Writing a research paper introduction.

For students unfamiliar with research papers, it can be difficult for them to accept that the introduction will probably be finished last or second-to-last. Yes, you will have elements of your introduction early on, but it’s rarely possible to complete it until the paper is almost entirely written.

The first element of your introduction will be your thesis statement. For smaller papers, this will be a single sentence, for longer papers it could be two or three sentences, depending on your writing style. Some examples:

• Short version: This paper will examine the number of gun deaths in recent years.
• Long version: Using five-year periods, this paper will explore trends in the number and nature of gun deaths in the US in the last 35 years. It will use available research to examine gross numbers and investigate issues related to accidental deaths, suicides, and homicides in that time.

As you can see, the respective theses for a research paper introduction indicate how detailed or general the paper will be.

Your research paper introduction will then grow as your research continues and your paper itself grows. Your introduction should function as a map of the paper, indicating key research and findings that will be explored in the paper.

As you are writing your introduction, you should also be working on your conclusion. They should not be the same, but just as the research paper introduction is a map of what you will see, the conclusion is a reminder of what you have seen. This means that they will contain similar information.

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