Research Writing: Developing Your Introduction Rhet 201 Fall 2011

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.

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.

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.

Introduction Do’s  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

Hook your reader’s interest  An intriguing example  A provocative quotation  A vivid and perhaps unexpected anecdote  Surprising statistics  A thought-provoking question

Introduction Don’ts  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.

Introduction Don’ts  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.

Introduction Don’ts  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.

Introduction Don’ts  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..

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.