How to Write a Dissertation Introduction in Five Steps

The introduction to your dissertation is a very important to your paper. It is your opportunity to make the best impression on your reader, engage them in what you will be writing about, and set up your credibility. Having a strong introduction will also help keep you organized and to the point as you begin to write the body of your dissertation. Because this is such a crucial step, it is important to make sure that you pay attention to detail, and follow these instructions. We’ll break them down into five easy steps. As you write, make sure you encompass each of these into your introduction.

1. State your topic of research. Unlike other research papers, your dissertation introduction does not require specific attention grabbing detail, although as always it should still be interesting. Begin by clearly stating what your dissertation is about, and what you are proving with it. Try and be as concise and direct as possible.
2. Explain why. Let your reader know why your information is relevant to this field of study. You can give some basic background information, but this is not the place in the paper for the full history of your subject. Give context for your dissertation so that the importance of it is easily recognizable.
3. State your hypothesis. After the background information is stated, explain what your hypothesis is. This is different from stating your topic of research because this is your own personal conclusion after reviewing all of the available information. Here you explain what is causing your topic of research, or what the results of it will be.
4. Explain how. Tell your reader exactly how you got your information. Explain the exact conditions and statistics of your own study. Try and keep this as short as possible, and avoid repetition. You should be able to give a short summary of your study and research here in about three sentences.
5. Address the benefits and the limitations of your work. Finally, it is important to state who will benefit from this research. This is similar to explaining why you are doing this, but gives you another chance to reiterate the importance or significance of your work. While you address the benefits of your research, make sure to explain any possible limitations it may have. This would include stating whether your study had a small sample, or whether more research on a certain aspect of your dissertation is necessary.

With these five steps you can speed through the introduction to your dissertation in no time! Make sure to include all of the information, and keep your writing as concise and relevant as you possibly can.