After reviewing the readings for this unit, what was your thought process for moving from your broader Research Topic from Unit 5 to a more specific, focused Research Problem in this Unit? What have you chosen as a research problem to be investigated? (Remember again that, though this course only covers the research problem and literature review, you must consider what an actual research study would look like around that topic and problem, as though you would continue and conduct the research study after the course ended).

USC Libraries / Research Guides

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Introduction

Organizing Your Social
Sciences Research Paper:
4. The Introduction
Offers detailed guidance on how to develop, organize, and write a

research

paper in the social and behavioral sciences.

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Purpose of Guide Types of Research Designs

1. Choosing a Research Problem 2. Preparing to Write

3. The Abstract 4. The Introduction 5. The Literature Review

6. The Methodology 7. The Results 8. The Discussion

9. The Conclusion 10. Proofreading Your Paper

11. Citing Sources Annotated Bibliography

Giving an Oral Presentation Grading Someone Else’s Paper

How to Manage Group Projects Writing a Book Review

Writing a Case Study Writing a Field Report

Writing a Policy Memo Writing a Research Proposal

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Acknowledgements

Definition

The introduction leads the reader from a general subject

area to a particular topic of inquiry. It establishes

the

scope, context, and significance of the research being

conducted by summarizing current understanding and

background information about the topic, stating the

purpose of the work in the form of the research problem

supported by a hypothesis or a set of questions, explaining

briefly the methodological approach used to examine the

research problem, highlighting the potential outcomes your

study can reveal, and outlining the remaining structure and

organization

of the paper.

Key Elements of the Research Proposal. Prepared under the direction of the

Superintendent and by the 2010 Curriculum Design and Writing Team. Baltimore

County Public Schools.

Importance of a Good Introduction

Think of the introduction as a mental road map that

must answer for the reader these four questions:

What was I studying?

Why was this topic important to investigate?

What did we know about this topic before I did this

study?

How will this study advance new knowledge or new

ways of understanding?

Writing
Tip

Avoid the

“Dictionary”

Introduction

Giving the

dictionary

definition of

words related to

the research

problem may

appear

appropriate

because it is

important to

define specific

terminology that

readers may be

unfamiliar with.

However, anyone

can look a word

up in the

dictionary and a

general

dictionary is not

a particularly

authoritative

source because

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ways of understanding?

According to Reyes, there are three overarching goals of a

good introduction: 1) ensure that you summarize prior

studies about the topic in a manner that lays a foundation

for understanding the research problem; 2) explain how

your study specifically addresses gaps in the literature,

insufficient consideration of the topic, or other deficiency in

the literature; and, 3) note the broader theoretical,

empirical, and/or policy contributions and implications of

your research.

A well-written introduction is important because,

quite simply, you never get a second chance to make

a good first impression. The opening paragraphs of your

paper will provide your readers with their initial

impressions about the logic of your argument,

your writing

style, the overall quality of your research, and, ultimately,

the validity of your findings and conclusions. A vague,

disorganized, or error-filled introduction will create a

negative impression, whereas, a concise, engaging, and

well-written introduction will lead your readers to think

highly of your analytical skills, your writing style, and your

research approach. All introductions should conclude

with a

brief paragraph that describes the organization of the rest

of the paper.

Hirano, Eliana. “Research Article Introductions in English for Specific Purposes: A Comparison

between Brazilian, Portuguese, and English.” English for Specific Purposes 28 (October 2009):

240-250; Samraj, B. “Introductions in Research Articles: Variations Across Disciplines.” English

for Specific Purposes 21 (2002): 1–17; Introductions. The Writing Center. University of North

Carolina; “Writing Introductions.” In Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide. Peter

source because

it doesn’t take

into account the

context of your

topic and doesn’t

offer particularly

detailed

information.

Also, placed in

the context of

a

particular

discipline, a

term or concept

may have a

different

meaning than

what is found in

a general

dictionary. If you

feel that you

must seek out

an authoritative

definition, use a

subject specific

dictionary or

encyclopedia

[e.g., if you are

a sociology

student, search

for dictionaries

of sociology]. A

good database

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/

Carolina; “Writing Introductions.” In Good Essay Writing: A Social Sciences Guide. Peter

Redman. 4th edition. (London: Sage, 2011), pp. 63-70; Reyes, Victoria. D e m y s t i f y i n g t h eD e m y s t i f y i n g t h e

J o u r n a l A r t i c l eJ o u r n a l A r t i c l e. Inside Higher Education.

Structure and Writing Style

I. Structure and Approach

The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper

that answers three important questions for the

reader:

1. What is this?

2. Why should I read it?

3. What do you want me to think about / consider doing /

react to?

Think of the structure of the introduction as an inverted

triangle of information that lays

a foundation for

understanding the research problem. Organize the

information so as to present the more general aspects of

the topic early in the introduction, then narrow your

analysis to more specific topical information that provides

context, finally arriving at your research problem and the

rationale for studying it [often written as a series of key

questions to be addressed or framed as a hypothesis or set

of assumptions to be tested] and, whenever possible, a

description of the potential outcomes your study can

reveal.

