USC Libraries Research Guides Organizing Your Social .docx

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Organizing Your Social
Sciences Research Paper:
4. The Introduction
Offers detailed guidance on how to develop, organize, and write
a research
paper in the social and behavioral sciences.
Research Guides
? Ask Us / FAQS
Purpose of Guide Types of Research Designs
1. Choosing a Research Problem 2. Preparing to Write
3. The Abstract 4. The Introduction 5. The Literature Review
6. The Methodology 7. The Results 8. The Discussion
9. The Conclusion 10. Proofreading Your Paper
11. Citing Sources Annotated Bibliography
Giving an Oral Presentation Grading Someone Else's Paper
How to Manage Group Projects Writing a Book Review

Writing a Case Study Writing a Field Report
Writing a Policy Memo Writing a Research Proposal
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Acknowledgements
Definition
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 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 2010 Curriculum Design and Writing
Team. Baltimore
County Public Schools.
Importance of a Good Introduction
Think of the introduction as a mental road map that
must answer for the reader these four questions:
What was I studying?
Why was this topic important to investigate?
What did we know about this topic before I did this
study?
How will this study advance new knowledge or new
ways of understanding?
Writing
Tip

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
https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/acknowledgements
http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/researchcourse/key_elements.ht
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ways of understanding?
According to Reyes, there are three overarching goals of a
good introduction: 1) ensure that you summarize prior
studies about the topic in a manner that lays a foundation
for understanding the research problem; 2) explain how
your study specifically addresses gaps in the literature,
insufficient consideration of the topic, or other deficiency in

the literature; and, 3) note the broader theoretical,
empirical, and/or policy contributions and implications of
your research.
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. “Research Article Introductions in English for
Specific Purposes: A Comparison

between Brazilian, Portuguese, and English.” English for
Specific Purposes 28 (October 2009):
240-250; Samraj, B. “Introductions in Research Articles:
Variations Across Disciplines.” English
for Specific Purposes 21 (2002): 1–17; Introductions. The
Writing Center. University of North
Carolina; “Writing Introductions.” In Good Essay Writing: A
Social Sciences Guide. Peter
source because
it doesn't take
into account the
context of your
topic and doesn't
offer particularly
detailed
information.
Also, placed in
the context of a
particular
discipline, 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, use a
subject specific
dictionary or
encyclopedia
[e.g., if you are
a sociology
student, search
for dictionaries

of sociology]. A
good database
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/
Carolina; “Writing Introductions.” In Good Essay Writing: A
Social Sciences Guide. Peter
Redman. 4th edition. (London: Sage, 2011), pp. 63-70; Reyes,
Victoria. D e m y s t i f y i n g t h eD e m y s t i f y i n g t h e
J o u r n a l A r t i c l eJ o u r n a l A r t i c l e. Inside Higher
Education.
Structure and Writing Style
I. Structure and Approach
The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper
that answers three important questions for the
reader:
1. What is this?
2. Why should I read it?
3. What do you want me to think about / consider doing /
react to?
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:
good database
for obtaining
definitive
definitions of
concepts or

terms is Credo
Reference.
Saba, Robert.
The College
Research
Paper. Florida
International
University;
Introductions.
The Writing
Center.
University of
North Carolina.
Another
Writing
Tip
When Do I
Begin?
A common

question asked
at the start of
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2017/05/09/how-write-
effective-journal-article-and-get-it-published-essay
https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=http://www.credoreference.co
m
http://www2.fiu.edu/~sabar/enc1102/Research%20Paper%20Ad
vice.htm
1. Establish an area to research by:
Highlighting the importance of the topic, and/or
Making general statements about the topic, and/or
Presenting an overview on current research on the
subject.
2. Identify a research niche by:
Opposing an existing assumption, and/or
Revealing a gap in existing research, and/or
Formulating a research question or problem, and/or
Continuing a disciplinary tradition.
3. Place your research within the research niche by:

Stating the intent of your study,
Outlining the key characteristics of your study,
Describing important results, and
Giving a brief overview of the structure of the paper.
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. Reviewing and, if necessary,
rewriting the introduction ensures that it correctly matches
the overall structure of your final paper.
II. Delimitations of the Study
Delimitations refer to those characteristics that limit
at the start of
any paper is,
"Where should I

begin?" An
equally
important
question to ask
yourself is,
"When do I
begin?" Research
problems in the
social sciences
rarely rest in
isolation from
history.
Therefore, it is
important to lay
a foundation for
understanding
the historical
context

underpinning the
research
problem.
However, this
information
should be brief
and succinct and
begin at a point
in time that
illustrates the
study's overall
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 in 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." The point is not to document every
possible delimiting factor, but to highlight why previously
researched issues related to the topic were not addressed.
Examples of delimitating choices would be:
The key aims and objectives of your study,
The research questions that you address,
The variables of interest [i.e., the various factors and
features of the phenomenon being studied],

The method(s) of investigation,
The time period your study covers, and
Any relevant alternative theoretical frameworks that
could have been adopted.
Review each of these decisions. Not only do you clearly
study's overall
importance. 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, do this
in the literature
review section.

