Introductions

Whatever you are writing—an essay, a report, an article, a thesis, a journal, a literature review, or any other piece of academic writing—the introduction will be the first thing the reader sees. If an introduction is poorly written or constructed, if it is boring, if it does not tell readers what they need to know, if it does not help readers to orient themselves to your paper—then you have lost your readers' goodwill right from the beginning, and can be sure of losing marks, no matter how well the rest of the assignment is constructed.

It’s essential, then, that you get the introduction right. This means that you must know what the introduction is supposed to do, what sorts of things must go into the introduction, how to write and structure the introduction properly, and how to interest your reader from the start.

An introduction should do the following:

• alert a reader’s interest: Einstein Quote

• indicate the scope and direction of the paper, and act as a navigation guide to its reading: (explain stem cell research in general, science, faith, future)

• show the reader how you are interpreting and approaching the question: there is no answer

• provide a context for the main issue: nature of man, human condition

• indicate the focus of the paper (your research question): Is stem cell research moral?

• indicate your conclusion and point of view: The morality of stem cell research is still questioned due to equally valid points fueled by faith and science.

The thesis statement:

The thesis statement is one sentence (or more if the assignment is long and complex) which explicitly states the focus and direction of the writing.

In a report, the thesis statement is often separated from the rest of the introduction under the heading Aim (or Purpose) of the Report.

It is usual to put the thesis statement at the end of the introduction, but it can sometimes be placed at the beginning. Don’t put it in the middle of the introduction.

The thesis statement often begins with expressions like: ‘This report examines... ’ ‘This essay will discuss...’ ‘This article demonstrates...’. We recommend that you adopt this strategy, especially if you are an inexperienced writer. That way, you won’t forget to put the thesis statement into your introduction, and your reader has a clear idea of what the focus will be.

Conclusions

An outstanding conclusion will remain with the reader for a long time, as it is the last part of the paper that he or she will read.

It is important to provide your audience with a sense of closure, as if the point has been made and the jury can now rest, so to speak.

Here are some tips for writing an effective conclusion:

• Don't be shy. The conclusion offers you the opportunity to elaborate on the impact and significance of your findings.

• The conclusion is an opportunity to succinctly answer [or in some cases, to re-emphasize] the "So What?" question by placing the study within the context of how your research advances past research about the topic.

• Be insightful!

  • The best conclusions make UNIVERSAL observations about human nature.

  • They discuss ideas which apply to life in general rather than just to your sources… ideas that cross cultural, socioeconomic, and other boundaries which separate people.

  • Make your research RELEVANT to the audience personally and UNIVERSALLY.

• Highlight key findings in your analysis and/or results by noting important or unexpected implications.

• Bring your paper all together: achieve a tone of finality or completion.

• Avoid cliches such as “In conclusion” or “As you can see.”

• Do not just re-word your thesis!!!

When writing the conclusion to your paper, follow these general rules:

• State your conclusions in clear, simple language. Re-state the purpose of your study then state how your findings differ or support those of other studies and why [i.e., what were the unique or new contributions your study made to the overall research about your topic?].

• Indicate opportunities for future research if you haven't already done so in the discussion section of your paper. Highlighting the need for further research provides the reader with evidence that you have an in-depth awareness of the research problem.

Developing a Compelling Conclusion

Although an effective conclusion needs to be clear and succinct, it does not need to be written passively or lack a compelling narrative. Strategies to help you move beyond merely summarizing the key points of your research paper may include any of the following strategies:

1. If your essay deals with a contemporary problem, warn readers of the possible consequences of not attending to the problem.

2. Recommend a specific course or courses of action that, if adopted, could address a specific problem in practice or in the development of new knowledge.

3. Cite a relevant quotation or expert opinion already noted in your paper in order to lend authority to the conclusion you have reached [a good place to look is research from your literature review].

4. Explain the consequences of your research in a way that elicits action or demonstrates urgency in seeking change.

5. Restate a key statistic, fact, or visual image to emphasize the ultimate point of your paper.

6. If your discipline encourages personal reflection, illustrate your concluding point with a relevant narrative drawn from your own life experiences.

7. Return to an anecdote, an example, or a quotation that you presented in your introduction, but add further insight derived from the findings of your study; use your interpretation of results to recast it in new or important ways.

8. Provide a "take-home" message in the form of a strong, succinct statement that you want the reader to remember about your study.