Download Writing the Intro

Research Paper
Writing the Introduction
Introduction
• should be grabbing and impressive
to induce the reader to read further
on
• present your introduction in a clear,
precise and interesting way
• convince your reader that your essay
is worth reading
Attention Getters
• Quotation: One that sums up the essay,
not one that is not connected to content
of your research
• Definition: Use sparingly. Many writers
use this method.
• Question: Ask a question in the
introduction...and answer it in the body.
Question must be RELEVANT AND
THOUGHT PROVOKING!
Attention Getters
• Problem: Pose a problem in the introduction...
and solve it in the body.
• Statistics: Make sure they're actual statistics
and not something you made up.
• Comparison: Take something the reader is
unfamiliar with and relate it to something they
are familiar with.
• Metaphor/Simile: An even more effective
comparison for making the complex seem simple.
Attention Getters
• Shocker: Everybody likes surprises.
Unfortunately, it's getting harder to shock people.
• Summary: A brief summary piques reader
interest.
• Anecdote: A short humorous story relevant to
the topic eases the reader into the material.
• Expert opinion: An expert gives you instant
credibility with the reader. Make sure the expert
is an actual expert and not your Uncle Fred from
Topeka
Introduction Format-Review
• Begin with a general point about the
issue
• Give an overview of the key issues
involved in the topic
• Indicate the direction your argument
will take
Background Information
• Sentences 3-4: Background Information
• This is an opportunity to provide
background information about your
issue/topic. Set up the reader for what
he or she is going to learn in the paper.
Thesis Statement
• Sentence 5/6: Thesis Statement
• This thesis statement is an
informational statement that identifies
the direction/argument of your paper.
Thesis Statement
• an explanation of the topic or
purpose of a research paper
• a single, declarative sentence
• states what you want your readers to
know, believe, or understand
Sample Introduction Paragraph
Since its introduction, technology has
constantly developed bringing with it different
changes in the society. The field of technology
affects all aspects of human life. People are
getting used to it and it is even unimaginable
to live without it in the current society. It
affects the way things are done in the work
place and the social life and this has a great
impact on human freedom and happiness. In
essence, technology has been influential in
these aspects of human life.
Sample Introduction Paragraph
As the Internet has become an integral tool of businesses,
company policies on Internet usage have become as common as
policies regarding vacation days or sexual harassment. A 2005
study by the American Management Association and ePolicy
Institute found that 76% of companies monitor employees’ use of
the Web, and the number of companies that block employees’
access to certain Web sites has increased 27% since 2001 (1).
Unlike other company rules, however, Internet usage policies often
include language authorizing companies to secretly monitor their
employees, a practice that raises questions about rights in the
workplace. Although companies often have legitimate concerns
that lead them to monitor employees’ Internet usage—from
expensive security breaches to reduced productivity—the benefits
of electronic surveillance are outweighed by its costs to
employees’ privacy and autonomy.
Sample Introduction Paragraph
Tall, dark and handsome, a body harder than steel accompanied
by beautifully sculpted lines and curves of skin, muscle, and a glint in his
eyes that makes you realize he knows his way around your curves and
lines as well. In a split second, you’ve gone from cynical TV commercial
critic to a melted pile of butter soaking into your living room carpet. All
this coming from an ad for Levi’s newest pair of boot-leg-carpentersnagged-loose-fitting-vintage-jeans-thing. Not that you noticed the jeans
at all, not with this hunk of man, every woman’s fantasy, dominating your
screen. But you do remember the ad and, somewhat shamefully, find
yourself surfing other channels in hopes of running across it again, so you
can have that one moment of complete bliss once more. The sexual
stereotyping of women has been the topic of many heated debates, but
what about the men? How long has this “beefcaking” of the American
male been going on and why is it not as controversial as the portrayal of
women in ads as sexual objects? More importantly, how has the media’s
stereotyping of men as sexual objects affected today’s societal
expectations of them? Let me count the ways.
Sample Introduction Paragraph
(AG)“And I will do everything that I can as long as I
am President of the United States to remind the
American people that we are one nation…” (BI)Barack
Obama has made it his goal to unite the people of
America under his presidency. Despite facing hardships
in his youth, Obama went on to achieve great things in
his education and political career. He is a family man, a
charismatic leader, and a fascinating personality. (TS)
Barack Obama is quite possibly the most intriguing
man who has ever presided over this country.
Sample Introduction Paragraph
(AG)The sport of ice hockey is one of the most confusing
to understand, hardest to play, and it of the most unknown origins
of any professional sport played in America. (BI) For the
majority of people who gaze upon a hockey game it appears to be
an unorganized mess of skating; however, the sport of hockey is
very intricate. The rules and the skills of skating and puck handling
take kids most of their childhood to develop. The origins of the
sport of ice hockey are also unknown, but can be traced back to
the creation of ice skates, far before the times of Christ in Europe.
The game of Bandy is considered the earliest forefather of modern
ice hockey, and was played in the late 1700’s in Europe and
Russia. (TS) The sport of ice hockey is the most misunderstood
professional sport played in America; because of its intricacies and
cost, it is often overlooked by the general population.
WRITE YOUR
INTRODUCTION