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Topic 4.2 of Writing Up Research

Writing the Introduction

The four moves that make an introduction work: establishing a context, identifying the gap, positioning the present study, and announcing the study's organisation.

~30 min total·4 quadrants of structured content

By the end of this topic, you will

Write an opening that establishes broad relevance before narrowing to the specific problem
Distinguish a background section from a problem statement and explain why both are needed
State objectives and research questions in a form that the methodology and results sections can answer directly
Close an introduction with a brief guide to the rest of the report

Quadrant 1 · e-Tutorial

Video lectures and walkthroughs

Quadrant 2 · e-Content

Articles and case studies

research-methodology

Writing the Introduction

An introduction has four jobs: establish the context, identify a specific gap or problem, position the present study as the answer to that problem, and tell the reader what is coming. Most student introductions do only the first one.

11 min read

Quadrant 3 · Web Resources

Downloadable material and curated external links

Web resources coming soon.

Quadrant 4 · Self-Assessment

Test your knowledge — earn a certificate on first pass

Assessment coming soon.