The introduction is the initial part of a text, through which it is intended to bring the reader closer to the content to follow and draw their attention to continue reading, either for pleasure, research, correction or evaluation of academic work. How to make an introduction in research?

For this reason, the introduction is considered an important part of the text, whether of an investigative, scientific, informative, literary type, among others, which is always placed before the first chapter.

Do you take these data into account when writing an introduction? If not, here are a series of steps that will help you make an introduction.

1. How to start writing

The introduction, from the first paragraph, must be interesting, coherent, generate curiosity and contextualize the reader about the content developed in the following pages, especially since it is the first contact they have with the text.

It can even be developed in another way, and start with a brief history, cultural reference or analysis of interesting data that will later be expanded in the content. How to make an introduction in research?

2. Language and tone

It is recommended to use a personal tone, but respecting the use of a formal, technical or colloquial vocabulary and language according to the reading public to whom the text is directed.

For example, writing an introduction to a novel is not the same as writing an introduction to economics or finance. Hence, it is important to know what language and tone to use in each case.

3. What questions need to be answered

The reader comes to the text for various reasons, either because he is carrying out an investigation or study, because he wants to make a pleasant reading or because he is a tutor or professor who must make corrections to a thesis or research.

Therefore, after the reader reads the title of the text, he worries about reading the introduction, in which he hopes that some of his concerns will be answered to decide whether or not to continue reading the text. For example: How to make an introduction in research?

• What is the main topic?
• Why was this text made?
• What is its importance?
• Why is it recommended to read it?
• Is it a description, analysis or contrast of information ?, among others.

In this way, the topic to be discussed, the main ideas, the applied methods or the research carried out, how it differs from other texts and what the final contributions are can be better exposed.

4. Organization of information

It is very important to present the information in an organized way, starting with the main or most important ideas, and continuing with the complementary ideas. If deemed necessary, you can also add some relevant information that hooks the reader.

In this sense, from the title and in the introduction it will be very useful to use the keywords of the text, in this way the reader can formulate a more specific idea of ​​the content that follows, and its reading is facilitated.

If it is a thesis or research work, you can also make citations of prominent authors in the area of ​​study or topic that is presented. How to make an introduction in research?

Therefore, a synthesis of the topic is presented, but without revealing further details, so the reader is left with more enthusiasm to read what follows.

5. Extension

The introduction is characterized by being brief, generally, no more than three pages, depending on the length of the text. Sometimes, if it is an essay, it may not exceed one page.

Likewise, and considering that the introduction is a fundamental part of the text, it is recommended that its writing be carried out at the end, when the work is finished, thus avoiding inconsistencies or mistakes, since during the preparation of a text, it usually changes a lot until it has been completed.

6. Other resources to enrich the introduction

Below are various resources that can be used to enrich the introduction of a text:

• Present arguments that persuade the reader.
• If it is an academic and investigative work, it is important to answer questions such as: why are we going to work on this topic? What is the interest of such research? did the author support? What methodology was used?
• Present the introduction in another language, such as English.
• Use of infographics or diagrams that facilitate understanding of the text. How to make an introduction in research?