The Power of First Impressions: Writing an Impactful Research Paper Introduction

The introduction is a crucial part of any research paper.  It sets the tone for the rest of the paper and gives readers an idea of what to expect. A well-written introduction should grab the reader’s attention, provide background information on the topic, and state the research question or thesis statement. Read this expert guide to composing a research paper introduction to write brilliant argumentative and empirical introductions like a professional.

Step 1: Introducing Your Research Paper Topic Using Empirical or Argumentative Approaches

Introducing your research paper topic effectively is vital to grab the reader’s attention. Besides, with its help, you set the tone for the rest of the paper. However, it is crucial to present the introduction correctly. Professional writers suggest using the following recommendations when presenting a research paper introduction.

Hook: Begin your introduction with a statement or a question that hooks the reader’s attention. It could be a surprising fact, a provocative comment, or a thought-provoking question.

Traditional sample: “Despite their massive bodies, elephants do not suit for riding and luggage transporting.”

The empirical example: “Did you know that elephants’ huge backs are unsuitable for riding and transporting heavy luggage”? 

Back up: Present some context to the problem to sound convincing. A paper could include relevant historical, social, or cultural information that helps the reader understand the significance of your research topic.

For example, “According to Science ABC, around 13,000 elephants were kept in captivity for battles”.

1. Problem: After you present some context, clearly state the research problem or question that your paper aims to address. Make sure this is clear and specific, and avoid using technical jargon or overly complicated language.
2. Significance: Explain why this research paper problem or question is important and worth studying. It could include the potential practical applications of your research or its contribution to the existing body of knowledge.
3. Structure: Overview your paper briefly to let the reader learn what to expect. It may be a sentence or two about each paper section or chapter. Highlight the key points only, but try to preserve the intrigue, not kill the desire to read your paper.

Overall, the goal of presenting your research paper theme is to engage the reader. It must provide them with a clear understanding of what your research paper is about and why it matters.

Step 2: Providing the Historical Background of Your Research Topic in Empirical and Argumentative Research Papers

One of the significant steps in writing a research paper introduction is presenting the historical environment of your research topic. Thanks to that, you manage to situate your study within a larger context. There are two types of backgrounding – argumentative and empirical. The first is more general, while the second deals with the existing knowledge and connects it to the findings. Let’s see what you should present here.

Establishing the Foundation for Your Argumentative Research Paper

An argumentative research paper requires a particular problem and supports the chosen position with analysis and facts from the humanities. So, your job is to interpret the existing information. Moreover, you structure the argumentative research paper using an introduction, a body (that supports the thesis statement in the introduction), and a conclusion.

It is better to begin with the research of key events and developments that have helped you establish the basis for your argumentative research paper. It might present relevant historical documents, academic literature, and news sources to understand the topic’s historical context better. Present an overview of how the topic has evolved over time. Identify important turning points and innovations that have contributed to its development.

Providing the Background Research for an Empirical Paper

An empirical research paper involves sciences that present experiments and observations on some problem. Your job is to collect data and explain its role in the problem solution. So, you ask a question and answer it using new evidence. You structure the paper by presenting an introduction, methods, results, and a discussion section.

Speaking about empirical research paper backgrounding, you need to consider how the historical events and developments you have identified have influenced the current state of your topic. Look for patterns and trends that help explain why the problem has become critical. Encounter key figures and thinkers who have contributed to the field. Discuss their ideas, experiments, and contributions and explain how they have impacted the development of the topic.

Eventually, by presenting the background research for the empirical paper, you gather, systematize, and interpret numbers to present the significance of the highlighted idea.

How Proofreading Can Help You Achieve a Better Grade?

All professional writers recommend proofreading papers before presenting them to a teacher. Why is it necessary?

Proofreading comes after editing, where a person rewrites sentences to enhance the content quality. Its job is to correct grammar and formatting mistakes you might have missed during editing. It can be a misspelled word, a misused punctuation mark, or inappropriate use of margins and fonts.

Proofreading should be the final step because, primarily, a person must concentrate on the content and its structural presentation. One should be rested and apply grammar checkers to notice inconsistencies. Moreover, reading the formatting requirements is a must. Supervisors use them in the research paper assignments. As a rule, empirical research papers demand APA style, while such research papers may take Chicago, APA, or MLA.

Step 3: Formulating the Research Problem

Putting up the research problem is the third step when dealing with research papers. Let’s see how to present the argumentative and empirical research paper problems.

Emphasizing the Importance of Your Argumentative Paper Topic

In this paper type, you should deal with emphasizing the significance of your argumentative paper topic. It is better to parallel it with the existing viewpoint and stress the importance of your contribution to its solution.

Relating Your Empirical Research Paper to the Literature Review

Connecting your empirical research paper to the literature review is vital. In other words, your task has to answer the following questions:

• What information do you want to present to fill the existing knowledge gap?
• How valuable will it be?
• How will you solve the limitation that the previous researcher faced?