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. In the latter case, your
exclusionary decisions should be based upon criteria
understood as, "not interesting"; "not directly relevant";
“too problematic because..."; "not feasible," and the like.
Make this reasoning explicit!
NOTE: Delimitations refer to the initial choices made
about the broader, overall design of your study and should
not be confused with documenting the limitations of your
study discovered after the research has been completed.
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 the 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?"
III. The Narrative Flow
Issues to keep in mind that will help the narrative
flow in your introduction:
Your introduction should clearly identify the
subject area of interest. A simple strategy to follow is
to use key words from your title in the first few
sentences of the introduction. This will help focus the
introduction on the topic at the appropriate level and
In your
introduction,
make note of
this as part of
the "roadmap"
[see below] that
you use to
describe the

organization of
your paper.
Introductions.
The Writing
Center.
University of
North Carolina;
“Writing
Introductions.”
In Good Essay
Writing: A Social
Sciences Guide.
Peter Redman.
4th edition.
(London: Sage,
2011), pp. 63-
70.
Yet
Another

http://libguides.usc.edu/aecontent.php?pid=83009&sid=616083
introduction on the topic at the appropriate level and
ensures that you get to the subject matter quickly
without losing focus, or discussing information that is
too general.
Establish context by providing a brief and
balanced review of the pertinent published
literature that is available on the subject. The key
is to summarize for the reader what is known about the
specific research problem before you did your analysis.
This part of your introduction should not represent a
comprehensive literature review--that comes next. It
consists of a general review of the important,
foundational research literature [with citations] that
establishes a foundation for understanding key
elements of the research problem. See the drop-down
menu under this tab for "Background Information"

regarding types of contexts.
Clearly state the hypothesis that you investigated.
When you are first learning to write in this format it is
okay, and actually preferable, to use a past statement
like, "The purpose of this study was to...." or "We
investigated three possible mechanisms to explain
the...."
Why did you choose this kind of research study or
design? Provide a clear statement of the rationale for
your approach to the problem studied. This will usually
follow your statement of purpose in the last paragraph
of the introduction.
IV. Engaging the Reader
Another
Writing
Tip
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
http://libguides.usc.edu/aecontent.php?pid=83009&sid=620524
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:
1. Open with a compelling story. Almost all research
problems in the social sciences, no matter how obscure
or esoteric, are really about the lives of people. Telling a
story that humanizes an issue can help illuminate the

significance of the problem and help the reader
empathize with those affected by the condition being
studied.
2. Include a strong quotation or a vivid, perhaps
unexpected, anecdote. During your review of the
literature, make note of any quotes or anecdotes that
grab your attention because they can used in your
introduction to highlight the research problem in a
captivating way.
3. Pose a provocative or thought-provoking question.
Your research problem should be framed by a set of
questions to be addressed or hypotheses to be tested.
However, a provocative question can be presented in
the beginning of your introduction that challenges an
existing assumption or compels the reader to consider
an alternative viewpoint that helps establish the
significance of your study.
4. Describe a puzzling scenario or incongruity. This

involves highlighting an interesting quandary concerning
the research problem or describing contradictory
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.
Refer to it often
to help keep
your writing
focused and
findings from prior studies about a topic. Posing what is
essentially an unresolved intellectual riddle about the

problem can engage the reader's interest in the study.
5. Cite a stirring example or case study that
illustrates why the research problem is important.
Draw upon the findings of others to demonstrate the
significance of the problem and to describe how your
study builds upon or offers alternatives ways of
investigating this prior research.
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;
Introductions. The Writing Center. University of North
Carolina; Introductions. The

Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of W isconsin,
Madison; Introductions,
Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for an Argument Paper. The
Writing Lab and The
OWL. Purdue University; “Writing Introductions.” In Good
Essay Writing: A Social
Sciences Guide. Peter Redman. 4th edition. (London: Sage,
2011), pp. 63-70; Resources
for Writers: Introduction Strategies. Program in Writing and
Humanistic Studies.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Sharpling, Gerald.
Writing an Introduction.
Centre for Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick; Samraj,
B. “Introductions in
Research Articles: Variations Across Disciplines.” English for
Specific Purposes 21
(2002): 1–17; Swales, John and Christine B. Feak. Academic
Writing for Graduate
Students: Essential Skills and Tasks. 2nd edition. Ann Arbor,
MI: University of Michigan
Press, 2004; Writing Your Introduction. Department of English
Writing Guide. George
focused and
organized.

Cassuto,
Leonard. “On
the
Dissertation:
How to Write
the
Introduction.”
The Chronicle of
Higher
Education, May
28, 2018;
Radich, Michael.
A Student's
Guide to
Writing in East
Asian Studies.
(Cambridge, MA:
Harvard

University
Writing n. d.),
pp. 35-37.
http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HT
Wsections.html#introduction
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Introductions.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/724/1/%20%20
http://writing.mit.edu/wcc/resources/writers/introduction
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/leap/wri
ting/moreinfo/
http://classweb.gmu.edu/WAC/EnglishGuide/Critical/intro.html
https://www.chronicle.com/article/On-the-Dissertation-How-
to/243507?cid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en&elqTrac
kId=1cb0c2ddd5024b88b7144b2d452b5048&elq=17198ac69b8b
4bdf9f49673ef0ec571a&elqaid=19232&elqat=1&elqCampaignId
=8741
http://writingproject.fas.harvard.edu/files/hwp/files/writing_in_
east_asian_studies.pdf
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