These are general phases associated with writing an

introduction:

good database

for obtaining

definitive

definitions of

concepts or

terms is Credo

Reference.

Saba, Robert.

The College

Research

Paper. Florida

International

University;

Introductions.

The Writing

Center.

University of

North Carolina.

Another
Writing
Tip

When Do I

Begin?

A common

question asked

at the start of

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http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/

1. Establish an area to research by:

Highlighting the importance of the topic, and/or

Making general statements about the topic, and/or

Presenting an overview on current research on the

subject.

2. Identify a research niche by:

Opposing an existing assumption, and/or

Revealing a gap in existing research, and/or

Formulating a research question or problem, and/or

Continuing a disciplinary tradition.

3. Place your research within the research niche by:

Stating the intent of your study,

Outlining the key characteristics of your study,

Describing important results, and

Giving a brief overview of the structure of the paper.

NOTE: It is often useful to review the introduction late in

the writing process. This is appropriate because outcomes

are unknown until you’ve completed the study. After you

complete writing the body of the paper, go back and review

introductory descriptions of the structure of the paper, the

method of data gathering, the reporting and analysis of

results, and the conclusion. Reviewing and, if necessary,

rewriting the introduction ensures that it correctly matches

the overall structure of your final paper.

II. Delimitations of the Study

Delimitations refer to those characteristics that limit

at the start of

any paper is,

“Where should I

begin?” An

equally

important

question to ask

yourself is,

“When do I

begin?” Research

problems in the

social sciences

rarely rest in

isolation from

history.

Therefore, it is

important to lay

a foundation for

understanding

the

historical

context

underpinning the

research

problem.

However, this

information

should be brief

and succinct and

begin at a point

in time that

illustrates the

study’s overall

the scope and define the conceptual boundaries of

your research. This is determined by the conscious

exclusionary and inclusionary decisions you make about

how to investigate the research problem. In other words,

not only should you tell the reader what it is you are

studying and why, but you must also acknowledge why you

rejected alternative approaches that could have been used

to examine the topic.

Obviously, the first limiting step was the choice of research

problem itself. However, implicit are other, related

problems that could have been chosen but were rejected.

These should be noted in the conclusion of your

introduction. For example, a delimitating statement could

read, “Although many factors can be understood to impact

the likelihood young people will vote, this study will focus

on socioeconomic factors related to the need to work full-

time while in school.” The point is not to document every

possible delimiting factor, but to highlight why previously

researched issues related to the topic were not addressed.

Examples of delimitating choices would be:

The key aims and objectives of your study,

The research questions that you address,

The variables of interest [i.e., the various factors and

features of the phenomenon being studied],

The method(s) of investigation,

The time period your study covers, and

Any relevant alternative theoretical frameworks that

could have been adopted.

Review each of these decisions. Not only do you clearly

study’s overall

importance. For

example, a study

that investigates

coffee cultivation

and export in

West Africa as a

key stimulus for

local economic

growth needs to

describe the

beginning of

exporting coffee

in the region and

establishing why

economic growth

is important. You

do not need to

give a long

historical

explanation

about coffee

exports in Africa.

If a research

problem requires

a substantial

exploration of

the historical

context, do this

in the literature

review section.

establish what you intend to accomplish in your research,

but you should also include a declaration of what the study

does not intend to cover. In the latter case, your

exclusionary decisions should be based upon criteria

understood as, “not interesting”; “not directly relevant”;

“too problematic because…”; “not feasible,” and the like.

Make this reasoning explicit!

NOTE: Delimitations refer to the initial choices made

about the broader, overall design of your study and should

not be confused with documenting the limitations of your

study discovered after the research has been completed.

ANOTHER NOTE: Do not view delimitating statements as

admitting to an inherent failing or shortcoming in your

research. They are an accepted element of academic

writing intended to keep the reader focused on the

research problem by explicitly defining the conceptual

boundaries and scope of your study. It addresses any

critical questions in the reader’s mind of, “Why the hell

didn’t the author examine this?”

III. The Narrative Flow

Issues to keep in mind that will help the narrative

flow in your introduction:

Your introduction should clearly identify the

subject area of interest. A simple strategy to follow is

to use key words from your title in the first few

sentences of the introduction. This will help focus the

introduction on the topic at the appropriate level and

In your

introduction,

make note of

this as part of

the “roadmap”

[see below] that

you use to

describe the

organization of

your paper.

Introductions.
The Writing
Center.
University of

North Carolina;

“Writing

Introductions.”

In Good Essay

Writing: A Social

Sciences Guide.

Peter Redman.

4th edition.

(London: Sage,

2011), pp. 63-

70.

Yet
Another

http://libguides.usc.edu/aecontent.php?pid=83009&sid=616083

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/

introduction on the topic at the appropriate level and

ensures that you get to the subject matter quickly

without losing focus, or discussing information that is

too general.

Establish context by providing a brief and

balanced review of the pertinent published

literature that is available on the subject. The key

is to summarize for the reader what is known about the

specific research problem before you did your analysis.

