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 Author: Robert V. Labaree 27/2/ · A research paper is one of the most frequently assigned papers along with different types of essays. Research papers can be classified into types as well as essays. There are seven common types of research papers: analytical, argumentative, experimental, definition, problem-solution, cause and effect, and research reports When you write a research paper you build upon what you know about the subject and make a deliberate attempt to find out what experts know. A research paper involves surveying a field of knowledge in order to find the best possible information in that field
What Is a Research Paper?
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 meaning of research paper 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 Curriculum Design and Writing Team, meaning of research paper. Baltimore County Public Schools. Think of the introduction as a mental road map that must answer for the reader these four questions:. 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. The Writing Center. Peter Redman. London: Sage,pp.
Demystifying the Journal Article. Inside Higher Education. Structure and Approach. The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions for the reader:. 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: 1. Establish an area to research by:. Identify a research niche by:. Place your research within the research niche by:.
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, meaning of research paper.
Reviewing and, if necessary, rewriting the introduction ensures that it correctly matches the overall structure of your final paper. Delimitations of the Study. Delimitations refer to those characteristics that limit 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 meaning of research paper 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. Examples of delimitating choices would be:.
Review each of these decisions. Not only do you clearly 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.
Make this reasoning explicit! NOTE: Delimitations refer to the initial choices made about the broader, overall design of your study and should not meaning of research paper confused with documenting the limitations of your study discovered after the research has been meaning of research paper. 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 meaning of research paper 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?
The Narrative Flow. Issues to keep in mind that will help the narrative flow in your introduction :. Engaging the Reader. 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:. 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; Meaning of research paper. University of North Carolina; Introductions.
Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for an Argument Paper. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies. Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Sharpling, Gerald. Writing an Introduction.
Centre for Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick; Samraj, B. Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Skills and Tasks. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, ; Writing Your Introduction. Department of English Writing Guide. George Mason University. 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 it doesn't take into account the context of your topic and doesn't offer particularly detailed information. Also, meaning of research paper, placed in the context of a particular discipline, meaning of research paper, 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, meaning of research paper, use a subject specific dictionary or encyclopedia [e. A good database for obtaining definitive definitions of concepts or terms is Credo Reference. Saba, Robert. The College Research Paper. Florida International University; Introductions. University of North Carolina.
When Do I Begin? A common question asked at the start of any paper is, "Where should I begin? Therefore, it meaning of research paper important to lay a foundation for understanding the historical context underpinning the research problem.
However, meaning of research paper, this information should be brief and succinct and begin at a point in time that illustrates the study's overall importance, meaning of research paper. 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, meaning of research paper, do this in the literature review section.
In your introduction, make note of this as part of the "roadmap" [see below] that you use to describe the organization of your paper. 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 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, meaning of research paper.
Refer to it often to help meaning of research paper your writing focused and organized. Cassuto, meaning of research paper, Leonard. A Student's Guide to Writing in East Asian Studies, meaning of research paper. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Writing n. USC Libraries Research Guides Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper 4.
All about Research Papers - Paper Publication Explained
, time: 10:10Research Paper: Definition, Structure, Characteristics, and Types
27/2/ · A research paper is one of the most frequently assigned papers along with different types of essays. Research papers can be classified into types as well as essays. There are seven common types of research papers: analytical, argumentative, experimental, definition, problem-solution, cause and effect, and research reports 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 Author: Robert V. Labaree When you write a research paper you build upon what you know about the subject and make a deliberate attempt to find out what experts know. A research paper involves surveying a field of knowledge in order to find the best possible information in that field
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