For example, you can state what exactly the previous research paper lacks and how your research will be useful in gap-filling.

Step 4: Defining Your Objective(s) Like a Pro

Finding out your objectives is an essential step in the research process. It provides a roadmap for your study and helps you to stay focused and organized.

If you have multiple research objectives in your paper, it is important to prioritize them based on their importance to your research problem. Due to that, you will allocate your time and resources effectively.

Finally, it is essential to review and refine your objectives throughout the research process. You may need to adjust them based on your findings or changes in your research context.

Crafting Your Thesis Statement in an Argumentative Paper

You introduce the objectives by making the thesis statement in an argumentative paper. It is a sentence or two that expresses your position on a research argument based on facts and arguments. It must be concise and clear. However, avoid specifications because it will kill the intrigue of your research paper findings.

Creating Your Empirical Research Paper’s Inquiry and Hypothesis

Here you should start with crafting your empirical research paper’s inquiry and hypothesis. It is necessary to do three crucial things:

• Formulate research questions

Once you have presented the research problem, you can formulate research questions that will guide your study. These questions should be specific, measurable, and achievable. They should address the key aspects of your research paper problem.

• Define your objectives

Based on your research questions, you can then define your research paper objectives. These objectives should be clear, concise, and relevant to your research problem. They should also be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

• Test hypothesis (if any)

You need to present the results of the tested hypothesis. Basically, use Past tenses here to show the outcome of the performed job.

Step 5: Outlining Your Paper – What to Include?

Outlining the paper is the last thing you should do to finish your introduction. It is an essential step in the research paper writing process that helps you organize your thoughts and ideas. How to do that correctly?

A typical argumentative research paper outline includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.

• An introduction states the topic and thesis statement. It gives background information and explains why the research paper topic is essential.
• The body of such a paper should be broken down into several main points. Each paper point should be supported by evidence, facts, or examples.
• The conclusion summarizes the main points of your research paper and restates the thesis statement.

The empirical research paper should have an introduction, the methods used, the received results, and their discussion. One can use a long sentence to describe everything or a plan with numbers in a paper. Present simple is the required tense for a research paper outline. Moreover, the paper mapping must be brief and to the point. Experts use linking phrases in such papers.

For example, “This paper starts with the interpretation of the Illinois experiment about the use of GMOs in baby formula making, then it goes on …, etc.”

Remember that your outline is a flexible tool that you can change and modify as you go along. It’s a roadmap to guide you through the writing process and help you stay focused on your paper topic.

Research Paper Introduction Models to Follow

We have already discussed all significant points for creating a research paper introduction. Now, it is time to have a look at some research paper introduction versions.

Argumentative paper introduction

According to the United Nations, the world faces rapid climate change today. The natural world suffers negative consequences because of the unstoppable growth of human populations and the expansion of industrialization. The World Wildlife Fund reports that the Earth has lost more than half of its wildlife in the past 40 years due to habitat loss, overexploitation, and climate change. The Earth’s ecosystems are under stress, and the planet is experiencing rapid climate change, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, pollution, and a range of other problems. Consequently, environmental problems have become a pressing issue in the modern world and require urgent solutions.

Local institutes usually wait for governmental decisions and laws to initiate ecological projects. However, local decisions can make an influential investment in the well-being of the natural and human worlds. This paper argues that the US government must stimulate and help local organizations to reduce the emission of chemicals by providing ecological projects like in Switzerland. In 2020, the Swiss parliament introduced a levy on airplane tickets. These funds are spent on tree planting to eliminate the negative impact of air pollution caused by airplanes.

First, the paper discusses mistakes in the US ecological projects. Then, the paper proceeds to the positive outcome of Swiss environmental projects and, finally, introduces the possible ways to implement the best environmental projects based on financial and demographic principles.

Empirical paper introduction

Are there dangers of overpopulation and social isolation for humans in the XXI century? Today, urbanization leads to rivalry among people for different things, including territory, love partners, education, and general social and economic well-being. Can this issue be connected to the famous Universe 25 experiment conducted by ethologist John B. Calhoun? Do humans differ from mice that much?

John B. Calhoun studied behavioral concepts of mice who lived in artificial environments that satisfied all their basic needs, including food, rest, and social relationships. However, their overpopulation led to hyper-aggression, loneliness, social and intellectual degradation, withdrawal, and extinction. The scientist connected their behavior to humans and coined “Behavioral Sink.”

Calhoun’s research was theoretical regarding human beings, which led to an informational gap. This paper provides practical aspects to fill the gap based on the overpopulated regions like prosperous Chinese districts and poor African areas. The paper proves that overpopulation does not have a negative impact in prosperous countries due to governmental laws and projects. So, unlike mice, who had everything needed, intelligent humans can benefit when having a healthy environment for living.

If you are also searching for information on how to write a term paper, we have an article about it also.