This part of your introduction should not represent a

comprehensive literature review–that comes next. It

consists of a general review of the important,

foundational research literature [with citations] that

establishes a foundation for understanding key

elements of the research problem. See the drop-down

menu under this tab for “Background Information”

regarding types of contexts.

Clearly state the hypothesis that you investigated.

When you are first learning to write in this format it is

okay, and actually preferable, to use a past statement

like, “The purpose of this study was to….” or “We

investigated three possible mechanisms to explain

the….”

Why did you choose this kind of research study or

design? Provide a clear statement of the rationale for

your approach to the problem studied. This will usually

follow your statement of purpose in the last paragraph

of the introduction.

IV. Engaging the Reader

Another
Writing
Tip

Always End

with a

Roadmap

The final

paragraph or

sentences of

your introduction

should forecast

your main

arguments and

conclusions and

provide a brief

description of

the rest of the

paper [the

“roadmap”] that

let’s the reader

know where you

are going and

what to expect.

A roadmap is

important

because it helps

the reader place

the research

problem within

the context of

http://libguides.usc.edu/aecontent.php?pid=83009&sid=620524

A research problem in the social sciences can come across

as dry and uninteresting to anyone unfamiliar with the

topic. Therefore, one of the goals of your introduction

is to make readers want to read your paper. Here are

several strategies you can use to grab the reader’s

attention:

1. Open with a compelling story. Almost all research

problems in the social sciences, no matter how obscure

or esoteric, are really about the lives of people. Telling a

story that humanizes an issue can help illuminate the

significance of the problem and help the reader

empathize with those affected by the condition being

studied.

2. Include a strong quotation or a vivid, perhaps

unexpected, anecdote. During your review of the

literature, make note of any quotes or anecdotes that

grab your attention because they can used in your

introduction to highlight the research problem in a

captivating way.

3. Pose a provocative or thought-provoking question.

Your research problem should be framed by a set of

questions to be addressed or hypotheses to be tested.

However, a provocative question can be presented in

the beginning of your introduction that challenges an

existing assumption or compels the reader to consider

an alternative viewpoint that helps establish the

significance of your study.

4. Describe a puzzling scenario or incongruity. This

involves highlighting an interesting quandary concerning

the research problem or describing contradictory

their own

perspectives

about the topic.

In addition,

concluding your

introduction with

an explicit

roadmap tells

the reader that

you have a clear

understanding of

the structural

purpose of your

paper. In this

way, the

roadmap acts as

a type of

promise to

yourself and to

your readers

that you will

follow a

consistent and

coherent

approach to

addressing the

topic of inquiry.

Refer to it often

to help keep

your writing

focused and

findings from prior studies about a topic. Posing what is

essentially an unresolved intellectual riddle about the

problem can engage the reader’s interest in the study.

5. Cite a stirring example or case study that

illustrates why the research problem is important.

Draw upon the findings of others to demonstrate the

significance of the problem and to describe how your

study builds upon or offers alternatives ways of

investigating this prior research.

NOTE: It is important that you choose only one of the

suggested strategies for engaging your readers. This

avoids giving an impression that your paper is more flash

than substance and does not distract from the substance of

your study.

Freedman, Leora and Jerry Plotnick. Introductions and Conclusions. University College

Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Introduction. The Structure, Format, Content,

and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College;

Introductions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Introductions. The

Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of W isconsin, Madison; Introductions,

Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for an Argument Paper. The Writing Lab and The

OWL. Purdue University; “Writing Introductions.” In Good Essay Writing: A Social

Sciences Guide. Peter Redman. 4th edition. (London: Sage, 2011), pp. 63-70; Resources

for Writers: Introduction Strategies. Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Sharpling, Gerald. Writing an Introduction.

Centre for Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick; Samraj, B. “Introductions in

Research Articles: Variations Across Disciplines.” English for Specific Purposes 21

(2002): 1–17; Swales, John and Christine B. Feak. Academic Writing for Graduate

Students: Essential Skills and Tasks. 2nd edition. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan

Press, 2004; Writing Your Introduction. Department of English Writing Guide. George

focused and

organized.

Cassuto,

Leonard. “On

the

Dissertation:

How to Write

the

Introduction.”

The Chronicle of

Higher

Education, May

28, 2018;

Radich, Michael.

A Student’s

Guide to

Writing in East

Asian Studies.

(Cambridge, MA:

Harvard

University

Writing n. d.),

pp. 35-37.

http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWsections.html#introduction

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/

http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Introductions.html

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/724/1/%20%20

http://writing.mit.edu/wcc/resources/writers/introduction

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/leap/writing/moreinfo/

http://classweb.gmu.edu/WAC/EnglishGuide/Critical/intro.html

https://www.chronicle.com/article/On-the-Dissertation-How-to/243507?cid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=1cb0c2ddd5024b88b7144b2d452b5048&elq=17198ac69b8b4bdf9f49673ef0ec571a&elqaid=19232&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=8741

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