Research Writing: Developing Your Introduction

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Research WritingDeveloping Your Introduction

• Rhet 201
• Fall 2011

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What is the purpose?

• Your introduction acts as a bridge that can carry
  your readers from their own lives into the
  "place" of your analysis.

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Why is it important?

• You never get another chance to make a good first
  impression.
• Your introduction prepares the reader to read
  your paper and lets them know what to expect.
• It can and should capture attention and heighten
  interest.

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Introduction Tips

• Identify your research question or argument,
  clearly and specifically.
• Orient your reader to the topic and provide
  important contextual info.
• Define a Key Term or terms, as you will use
  it/them.

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Introduction Dos

• Emphasize the relevance or significance of your
  topic.
• Strengthen the readers interest with a hook.
• Give special attention to your first sentence
  Say something specific, useful, and intriguing

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Hook your readers interest

• An intriguing example
• A provocative quotation
• A vivid and perhaps unexpected anecdote
• Surprising statistics
• A thought-provoking question

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Introduction Donts

• The place holder introduction. When you don't
  have much to say on a given topic, it is easy to
  create this kind of introduction. Essentially,
  this kind of weaker introduction contains several
  sentences that are vague and don't really say
  much.

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Introduction Donts

• The Webster's Dictionary introduction.
• It is important to define your terms in reference
  to your specific use of them. A quotation from a
  source reading is much better than a dictionary
  definition. Dictionary introductions are also
  overused.

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Introduction Donts

• The "dawn of man" introduction. This kind of
  introduction generally makes broad, sweeping
  statements about the relevance of this topic
  since the beginning of time.

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Introduction Donts

• The book report introduction. This introduction
  is what you had to do for your elementary school
  book reports. It provides very simple information
  about a topic without placing it in an analytical
  context..

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End with a grabbing statement.

• The last sentence of the intro is as important as
  the first.
• Use it to lead the reader to what will follow and
  to seal our interest.