How do you write a good introduction
A report consists of an introduction, a core and a closing (a conclusion). You start with a good introduction. At the introduction it is important that the reader is stimulated to continue reading. He or she should be made curious. In the introduction, you convince your readers to read the report. But how do you do that, how do you write a good introduction? In this article we will go into more detail.
The introduction
Writing a good introduction. Every beginning is difficult, even the beginning of an introduction. How do you do that...? When writing a report, an introduction is an important and a fixed part. With an introduction, it is important to keep an eye on the content and length. The content is of course important to convince the reader to read further, but there is also a condition of the length. For the length of an introduction, take about 10% of the total length of the report. If you have a 10-page report, the introduction is about one page. This can be a grip for you, but may of course deviate slightly.
The layout introduction
If you are going to work out an introduction, it is good to know what can be mentioned in this part of the report. These parts are now being discussed further:
- Introduction of the subject
- Problem statement, research question
- The purpose of the aim
- Demarcation of the research
- Relevance of
- Read pointer
Introduction - introduction of the subject
The introduction you write often begins with an introduction to your subject. What is the report about? Why is the report important? You indicate what problem occurs, where possible how that problem arose and what is known about the problem. You also describe the consequences of the problem and whether it is related to one or more other problems. With this part it is important that you are clear and do not deviate too much to other topics. You can make a topic as wide as you want, but make sure it is demarcated and examined.
Introduction – problem statement, research question
When the topic is made known and explained, you go deeper into the problem statement. This is a question where you will give an answer in the conclusion. So before you start research, think about what you want to know and you try to formulate that in your introduction.
Introduction – objective
After the problem, the objective is addressed. It explains what you want to achieve with your report. This SMART is often formulated:
- Specific: What needs to be improved or unloaded?
- Measurable: What exactly do you want to achieve? Also indicate how you will measure this.
- Acceptable: Is it an acceptable objective for the target group/client?
- Realistic: Is the goal achievable?
- Time-bound: Within how much time do you want to reach your goal? (If you do an internship somewhere, it can be an X number of weeks or months, clearly indicate the months from April to July, for example).
Introduction – Demarcation research
At the introduction you also show the demarcation of the research. You may have a very broad problem, but you will only examine a small part of it. In the introduction you clearly indicate which part of that problem you will investigate and for which target group or industry it is.
Introduction – relevance
For the reader, it is often useful to read why your research is relevant. That is why you explain the reason for your research and for whom it makes sense to do something with it. You can go into this very extensively, but you can also briefly explain why you are doing the research, what you want to achieve with it and what the organization can do with it or what society can benefit from it. When readers see the added value, they tend to read more quickly.
Introduction – reading guide
The introduction can be closed with a reading guide, so that readers know what they can encounter further in the report and where.
Purpose of Writing Introduction
Writing an introduction has a purpose:
- You want to introduce your topic (please briefly what it’s about and do it well).
- You want to interest the reader (why is this research interesting to read, what is the added value?).
- You want to show why your research is relevant (care for a good opening so that the reader immediately wants to know more about your report and read more about it).
Do not underestimate the importance of an introduction. A fascinating and interesting introduction ensures that the readers, who are given the report, will continue to read and do not start to accomplice of boredom. In the introduction you will put on structure of what you will work out in the report. An introduction is also very important for teachers. They will read at the beginning of the report what will be dealt with. Make sure that the introduction is not only fascinating but also clear and clear and tells what is to come in short terms. Use the right words, do not make language and/or spelling errors. Have someone read through the introduction once. What does he or she think? - Is everything clear? If jargon is used, explain this! Write the introduction short and concise, avoid a long-winded introduction.