Practical Advice For Writing The Best Dissertation Introduction

It isn’t surprising if you don’t know how to write the introduction to your dissertation. This section of your paper should be well thought out because this is where you need to provide the rationale for your study. Namely, you should raise your research question, prove its importance, and set the scene for the later work. The following ideas will help you successfully cope with the task.

What to Include in Your Dissertation Introduction

  • Aims and objectives.
  • Articulate your aims and objectives at the very beginning of the introduction. Namely, state what problem you address and what specific area you explore.

  • Background information on the topic.
  • Review present knowledge in the subject. By showing what is already known on the topic, you’ll manage to give your perspective within existing theoretical framework. Be brief since you’ll have a chance to analyze theoretical background in a separate literature review chapter.

  • Hypotheses or research questions.
  • Specify what hypotheses you are going to check or what research questions you need to answer.

  • Benefits and contribution.
  • State why it’s beneficial to do this particular research and how your study contributes to the existing knowledge in the field.

  • Methods.
  • Hint at the methods you are going to use to research the problem.

  • Limitations.
  • If there are any weaknesses in your theory, mention them. If there are any constraints on your study, state them.

  • Quick summary of the contents of your paper.
  • Briefly outline what you’ll write about in different chapters.

Top Tips on Writing a Strong Dissertation Introduction

  • Refer to good examples.
  • Before you set about crafting your own introductory section, look through several introductions in the doctoral papers by other scholars. By doing so, you’ll understand requirements and correctly assess the scope of the work. This website can assist in finding quality examples if you don’t want to search in the college library.

  • Start early.
  • Create the first draft of your introduction at an early stage because it’ll be useful to outline your objectives from the start.

  • Keep your introduction in mind during the whole research and writing process.
  • This strategy will help you stay on track and avoid missing any important points.

  • Update your introduction as your ideas develop.
  • Make corresponding changes if your hypotheses or objectives change.

  • Rely on the dissertation proposal.
  • The ideas you use in your introduction will be very similar to those in your research proposal. However, consider that the work is completed now and your objectives should be specified clearer and more precisely.

  • Don’t make empty promises.
  • Don’t set objectives that won’t be accomplished later.

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