1. Research Writing: Developing Your Introduction Rhet 201 Fall 2011

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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..

11. 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.