a research question in its place for formal scientific research or exploratory research. We investigate the following research question in this study: Is X connected to Y?” Notably, the research question need not always be phrased in the interrogative form (with a question mark); rather, it may be included in a declarative sentence. Research questions and hypotheses are useful because they help the article take shape and act as signpost phrases to easily guide readers through it.
Provide a Detailed Overview
In some industries than others, an organizational overview is more typical. It is more prevalent in technology than in medicine, though. If it is appropriate for your topic, you can consider summarizing your paper section by section in the final paragraph of your introduction.
Make it Brief and Avoid Excessive Details
Avoid making your introduction too lengthy. 500 to 1000 words is a good goal, but the journal’s rules and previous issues will provide you the clearest direction. If your paper is in a field where it is customary to summarize the study’s key findings before beginning the methods, you should refrain from stating too many specific findings in the introduction because these findings require the development in the other sections of your paper to be properly understood. In most cases, it is preferable to provide a broad summary of the findings in the introduction. Many journals now recommend providing a preview of your primary results in the beginning, with medicine being a prominent exception. Some older style guides advised holding back the main result to create suspense.