Making a Research Paper: The Introduction
A research paper is a big project, possibly taking up 25% of your final grade. This is why tackling such an assignment is something students take quite seriously, with some even preparing a topic in advance in anticipation of such a task the following semester.
However, most students find research papers difficult to do. Firstly, this is not an assignment they regularly encounter as most experience their first research paper in their last year in high school. Secondly, research and writing are often things teens today are not interested in.
Fortunately, there are ways to make your paper better. If you are aware of them, the process becomes slightly easier, and you have a bigger chance of getting a good grade. So continue reading to pick up some pointers in making your paper’s Introduction.
- Sharing the context
As in most writings, the initial portion serves to ease the reader into what is going to happen in the paper. For the research paper, this means providing the context of the problem you are exploring, assuming that your reader is not an expert in the field. In this part, it is good to share important facts or quotes to motivate your reader to discover more.
Be careful, however, not to spend too much time on all the background information. Ensure as well that what you write pertains to the purpose of your paper; if not, your reader might become confused about the direction of your paper.
- The significance
After presenting the background, the next part is usually to explain the significance of your paper’s purpose. In doing so, you are informing your audience that your paper is worth reading, not a waste of their precious time.
- Limitations
Your paper cannot examine every angle of the issue, so it is necessary to inform the reader what you will and will not do. Setting these parameters gives the reader an idea of what to expect, and it allows future researchers to know what parameters they can consider in their attempt to look at the subject you have chosen.
- Thesis statement
Your thesis statement is what your paper will aim to prove, so the thesis must be very clear to the reader. If you are not sure, have a friend read your thesis statement to determine if they understand what you want to do in your paper. Aside from not being ambiguous, your thesis should be specific enough that you can focus on a few variables, not everything.
- Language constraints
As a formal paper, you should be careful about sounding informal as this will detract from the seriousness of your work. So avoid using slang or colloquial terminology unless it is a necessary part of your “hook” to motivate your audience.
You should also try not to use over flowery words as you are not making a novel. As a general rule, if your sentence has more than 40 words in it, you will need to break it up so that no one gets confused.
Summary
There you have it, some simple but essential pointers to help you make your research paper’s Introduction. Happy writing!