Most students often struggle with how to write a thesis introduction. With a thesis introduction outline, this article will be helping you with how to make introductions, the definition of introduction paragraph, types of introduction, and overall, how to write a thesis introduction example.
How to Write a Good Thesis Introduction
- Pick Your Topic
The first thing to do in writing a good thesis introduction is to pick a topic that will interest your reader. To create an interesting topic, simply write out one that solves a problem or questions a norm. Make sure your topic is short and straightforward. Also, let it be a topic that your readers can understand. If you are still unsure about how to write your thesis topic, then you can research other relevant topics and tweak them to suit your paper. Another thing you can do is write down as many topic ideas as you get. Then begin to choose which one is more suitable or ask a good researcher to help you make the right choice.
Sometimes, even after choosing a topic, you may still worry that it is not good enough. Do not rush things. Go ahead and work with what you have. As you write or after you have completed your paper, the right topic idea will come to you.
- Research Your Topic
After selecting a topic, the next thing to do is engage in research. How do you engage in research? By reading the published or submitted works of other researchers. Of course, these works have to be relevant to your topic. While you may end up not needing every piece of literature for your thesis, do not immediately worry about finding the right ones. Take your time to read and understand these works. Not only will they give you a better understanding of the content to use in your study but you will use them as citations in your study.
Now when you research, remember that you are not looking for perfect research works. Some research works, although good, maybe lacking in facts, some may be biased, some may only cover a small portion of a problem. Do not disregard literature of this nature. As a matter of fact, you can now use this literature to show how yours differ from them.
For example, “While Class (2008) focuses on childbearing as the ultimate joy of a woman’s life, this study debunks that and shows the other means that women derive joy from.”
- Select Your Chosen Literature
After going through piles of relevant literature, it is time to select the ones that benefit your study. When writing a thesis, the literature review you use can be between 30 – 50 or more. So, do not worry that the literature you have chosen is too much. Simply make sure that the literature you chose is important to your study.
- Write Your Other Chapters First
After picking a topic and reading extensively the works of other researchers, it is time to write the chapters of your study. When writing the introduction of thesis, it is advisable that you write them last. That may seem odd to you but it is actually the best way to write an introductory statement. Here is why:
A professional introduction of a thesis is more like an overview, telling the reader the content of your work. This content should include specific but brief details of what they should expect. Now, since you have not yet written out the other chapters, you cannot write for sure what they should expect. This is because even you who are writing cannot be sure yet. So, if you start writing your introduction chapter first, you may have to come back to cancel and add information so it can be in sync with the other chapters. This can waste time and energy. So, it is better to write the other chapters first before writing the introductory statement.
The other chapters include the literature review, methodology, discussion, analysis, and conclusion chapters. However, you can first write the introduction chapter before you write the conclusion chapter.
- Read Through Your Chapters
After writing out the other chapters of your thesis, the next thing to do is read them twice. Yes, this may seem difficult but it is worth it in the end. Why do you need to read twice? The first reading is so that you can have a fresh understanding of what your topic is about. Also, during the first reading, you may find out grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, misplaced sentences or words, among others. Now, while reading the first time, do not rush to mark out points or key quotes. Rather read to understand what the writer (that is, you) is talking about.
After the first reading, conduct a second reading. With a good understanding of what the thesis is talking about, you can easily mark out points and key areas that the thesis focuses on.
Note: It is not necessary that you read immediately after writing. It is expected that you may be tired so you can rest first and come back to read later.
- Start a Rough Draft of Your Thesis Introduction
Now that you have your points and key area focus, the next thing is how to start a thesis introduction. You can do this by starting with a rough draft, highlighting the major features of your introduction and thesis statement. A rough draft is necessary because you may make mistakes when writing your thesis introduction sample and be coming back to correct them.
- Start With a Background Story
Even after making a rough draft, most students still struggle with how to make a good thesis introduction. This does not have to be you. You can know how to write an introduction for a thesis paper by starting with a background story. For example, if your thesis focuses on government corruption, you can give a thesis introduction example on states or people that have suffered the consequences of government corruption. Now, make sure whatever sample thesis introduction you use is properly cited. Else, your example will stand as mere fiction.
- Write Your Thesis Introduction
Starting with a background story is how to write a good first sentence. Writing a quote from a renowned author is another way of how to make a good opening sentence. Your thesis introduction paragraph should be interesting enough to arrest and sustain the reader’s attention. In showing how to write an introduction for a thesis, this article advises that you write longer sentences, avoid simple grammar, use transition words, and cite. Most importantly, make sure your introduction contains the aims of your thesis. From your introduction chapter, the reader should be able to understand what your thesis is all about. Finally, make sure you introduce the topic. This is how to make a thesis introduction.
- Wrap up with an Introduction Conclusion
The best way with how to end an introduction is to ask yourself certain questions. Does your introduction discuss the problem of your research? Does it have clear aims and research questions? Is it an overview of your entire research paper? When you have answered this satisfactorily, you have learned how to write thesis introduction.
Conclusion
With this thesis structure example, you now know how to write an introduction to a thesis paper.
