1-Introduction

Introduction:The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or context for your research problem. How to frame the research problem is perhaps the biggest problem in proposal writing.If the research problem is framed in the context of a general, rambling literature review, then the research question may appear trivial and uninteresting. However, if the same question is placed in the context of a very focused and current research area, its significance will become evident.Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules on how to frame your research question just as there is no prescription on how to write an interesting and informative opening paragraph. A lot depends on your creativity, your ability to think clearly and the depth of your understanding of problem areas.However, try to place your research question in the context of either a current “hot” area, or an older area that remains viable. Secondly, you need to provide a brief but appropriate historical backdrop. Thirdly, provide the contemporary context in which your proposed research question occupies the central stage. Finally, identify “key players” and refer to the most relevant and representative publications. In short, try to paint your research question in broad brushes and at the same time bring out its significance.The introduction typically begins with a general statement of the problem area, with a focus on a specific research problem, to be followed by the rationale or justification for the proposed study. The introduction generally covers the following elements:1. State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of the study.2. Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a way as to show its necessity and importance.3. Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing.4. Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by your research.5. Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment. Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study.6. State your hypothesis or theory, if any. For exploratory or phenomenological research, you may not have any hypotheses. (Please do not confuse the hypothesis with the statistical null hypothesis.)7. Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus.8. Provide definitions of key concepts. (This is optional.)In the first paragraph, the first sentence identifies the general topic area. The second sentence gives the research question, and the third sentence establishes its significance.The IntroductionTopic AreaA good title will clue the reader into the topic but it can not tell the whole story. Follow the title with a strong introduction. The introduction provides a brief overview that tells a fairly well informed (but perhaps non-specialist) reader what the proposal is about. It might be as short as a single page, but it should be very clearly written, and it should let one assess whether the research is relevant to their own. With luck it will hook the reader's interest.What is your proposal about? Setting the topical area is a start but you need more, and quickly. Get specific about what your research will address.QuestionOnce the topic is established, come right to the point. What are you doing? What specific issue or question will your work address? Very briefly (this is still the introduction) say how you will approach the work. What will we learn from your work?SignificanceWhy is this work important? Show why it is important to answer this question. What are the implications of doing it? How does it link to other knowledge? How does it stand to inform policy making? This should show how this project is significant to our body of knowledge. Why is it important to our understanding of the world? It should establish why I would want to read on. It should also tell me why I would want to support, or fund, the project.Research Paper IntroductionThe introduction is the first chapter of a research paper. It starts from the research proposal stage, but it is critical to understand the difference between theintroduction of a research proposal and that of a research paper. At the proposal stage, the introduction is presented in a future tense expressing the intentions and expectations of the researcher, whereas that of the research paper is in the past tense, revealing what actually happened.A research paper introduction plays an essential rol e of preparing the reader’s mind to follow the paper as it unveils the problem, the researcher’s intervention, intentions and expectations.Sections of a research paper introductionThe introduction constituents and sequence majorly depend on the type of research and format undertaken●Background: Reveals an identified and well-defined problem, exploring itshistory and nature with reference to the existing literature. It should indicatethe root of the problem, its extent, the affected, previous investigations, etc.;highlighting the research paper introduction in general, and ensuring properperception of the situation at hand.●Statement of the problem: Is the core of the issue/problem and must beclearly defined. It states exactly what the problem is, justifying that theproblem narrows or bridges the gap between what it is and what it ought tobe.●Purpose of the study: Is derived from the statement of the problem. It stateswhy one decides to study the problem and the role of his/her research tosolve the problem.●Objectives of the study: These constitute the targets a researcher intends toachieve. They act as the yardstick for the research exercise and must bespecific, measurable and achievable.●Research questions:There are research guiding questions generated fromobjectives. The researcher needs to answer them as part of theinvestigation.●Hypothesis:These are guiding predictions of the outcome of the study.Basing on research questions, an assumption derived from existing theories,personal observations and experience is made. A hypothesis provides atentative answer to the problem, allowing for further explanations.Hypotheses are common for descriptive and explanatory research.●Scope of study:Is expressed in terms of a geographical area, say, village,town or city; and in terms of content—showing the extent of the knowledgecoverage.●Significance of study: Shows how meaningful and useful the research is; aswell as indicating the beneficiary groups.●Assumption: Situations under which the research is may not be exact, so foreasy of work the researcher may assume what he/she has exactly consideredin his/her investigation.●Delimitations:These are advantage factors affecting one’s research exercise.●Limitations:●Definitions of the key concepts/terms:Due to ambiguity and varyingmeanings of words/terms/concepts, the researcher needs to be precisegiving exact meaning of what he/she intends to communicate.●Abbreviations: abbreviations may be misunderstood, so clear full meaningsavoid confusion.How to write a research proposal in a simpler wayUnderstand the intended topic, your knowledge of the subject, your audience’s interests and their knowledge of the subject. Understand the type of research resources and sources required. If you understand how to write a research proposal, then your research exercise becomes easier. Your essay writing tactics highly aid your writing skills for a proposal.Chapter one (introduction)—it expresses the intensions and expectations of the researcher and plays an essential role of preparing the reader’s mind as it reveals the problem, the researcher’s intentions, why he/she intends to intervene and his/her expectations.The introduction contains:1.Background of the study2.Statement of the problem3.Purpose of the study4.Objectives of the study5.Research questions and/or6.Hypothesis7.Scope of the study8.Assumption9.Delimitations10.Limitations11.Definitions of key concepts and terms。