As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and research papers are no different. A strong start to a research paper should lay the foundation for the rest of the paper, address the reader’s initial questions, and make a personal impact—all while being concise.
Knowing how to write introductions for research papers isn’t always easy, and they can often be the most challenging part of the paper. So, in this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing introductions to research papers, and share some expert tips to help you do it right.
What Is A Research Paper Introduction?
The beginning of a research paper is really important in academic writing because it introduces the main topic and prepares the reader for what’s coming next. After reading the introduction, the reader should understand what the paper is about, what argument it’s making, and why it’s important.
For scientific and data-heavy research papers, the introduction also needs to meet specific formal requirements, like briefly explaining the research process. We’ll talk about those in more detail soon.
The goal of the introduction is to make sure the reader has all the necessary background information before getting into the research findings presented in the paper. Learning how to write a good introduction is a key part of writing research papers.
How Long Should A Research Paper Introduction Be?
There are no strict rules about how long a research paper introduction should be. The main thing is that the introduction should match the length of the whole paper. Longer papers might have an introduction that’s more than one page, while shorter papers might have just one paragraph for the introduction.
What To Include In Introductions To Research Papers
In general, a good introduction for a research paper includes the following sections:
- Thesis Statement
- Background context
- Niche (research gap)
- Relevance (how the paper addresses that gap)
- Rationale and Motivation
First, you need a thesis statement, which is a single line that outlines the main issue of your paper. It defines what the paper will and won’t cover.
Before introducing new information, provide some context by summarizing what the reader needs to know. This includes a brief history of the topic and any previous research or writings that form the basis of your ideas.
In academic writing, it’s important to explain the paper’s niche or the specific area of research it contributes to. In formal research papers, you should identify a research gap, which is a specific aspect of a topic that hasn’t been explored or researched enough. This may not be relevant for informal research publications that don’t include original research.
Once you’ve established the niche, explain how your research paper fits into it—how relevant it is. Why is this paper important? What does it contribute? In a formal research paper introduction, you’ll explain how your paper and research fill the research gap and provide missing information.
Finally, explain why you chose this topic for your research. This could be a personal interest or a practical need for new information on a topic. To wrap up your reasoning, state what you hope to achieve with your research (your goals).
What To Include In Introductions To Scientific Research Papers
Scientific research publications, especially those presenting original research and new data, have specific requirements for their introduction.
- Methodology
- Research Question or Hypothesis
- Literature review (prior and current literature)
The methodology explains how you conducted your research, including the instruments used and the testing technique. This ensures that your findings are from a reliable source.
A research question or hypothesis is similar to a thesis statement. A research question is the query your research seeks to answer, while a hypothesis is your prediction of what the research will reveal before the experiments begin. By the end of the paper, your hypothesis will be confirmed as correct or false.
Due to the nature of scientific articles, the background context is more detailed than that of other research papers. A literature review summarizes all research on your specific topic that is relevant to your publication. You detail the important works and other research papers on which your own research is based, as well as any issues or biases that may undermine their conclusions.
The literature review is useful for identifying the research gap. Here, you can explain in your own words why current research on your issue is insufficient and how your own research will fill the gap.
If you’re writing a causal paper based solely on current research, you don’t need to worry about these.
How To Write Introductions For Research Papers
- Use the CARS model
The English scientist John Swales developed an approach known as the CARS model to help create a research space in introductions. Although designed for scientific articles, this basic three-step framework can be used to define any research paper introduction.
- Establishing a territory: Explain the context of your issue, including prior research.
- Establishing a niche: Explain that one aspect of your issue lacks information or that present research is insufficient.
- Occupying a niche: Explain how your study “fills in” the gaps in your issue.
Swales next proposes expressing the study findings and previewing the format of the rest of the work, but these steps may not be applicable to all research papers, especially informal ones.
- Start Broad And Narrow Down
One common mistake when writing introductions for research papers is trying to cover everything at once. Instead, take it step by step and present the information in the order that makes sense to the reader. Typically, this means starting with a broad overview and then gradually getting more specific.
When writing introductions for research papers, start by outlining the topic and then move on to your specific work. This approach naturally includes all the important parts of research paper introductions, starting with background context, then addressing the research gap or niche, and finally discussing the relevance.
- Be Concise
Introductions shouldn’t be long or exhaustive; they’re more like warm-up acts. Introductions work best when they dive straight into the point; save the details for the body of the document.
The most important thing about introductions is that they are clear and easy to understand. Wordy writing can be distracting and might make your message more complicated, so remove unnecessary words and try to express things in simple ways that everyone can understand.
- Consider Narrative Style
While not always suitable for formal papers, using a narrative style in the opening of your research paper can be highly effective in capturing your reader’s attention and emotionally hooking them. In fact, a study conducted in 2016 found that incorporating storytelling techniques in certain articles increases their citation frequency in other studies.
A narrative style involves personalizing the paper to connect with the reader’s emotions. Strategies include:
- Using first-person pronouns (I, we, my, our) to establish oneself as the narrator.
- Describing emotions and feelings within the text.
- Providing context by setting the scene, including the time and location of important events, to help the reader visualize them.
- Appealing to the reader’s morality, sympathy, or sense of urgency to persuade them.
While this approach may not be suitable for all research paper introductions, especially those involving scientific research, it can enhance the appeal of more informal research papers, such as essays. This can help make your writing more engaging or entertaining, thereby capturing your reader’s interest right from the start.
- Write Your Research Paper Introduction Last
While your introduction typically comes first in a research paper, it’s often recommended to wait until you’ve completed everything else. This way, you already know what you’re going to say, making it easier to summarize your paper. It also helps avoid the temptation to mention everything in the introduction, ensuring you don’t overlook anything.
Additionally, writing your introduction after finishing your research paper can be extremely beneficial. The introduction and conclusion of a research paper often cover similar topics and may mirror each other’s structure. Writing the conclusion is usually easier too, thanks to the momentum gained from writing the rest of the paper, and it can help guide you in writing your introduction.
Research Paper Introduction FAQs
What is a research paper introduction?
In academic writing, like research papers, an introduction needs to explain the topic, provide necessary background information, and set up the reader for the rest of the paper. In scientific research articles, the introduction describes the methodology and summarizes the existing research on the topic.
What do you include in an introduction to a research paper?
A good introduction for a research paper should have:
- Thesis statement
- Background context
- Niche (research gap)
- Relevance (how it fills that gap)
- Rationale and motivation
For scientific papers based on data, it’s also good to include a review of past research and, if possible, a question or idea to be explored.
How do you write an introduction for a research paper?
When writing a research paper, it’s important to follow some guidelines. Start with an overview of the topic and then focus on the specifics and how your article relates to them. Keep your introduction concise, as you don’t want it to be too long. Some people prefer to write the introduction last, after the rest of the paper is finished.
