I've made to make several introductions in the past week, introducing myself as a writing consultant to you MALS students as well as introducing my mind to a new job. Which got me thinking about introductions of the scholarly research paper kind. Right about now, while you are concluding your work for this semester, spend a little time thinking about your introduction too. Read further for some introductory words of wisdom.
I'll admit it. Introductions stress me out.
I know I am not alone. Think about the times you've introduced yourself to someone whom you consider important. Knowing that we get only one chance to wow that person with a fabulous first impression, we'll change clothes eleven times, practice our "hellos" in the mirror, and down enough Tic-Tacs for wintergreen to show up on a blood test. Yet when it comes to writing an introduction for our papers, we may not give our opening paragraphs the attention they deserve.
We discount the introduction for a few different reasons, I believe. Sometimes we are so focused on perfecting our argument that the introduction becomes, rather ironically, an afterthought. We write one, of course, but only because we are supposed to and not because we think it matters much. An introduction treated this way becomes filler, as boring and inconsequential as packing peanuts, which, when pushed aside, eventually lead to an exciting parcel.
However, I suspect that a common, yet less conscious reason that we as writers settle for half-baked introductions is that we choke: we become nearly as nervous about making a great first impression in our paper as we do when meeting a blind date (okay, not quite that nervous). Writing the introduction can be intimidating, and that's understandable: an introduction is a point of no return. Once you write one, you must follow up with meaningful content. In other words, if you make an introduction, you are implying that you have even more important words to support your initial statements. There is no going back - you must write the paper. If this describes you, go ahead and save writing the intro for later, after you've built up your paper and your confidence a bit by writing a section or two of the body. Just don't neglect the introduction when you do write it.
Which brings me to the point of this post.....
Whatever attitude you may have taken when writing introductions in the past, I ask you to adopt a renewed sense of respect for the first page(s) of your papers. Treat your introduction as the important opening to your argument that it is. A strong introduction accomplishes the following:
- Your introduction should truly introduce your argument. You can approach this in a few different ways. Tell a story that includes a problem that your argument will address. Give your reader a sense of the current state of the field, discipline(s), or enterprises for which your thesis adds knowledge or helps to solve a problem. Whatever you do, make sure your introduction leads into your thesis statement, thereby launching your argument.
- Your introduction should quickly and effectively "grab" the reader. Make it interesting. This is your paper's first impression, after all. Think about it as though you were asked to read a colleague's paper. If she made you sift through 100 words of aimless filler, how would that affect your attitude toward the rest of the paper? A strong, interesting introduction keeps the reader engaged.
