DISSERTATION INTRODUCTION WRITING

A dissertation introduction appears as the first chapter of your thesis and comes right after the table of contents. But do you know how to write a good dissertation introduction? You must know that the beginning is what will motivate your reader to keep going deeper into your research and explanations. That’s why the introduction of a dissertation has to have a strong beginning. Give your research a clear focus, purpose, and a sense of direction with a winning introduction. How do you do that? Well, we’ll tell you how.

How to write a dissertation introduction

It might surprise you, but the introduction is not often the first thing you write in your dissertation. That is because of a few reasons;

• You need to capture your ideas nicely and match them with your conclusion. This can’t happen unless you have wrapped up the body of your dissertation first.
• It saves you time. If you write the introduction before having to write the body first, then you run the risk of having to go back and change it because your ideas may evolve as you write.
• It’s your abstract. The abstract serves as a narrow window into your dissertation for anyone who is reading it for the first time. 

So, if you were wondering how to write a good introduction for a dissertation, the good rule of thumb is that it should come after the body of your dissertation. This will play an important role when you are structuring your dissertation. 

What to write in a dissertation introduction 

As much as your introduction should come as one of the last things you write for your dissertation, a good introduction for a dissertation is crucial. For this reason, you need to know exactly what to write here. It shouldn’t have too much information to take away from the purpose of the body, or be very shallow and fail to offer clear insight into your paper. Here’s what you need to know;

• Include preliminary background information that explains your research
• Clarify what the focus of your study is
• Clearly show what value your research offers (include both primary and secondary research)
• Make it clear what your research aims and objectives are

That said, always include background information as the first item in your introduction; everything else can be placed where you need them to be. You will also have opportunities to combine some of these sections. If you want, you can include other sections that go beyond the sections we just mentioned. A good example would be when you choose to add questions to your introduction to give the reader a more concrete framework for where your research is headed.

What does a Dissertation Introduction include?

Even though we have mentioned what you need to write in your dissertation, we haven’t explored what these points need to include. So, if you have been wondering what to include in a dissertation introduction, here’s your answer;

1. The topic and context should include what the reader needs to know to understand your dissertation. This is when background information is necessary to drive your point home. Include why the topic is timely and important.
2. Your focus and scope should include any specific aspect of the topic that you plan to address. Here you could include geographical information, the time and period the research will cover, the demographics of the communities in the research, and specific themes and aspects of the topic.
3. In giving the relevance and importance of your research try and include how your research fits into current work on the topic. 
4. If you have questions and objectives as part of your introduction be sure to include what the research aims to find out and how. You can talk about research methods only if you don’t have a separate methodology chapter. Skim over this part and don’t go too deep into details.
5. The overview of the structure in your introduction should mention what each chapter contributes to your paper. Don’t include too many details here; aim for one or two sentences to explain each chapter and how it contributes to the central aims of your paper.

How to start a dissertation introduction

Now that we have answered the question “what should the introduction of a dissertation include?” It’s time to find out how to start one. You already have a clear structure and you now know the structure of the introduction for dissertation papers should appear. However, do you know how to begin a dissertation introduction?

Since you already know that the introduction should come last, you don’t have to worry about how to start one. Your paper and chapters will guide you. However, even as you write the chapters and the rest of the dissertation, having a rough draft of your introduction isn’t such a bad thing. This should act as a guide as you maneuver through your paper. If you already wrote a research proposal for the paper, you can use it as a dissertation introduction template. A dissertation proposal contains many of the same elements as your dissertation introduction. 

However, even as you write, don’t forget to revise your introduction during the entire process. As you do that, ensure it matches what you have included in your chapters. That is how to start a dissertation introduction!

How to structure an introduction for a dissertation

We mentioned that you practically have an idea of what a dissertation introduction should look like once you know what to include. However, it pays to actually know how to structure an introduction for a dissertation. There are a few things to think about when you are doing this. They include asking yourself questions like;

• What will you be researching?
• Why is your research worth the work you are putting into it?
• What will be the scope of your research? Do you have anything specific you wish to cover?
• What will be the limitations of your research? Will there be any potential shortcomings of your research?

How long is a Dissertation Introduction?

So, how long is a dissertation introduction? The most direct answer to this question would be; as long as it needs to be. When answering the question “how long should a dissertation introduction be” you need to pay attention to a few things. Some of these include;

• Each research project has its own aspects that will require you to adhere to specific requirements. 
• Many factors play a role in determining the length of the entire document. Some of these factors include the level of research, the topic, and the preferences of the field of study. 

What this means is that there is no specific length for a dissertation introduction. It really depends on the nature of the research. The introduction covers what the research aims to find out and must be done well for examiners and other readers. 

Literature Review Introduction dissertation

A literature review introduction of a dissertation is pretty much the same as any dissertation introduction you’ll see out there. Use the same methodology mentioned here when faced with any literature review paper. Pay attention to everything a dissertation should include and you’ll be on your way to a winning literature review introduction. 

Dissertation Introduction Checklist

We have seen how to write a dissertation introduction, what to write, what to include in one, and how to structure it. We will summarize here a few points worth taking from this. Here’s a checklist for you;

• The introduction isn’t the first thing you write in a dissertation
• When writing a dissertation there are a few questions that you must ask yourself to come up with a proper structure.
• Your introduction should capture the imagination of the reader as well as state the clear aims of your paper and research.
• A dissertation introduction is the window of observation into your dissertation.
• The length of the introduction depends on the nature of the research in question.