Composing A Winning Doctoral Dissertation Introduction: 5 Helpful Tips
Arguably, the introduction of any piece of writing is one of the most important sections, as it not only explains what the work is about, but it also entices the reader to read the rest of the piece. That said, it’s not the easiest section to write, so we’ve put together a list of five helpful tips to show you how to compose a winning introduction for your doctoral dissertation.
- Understand why you need an introduction
- Decide when to write your introduction
- Hooking your audience
- Write a strong thesis statement
The introductory paragraph is an important section of any written work, whether it’s a formal piece or even an informal piece. However, in a doctoral dissertation, the first paragraph is absolutely vital to the rest of the work’s success. It sets the tone of the paper, it introduces the topic of the paper to the reader, it (hopefully) entices the reader to read the rest of the piece, and it contains the all-important thesis statement.
Traditional wisdom dictates that you compose your first paragraph first, before you write the rest of your doctoral dissertation. If you decide to follow this wisdom, you can write a proper, complete first paragraph. Alternatively, you can write a quick, tentative first paragraph. Then you can go back and edit it later. If writing your introduction first doesn’t seem to work for you, try writing the rest of your paper before you composed your first paragraph. This method is often easier for some people than the traditional method.
The first sentence of your first paragraph is absolutely essential to hooking your audience, so you really need to make it shine. This sentence is the first taste your readers will have of your doctoral dissertation, so it needs to grab their attention immediately. You can try to pique the interest of your readers with a unique quote or surprising fact. Whatever you use, it needs to grab your audience’s attention, and hold it.
After you’ve found an excellent way to hook your audience, you need to follow through with a strong thesis statement. Your thesis statement usually comes near the end of your introduction. It is meant to explain to your readers what the focus of your doctoral dissertation actually is, so it basically gives them a succinct summary of the content of your work. For your thesis statement to serve its purpose properly, it needs to be clear, concise and focused; so, work on composing one that meets those requirements.