How Do You Write An Introduction?

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I know from experience that many students struggle with writing the introduction. You are unsure what exactly belongs in the introduction and when it is best to write it. 

 

The introduction belongs - like the final chapter - to the fixed components of a scientific work (seminar paper, study thesis, bachelor or master thesis or diploma thesis, dissertation). In the introduction you introduce your readers to the topic and purchase research paper online. But what exactly does that mean?

The introduction is the "antechamber" of your scientific work

In the introduction, as the word says, you introduce the work, you introduce the topic. Don't fall into the house with the door , that means don't assume too much knowledge, but don't dig too far either. When writing, always think of the readers of your work and their prior knowledge. The important thing is: make the readers curious about the topic of the thesis in the introduction  ! Tell them why your term paper, seminar paper, bachelor thesis or master thesis or doctoral thesis is interesting or relevant for them.

You should answer these 6 questions in the introduction

1. What exactly is the topic? What is university work about?

Your readers need to understand what your work is about right from the start. By the way: the narrower your topic, the better. Your readers want depth and not breadth.

2. What literature do you use?

Give an overview of the most important literature you have used. Make sensible choices. It's about the milestones in research.

 

Don't just list the books and articles (yes, you absolutely need journal articles too!), But comment on the individual publications. Tell me what which publication achieves, what you as a reader learn there special. And don't forget: if you name an author or a publication, you must always quote the literature reference in brackets or in the footnote.

 

Examples:

  • Sabine Müller recently dealt extensively with the question of how ... In her book, published in 2011, she shows that ... (Müller 2011).
  • The standard work on the subject ... is still the book by Fritz Meier, in which the author first demonstrated that ... (Meier 1980).
  • One of the milestones in research is certainly the essay by Elisabeth Huber, published in 1990, in which the author… (Huber 1990).

Note: In all of the cases mentioned, you can of course cite the literature reference in a footnote instead of in brackets. Please orientate yourself on the specifications of your university or college and buy research paper online

3. What is the goal of your term paper, term paper, bachelor thesis, master thesis or dissertation?

You have a specific goal in your work. In the introduction, explain what you want to find out, explain or discuss in the work.

 

Examples:

  • The work shows ...
  • The thesis should show how ...
  • The work has three goals: ...
  • The main goal of the work is ...

4. How will you proceed? What method do you use?

Explain to your readers which methods you are using. So: How do you go about achieving your goal or answering your research question (s)? Possible methods include experiments, observations, quantitative or qualitative studies. A work can also only be based on literature studies (literature-based work). The methods you use depend on your subject and the question you are asking.

5. How do you structure your scientific work?

Explain how you structured your work. Go into the outline of the paper.

 

Examples:

  • First of all, it is shown how ... Then ... Finally ...
  • In the first part of the work I will ... Building on this, in the second part I will ... Finally ...
  • The present work is divided into ... large chapters: In the first chapter I explain how ... The second chapter deals with ... Here I will mainly ...

 

In scientific work it is common to use the word “I” as sparingly as possible. I think you can use it in the foreword and in the introduction.

6. What are you not going to do? What is your university work not doing?

In the introduction you can also explain what your scientific work does not achieve. Most topics are so extensive and complex that you cannot deal with them comprehensively (especially not in a term paper, a bachelor thesis or a master’s thesis). Under no circumstances should you awaken false expectations in your readers. Limit or delimit the topic and explain why you are not addressing the topic comprehensively. Basically, the more narrowly you grasp a topic, the easier it will be for you to process it. I know a lot of students who have struggled with topics that are too big, but no one who would have ever failed on a topic that was too small and my premium essay.

 

Here are a few formulation aids:

  • The work focuses on ... The question of how ... is not considered.
  • I will not go into ... in the following.
  • A comprehensive treatment of this topic would go beyond the scope of this work.

Whether or not you work through questions 1-6 in the order listed here is up to you. Above all, it is crucial that you answer all six questions. Personal aspects, such as your reasons for choosing a topic or a thank you, do not belong in the introduction, but in the foreword . 

 

Then a few words about the first sentence of the introduction and when it is best to write the introduction.

 

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