Following the abstract, the introduction starts on a new page, headed by the report title using a Level 1 heading. This section is where you introduce your report topic by providing the background to the research, the rationale for your study and your aims (your broad reason for doing this), and ending with your research hypotheses (specific predictions). Your introduction should, therefore, explain what other researchers have previously done and what the point of your study is. For example, you might show how prior findings are inconsistent or ambiguous and explain how your research clarifies the problem. The theoretical and empirical research presented logically leads to your aims /hypotheses.

The introduction moves from the general discussion of the topic area to specific predictions. Successive paragraphs should be explicitly connected to create a coherent argument. Using Field’s (2016) example, you would:

• Define the beer goggles effect and why it is important.

• Describe the relevant previous research and what it has told us about the beer-goggles effect. This could include relevant theories.

• Describe the problems with the previous research and/ or explain any unresolved issues.

• Describe how you are going to overcome these problems/resolve this issue and why that will be an important advancement to knowledge (and/ or any practical benefit).

• State your hypotheses.

It is essential a rationale for the study is provided here. Most studies subtly vary previous experiments which mean they are replicating previous work but with some variation. For example, if you are using a different procedure or method, you should state what the differences are and why; to show how your results extend their findings. Or you may be extending research by applying it to an area not previously done (as far as you know). For example, looking at attractiveness ratings for same-sex mates whereas previously they have focused on heterosexual couples. Whatever the rationale is for your study it is important that you state it in the introduction.

You can think of the introduction as an inverted triangle- it starts off broadly and then narrows down in focus to the specific hypotheses of your research study. Figure 2 below provides an example of this structure.